De Bry Engravings of the Timucua Indians

When you look at these pictures, you should keep a few things in mind.

A.         Jacques LeMoyne drew them over 400 years ago.  He actually saw some of the things he drew, but others, he drew based on descriptions given by the Timucua people.  So, not everything LeMoyne drew is accurate.

B.         The Spanish from St. Augustine burned all of the buildings in the French fort (Ft. Caroline) to make the French leave La Florida.  Almost all of LeMoyne’s drawings were burned up.  Years later, he redrew them from memory.  This means there were probably lots of mistakes because he couldn’t remember everything exactly.

C.        After LeMoyne died, another man, named Theodore DeBry, decided to engrave these pictures to put them in a book.  DeBry made some changes, including finishing incomplete drawings, filling in the backgrounds, adding more people, or rearranging them entirely. 

D.        It’s unlucky for us that LeMoyne’s original artwork about the Timucua is lost.  But we can still learn about the Timucua by studying DeBry’s engravings and trying to figure out what is true and what isn’t.

E.         After each picture, I’ve added some descriptions that were probably written by a French soldier named Laudonniere.  Some of these descriptions are true, and some may be false.

F.         After the descriptions, I’ve written about some ways DeBry’s engravings of the Timucua are true and false.  If you want to learn more about the French and the Timucua People, read this book:   A Foothold in Florida, by W. John Faupel, ISBN#0 9514914 3 1. 

1.  How the Indians Kill Alligators - (Alligator Hunt)

French Descriptions:  “When the creatures are hungry they come out of the water onto the islands to hunt but if they could not find anything they made a terrible noise that could be heard for half a mile.  Then the guard called ten or twelve others who approached the large and terrifying creature with a long tree trunk.  As it crawled towards them with its jaws open they rammed the pointed end down its throat.  Because of the roughness of the bark it could not get free so they were able to twist it over and shoot arrows into its soft belly, club and spear it, then cut it open.  The hard scales made its back impossible to penetrate, especially if the creature was old...”

True and False:  This probably is how the Timucua hunted alligators.  These reptiles have hard scales (called scutes) under the skin on their backs.  Arrows and spears will not go through these scales.  Flipping the alligator over, to hunt it on its softer belly, was a good idea.  If the Timucua could trick the alligator into biting the tree trunk pole, they could hunt it.  Once the alligator bit down, the pole would get stuck in its mouth and throat.  Then the alligator couldn’t bite anyone.  But the Timucua still had to avoid the alligator’s dangerous thrashing tail.  They turned the pole over, so the alligator would turn over too.  Now they could hunt the alligator on its softer belly.  Let’s look at the false part now.  Timucua bows were not shaped like that.  And the alligator in the front would have been about 80 feet long.  That’s way too big, even for 400 years ago.  25 feet long is believable, but not 80.  Also, have you ever seen an alligator with big ears?  How about those fingers?  It is pretty clear that DeBry had never seen a real alligator, because the ones in his engraving don’t look realistic at all.  There’s one more thing wrong with this picture.  The hunters look like they’re naked.  This is probably FALSE.  The men would have worn some kind of protective clothing, like a loin cloth (looks like a bikini bathing suit).  They would not have hunted more than one alligator at a time either.  That was just LeMoyne’s way of getting the whole hunting process into one drawing.

2.  How the Young Men were Trained - (Boy’s Games)

French Descriptions:  “The young men were trained in running and those who could run the longest distance were given special prizes.  They were also coached, especially in archery.  Then they played a certain ball game in the following manner.  A post was erected in the middle of an area, about eight or nine yards high, on the top of which was a rectangular wooden frame woven from rushes, and the one who managed to hit it with a ball was awarded a prize.  Apart from this they also enjoyed hunting and fishing very much.”

True and False:  This picture does give us a good idea of the kind of games and training the boys had while growing up.  However, DeBry probably made up most of this picture himself.  The way the young men are running and holding their bows is not realistic.  LeMoyne would have done a better job if he’d done the original drawing.  Also, the target pole is not supposed to have tree roots; it’s a pole.   Last of all, the trees and things in the background are not Florida plants, so the background was definitely made up by DeBry.  Another French man, Laudonniere (Law-don-ee-yeah) wrote that the boys also had contests to see who could hold his breath the longest (good practice for swimming).  The bows are not shaped correctly for Florida’s Native Americans; they should not be recurved at the ends.  

