Skull Place

Maude Benedict

Lake George, New York

1907

[Source: Speck, Frank. 1919. Penobscot Shamanism. Memoirs of the American Anthropological Association 6: 237–288.]

1.   Wətəpsək.

[Skull Place (Ash Island, PQ).]

2.   Salahkiwi wəpayąną piləwi-Mak^wak. Wəpayąną waci-nąci-mąttahąhətit Wąpanahkia. Maąwi kini-pəməkahətin.

[Once some Mohawks from away came. They came to kill the Abenakis. A big dance was being held just at that time.]

3.   N=ak^wa pasək^w Mak^wa kətəmąkitahąmą Wąpanahkia. N=ak^wa waci-ątohkąląt alənąpai-phanəmo waci-poləwahətit ali-=ak^wa -sahohsahətit Mak^wak. N=ak^wa nah^wəci ąta oląmawaləmawəną, ni nəta wəpoləwawəną.

[Then, they say, one Mohawk took pity on the Abenakis. That, they say, was why he told an Indian woman about it, so that they should flee when the Mohawks appeared. Then, they say, some did not think that she was telling the truth, and they did not flee.]

4.   Yokik məsiwi nəta poləwakk^wik mahci-nląną. N=ak^wa məsiwi otənəməną tkinąkanal ni wəpihkakaak^wtoną sipohsisək waci-wskitohsahətit.

[All these who did not flee were killed. And, they say, (the others) all took cradle boards and laid them across the creek so that they could walk on top (of them).]

5.   N=ak^wa wəci ni wəmąciną Mak^wak mahci-nląhətit Wąpanahkia. N=ak^wa wəwikohsaną Wətəpsək. Ni ni wətosəkoməną.

[Then, they say, the Mohawks left, after killing all of the (remaining) Abenakis. Then they went to camp on Ash Island. And they spent the night there.]

6.   N=ak^wa ąpatialihətit Wąpanahkiak, ni hląną kahsi-nląmək wətalənąpaməwą. N=ak^wa waci-wəlącihətit waci-nohsohkawąhətit Mak^wa.

[Then, they say, when the (other) Abenakis returned from hunting, they were told how many of their people had been killed. For that reason, they say, they got ready to follow the Mohawks.]

7.   N=ak^wa wətain pasək^w mətawələno, n=ak^wa na wək^wilaąpin waci-wawalətamohətit tąni wikohsahətit Mak^wak. N=ak^wa mətawələno wənamihą ali- məsiwi -kaolətihətit, n=ak^wa waci- akąmək -pihkakąt ni waci-ląpasək məsiwi wik^waolal. N=ak^wa sipiwi kətakik Wąpanahkiak pihkakąhətit, əni mahci- məsiwi -nląną illi-kawihətitəp Mak^wak.

[There was a shaman there, and, they say, he sought to see where the Mohawks were camping. And, they say, the shaman saw how all of them were sleeping, so he went across (to the island) and cut cords on all of their birchbark canoes. Then, they say, when the other Abenakis crossed over, there they killed all of the Mohawks as they were sleeping.]

8.   N=ak^wa ipiwi pasək^w wənək^wəciląną Mak^wa. N=ak^wa ni wəkacihtawak^wasąną. Ni wəci ni wətihląną waci-mącit ni wətącəmin ali- məsiwi -mątənąmək wətalənąpama.

[And, they say