3.  Ceremonial Drinks at Council Meetings - (Ceremonial Drinks)

French Descriptions:  “At certain times of the year the chief and his noblemen met early each day in a public place appointed for the purpose of consultation where the benches were built in the shape of a crescent.  In the meantime the chief had ordered several women to prepare ‘cassina’ which was a drink brewed from the leaves of certain plants which were then filtered out.  The drink had special powers, for it induced perspiration as soon as it had been drunk.  Those who could not hold the drink down and vomited it out had to fast for three or four days after and were not asked to do important tasks or hold positions of responsibility in battle because they were considered unreliable.  After drinking this brew they could fast for twenty-four hours.  The fact that this drink strengthened the body and had no ill effects on the head was why...” no food was carried into battle, only the cassina, or black drink.

True and False:  This drawing does describe the “Black Drink Ceremony” which was practiced all over the southeastern United States by Native Americans.  To learn more about this ceremony, click here to go to the page on “Cassina”.  DeBry probably drew most of this picture himself.  In Laudonniere’s text, it says that this ceremony took place inside the big Council House, not outside.  It is interesting that the women made the black drink, but only the men could drink it.

4.  How the Indians Prepared Game - (Preserving the Meat)

French Descriptions:  “In order that the game lasted longer, they prepared it in the following way.  They pushed four large wooden forked stakes into the earth and laid sticks over these like a grate onto which they laid out the game and fish.  Beneath this they build a fire, the smoke from which hardens all the food.  They were very careful to ensure it was dried out really well so that it would not rot, as can be seen in this picture.  I believe these food supplies were prepared in this way to help them through the winter during which they lived in the woods.  For this purpose they had storehouses for food, as I have said, and these were built under a crag or rock at the water’s edge, not far from the dense wood so they could collect what they needed by small boat.”

True and False:  Most of this drawing is probably true.  The shape of the wooden rack may not be exactly right.  And the animals would probably have been butchered, with their meat cut into small slices before it was smoked and dried.  However, by leaving the animals whole, LeMoyne or DeBry may have hoped to teach us about some of the animals the Timucua ate:  fish, fox, snake, deer, and alligator in this picture.  The fact that there are eight fish on the rack should tell us that the Timucua ate a lot of fish.   The description says that the food was stored under a rock at the edge of the water.  There aren’t many rocks in eastern Florida, so this (at least the rock part) was probably made up.  This drawing also shows the MEN smoking the meat.  This may mean that men helped with at least some of the cooking.  It also gives us a good look at the men’s hair tied into a bun and their ear decorations.

5.  How the Indians Crossed the Rivers - (Going on a Picnic)

French Descriptions:  “That area had an unusual number of pretty island.  The waters were clean and clear, but not deep, reaching up to one’s chest.  In their leisure time the Indians enjoyed themselves by crossing over the rivers to the islands with their wives and children.  Some swam, at which they were very skilled, while those with young babies waded across the river with them.  A mother could carry three children at a time; the smallest on her shoulders with the mother holding its hand and, while the other two clung on underneath her arms, she used her free hand to hold up above the water a basket of fruit and other food which they all ate on the other side.  As a protection against enemy attack the men carried bows and arrows.  To prevent them from getting wet they tied the quiver to the tip of their head with a length of their hair while the bow and arrow, ready for defense, was held up above the water, as can be seen in this picture.”

True and False:  This drawing is interesting because it shows families spending time together.  It also shows the man swimming without any clothes, so we know they didn’t use bathing suits.  The plants at the bottom and the mountains in the background were made up by DeBry.  There aren’t any mountains in Jacksonville, FL!  The basket isn’t a Timucua basket, but LeMoyne probably did see parents heading out for picnics with bows and arrows, fruit baskets, and kids hanging on their backs.  Don’t forget, the face on the mother looks like a French woman, not a Timucua woman!

6.  How the Indians Hunt Deer - (Deer Hunt)

French Descriptions:  “The Indians, when hunting deer, used ingenuity such as we had never seen before.  They fitted the skins of the largest deer that they have been able to catch over their bodies so that the deer’s head covered their own and they were able to look through the eye holes as if it were a mask.  Having previously noted the time when the deer came down to the river to drink, the Indians, dressed like this, were able to approach and get really close to them without arousing their suspicions.  There were a lot of deer in that region so they were easily able to shoot them with their bows and arrows.  In doing this they had learnt to protect their left arm with tree bark from the string of the bow.  They were able to remove the deer skin and prepare it without any metal knife, just shells, with such skill that I doubt there was anyone in the whole of Europe who could do it better.”

True and False:  This picture is probably very true.  The deer’s antlers are not drawn quite right, and the Timucua probably couldn’t get that close to the deer, but they could get close enough to get a good shot.  Other Native American people call this specially made deer hide a “deer cloak.”  The legs and head were left on.  The antlers could have been hollowed out so they wouldn’t be heavy.  If you stayed bent down, a deer cloak actually made you look like a deer.

7.  Satouriona and his Wife Go for a Walk - (The Chief and His Wife)

French Descriptions:  “In the evening on occasions, the chief and his principal wife went out for a walk by themselves in the woods.  He wore a deerskin so finely prepared with decorations painted in many colours that you would not see anything more beautiful anywhere.  Next to the chief walked two young men carrying fans to created a  soft breeze.  Behind them was a third young man who wore small gold and silver discs dangling from his belt, and holding up the chief’s deerskin so it did not trail along the ground. 

“The chief’s wife and her maid servants were all dressed in a special kind of moss hanging from their shoulders or around them as a girdle.  This moss grew on many trees and hung together like a chain, with its greenish azure colour shining like silk.   The trees on which this moss grew were beautiful to look at because it hung down to the ground from the highest branches.  When I [Jacques LeMoyne] was out hunting with some of my companions in the woods near chief Satouriona’s home I saw him and his wife dressed in this way while they were out for a walk.

“You should know, kind reader, that all these chiefs and their wives decorate the skin of their bodies with all sorts of coloured spots and designs as can be seen from the figures.  The way it was done sometimes causes them to become ill for seven or eight days.  The spotted areas were rubbed with the dyes of certain herbs so they could not be removed.  Also  for decoration they grew the nails on their hands and feet very long, and with shells sharpen them like claws.  Around their mouths they painted a blue colour.”

True and False:  This drawing seems mostly true.  DeBry probably changed the Timucua faces to look more French.  He also added non-Florida plants on the ground when the description says they were in a forest.  And the young man holding the chief’s cloak probably did NOT have jewelry made of gold and silver.   Any gold and silver the Timucua had would have come from Spanish shipwrecks (from the precious metals the Spanish took from Mexico).   If the jewelry was made of metal, it was probably copper, which the Timucua could have gotten in trade from the Appalachian Mountains.   This drawing can also tell us many true things.  If the chief was walking with his “principal wife,” it probably means the chief could have more than one wife.  It shows that the chief’s family had attendants (servants).  It also tells about tattoos (even though you can’t really see them in this picture), sharpened fingernails and toenails, Spanish moss clothing for women, and decorated deerskin matchcoats (coats without sleeves or arm holes).  Remember, the Timucua did not have a written language, so they couldn’t tell the French how to spell their names.  Satouriona is the same name as Saturiwa, the headchief north and east of the St. Johns River, near Ft. Caroline.

8.  Satouriona’s War Ceremonies - (War Ceremonies)

French Descriptions:  “The warriors gathered round their chief in a close circle.  To the left of him a fire was burning, to the right two large containers full of water.   The chief rolled his eyes and, gesticulating wildly, growled as if consumed with anger.  Sometimes he made terrifying screams which were echoed by his warriors who slapped their thighs so their weapons made a noise.  Then he took up a bowl and turned towards the sun, respectfully and humbly asking for victory over his enemy, that their blood should be spilled like the water from the bowl.   Then he threw the water in the air so it splashed upon his warriors, declaring ‘do as I have done with the blood of your enemies;’.  Then, pouring the water from the other container on the fire he cried ‘thus you must exterminate your enemy and bring back their scalps’.  Then they all rose up a and marched upstream to war as planned...”

True and False:  This drawing is probably mostly true.  It shows not only the war ceremonies, but also the tattoos, feather hair decorations, and headdresses made from hawk wings and bobcat skins.  It also shows what a loin cloth (men’s clothing) looked like.  It also gives us a good look at how thoroughly a chief was tattooed.  But remember, the real tattoos may have looked nothing like the artists’ drawings!  When Laudonniere wrote about this ceremony, he said the chief shouted three times “Hey Thimogona!”   (Tee-mo-GO-na).  All the other Timucua called out the same words together in response to their chief.  The word “Thimogona” may mean “enemy,” so Saturiwa was shouting the name of his enemy to get his warriors psyched up for the battle.  The French may have mistaken the word “Thimogona” for the name of all the people who spoke the same language in north Florida and South Georgia.  It’s not much of a jump from Thimogona (Tee-mo-GO-na) to Thimogoa (Tee-mo-GO-a) to Timucua (Tee-MOO-qua).  That is probably where the name “Timucua” came from.  These Native Americans did not call themselves “Timucua.”   Today, historians and archaeologists call all of the native groups in north Florida and south Georgia who spoke the same language “Timucua speakers” or Timucua for short.  The Timucua may have shared a language, but there were many different dialects.  These peoples were never united politically or socially, although extensive trading within this language group probably occurred.

9.  A Typical Indian Village - (Village Scene)

French Description:  “The Indians usually built their villages in the following way.  Having chosen a suitable site near some fast flowing river they made it level as best they could.  Then they built a ditch round it and planted thick round wooden posts, twice the height of a man, side by side in the ground in a circle.  At the entrance to the town the circle of posts continued further round, like a snail’s shell, but so closely that not more than two people abreast could enter.  Then they diverted the channel of the river to this place.  At the entrance they built a small round house at each end.  These two houses had lots of holes and vertical openings and were built in the beautiful tradition of that country.,  In these houses they put guards who were capable of smelling out the tracks of enemies from a great distance.  As soon as they picked up the scent of an intruder they went out to find him whereupon they shouted and the inhabitants quickly gathered up bows, arrows and clubs, and rushed to defend the town.  The chief’s house was situated in the middle and slightly sunk below ground level to protect it against the heat of the sun.  Around it were built the houses of his noblemen covered thinly with palm leaves for they used these houses for only nine months of the year, spending the other three in the woods.  When they returned from the woods they inhabited their houses again but if they were burnt down they simply rebuilt them...”

True and False:  DeBry probably made a lot of changes in this drawing.  The round huts with palm roofs and tree trunk supports were probably correct.  These huts may have been grouped together in a circle or horseshoe shape.  In the center, many villages did have a large Council House.  But, this house was NOT a rectangle.  It was a circle.  Archaeologists have found the remains of a council house in Tallahassee form the Apalachee Indians.  It was big enough to seat all the men from the village and the nearby villages too (up to 2000 people).  The Black Drink ceremony took place in the council house.  This was probably not where the chief lived.  The council house served as a gathering place for meetings, celebrations, and dances.  And it was ROUND.   Also, there is NO evidence that the Timucua used a palisade or fence around their villages.  DeBry probably added the fence in himself.  The text also says the Timucua put their village near a fast-flowing river.  There really aren’t any “fast” rivers around Jacksonville.  The rivers are slow, and they spread out into creeks and marshes.  So that is probably not accurate for the Timucua around Jacksonville.  The main problems with this drawing are the rectangular council house and the palisade or fence around the village.  It does, however, show us that a guard was posted to protect the village from dangerous animals or Outina’s warriors.  It also shows a cleared area around the village.  This helped the guards see if danger was approaching.  This is why we have yards today, because Native Americans taught settlers to clear the trees and brush around their homes.

10.  Ceremonial Dancing of the Women - (Women Dancing)

French Descriptions:  “...All the maidens formed a circle but without holding hands and began to dance...Round their waist they wore a broad girdle with a kind of pouch at the front to cover their private parts.   Round the rest of the girdle dangled long round gold and silver pieces down to their thighs which jingled when they danced and they sang their praises to the chief and his wife.  When one of the dancers raised her hands all the others followed and when she lowered them they did likewise.  All the men and women had pierced ear lobes from which they hung small but longish blown fish bladders which shone like pearls or when painted red they looked like rubies...”

True and False:  DeBry probably drew most of this picture from a sketch made by LeMoyne.  The Timucua people’s faces look too European, not like Native Americans.  Also, the Timucua probably didn’t have enough gold and silver (salvaged from Spanish shipwrecks) for all the women to wear.  If the jangles were metal, they were probably copper.  They could just as easily have been made of shell, bone, or wood.   This is the only description that talks about fish bladder ear decorations.  The ear decorations found by archaeologists are usually “ear pins” made of bone.  This drawing is interesting because it suggests that only the women danced.  It also shows the chief and his wife sitting higher than everyone else, and that the women often went bare-chested.

11.  The Procession of the Bride - (A Chief’s Wedding)

French Description:  “When a chief wanted to get married he ordered the choice to be made from the more beautiful and tallest of all the noble women.  Then they fixed a chair to two long strong poles covered with some rare animal skin and decorated with branches from behind so that they waved above the bride’s head when she was seated.   Four strong men lifted the poles onto their shoulders.  Each one held a wooden crutch for propping up the pole when they wanted a rest.  On either side of the bride walked two other men carrying beautifully made sunshades attached to long poles for protecting her from the heat of the sun.  In front of the procession were others blowing trumpets made from tree bark that were narrow at the top and wider towards the bottom with only two holes - one at the top for blowing and the other at the bottom for the breath to come out.   These trumpets were hung with small long gold, silver and copper discs to produce a better sound.  Following behind were the most beautiful maidens dressed with pearl necklaces and bracelets, each carrying a basket of selected fruits.  They wore a girdle below the navel but above the hip, made from tree moss to cover their private parts.  All the rest of the procession followed on behind them.”

True and False:  This drawing seems mostly true (except for the plants and the Timucua people’s faces).  Noble Timucua women were apparently carried high on litters on their way to be married.  This shows that both men and women attended wedding ceremonies.  It talks about musical instruments used and shows that weapons were brought to the ceremony.   It tells us that some Timucua were considered “noble” or “upper class.”  These Timucua people probably had more food, clothing, and jewelry than everyone else.  They also had more power to make decisions in the village.   If your mother was a noble person, you would also be noble.  Nobility was passed down through mothers, not fathers.  Also, the men and women in this picture look like full adults, maybe late twenties to late thirties.  Timucua people probably took on adult responsibilities, including marriage, sometime after they turned fifteen or sixteen.  Some of the Timucua in this picture should be younger kids and older parents and grandparents.  None of the LeMoyne / DeBry pictures show kids or teenagers.   They jump straight from babies to full-grown adults.  Because of this, we’re not sure how the Timucua kids dressed and acted.

12.  The Solemn Ritual of Offering a Deerskin to the Sun - (Deerskin Ceremony)

French Description:  Every year, shortly before spring, at the end of February in fact, Chief Outina’s subjects took the skin of the largest stag they could find and with its horns still intact, stuffed it with all kinds of the best plants that grew in those parts before sewing it up.  Then they decorated the horns, the neck and the rest of the body with wreaths or garlands of the best fruit, and carried it, while singing to piped music, to a beautiful wide open space.  There they placed it on a tall tree trunk with its head and chest pointing towards the sunrise.   Meanwhile they repeatedly beseeched the sun to allow the growth of good things in their kingdom, similar to those being offered.   The chief and his sorcerer who were closest to the tree, led the chanting, with the others, who were further away responding.  After the chief and his followers had greeted the sun they went away, leaving the skin there until the following year when the ceremony was again repeated.”

True and False:  These drawings often show the French watching from the side as an important ritual takes place.  This is the only description that talks about the deer ceremony.   It is important for several reasons.  First, it talks about the “sorcerer” or shaman.  This is a holy man who took care of spiritual matters and medical care for the village.  Because the shaman and the chief were leading this ceremony, we can guess that it was an important religious ritual.  We don’t know much about the Timucua religion.  It may have been more of an ecology, living in harmony with the plants and animals, not destroying them.   Some people look at this drawing and say that it shows the Timucua worshipping the sun.  Another explanation may be that the Timucua were offering the deer skin as a way to thank the sun for helping their crops to grow.

Resource: 

Faupel, W. John & Lawson, Sarah.  1992.  A Foothold in Florida.   England.  Antique Atlas Press.  (Available at Fort Caroline Historical Monument.)

Provided by the Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
http://pelotes.jea.com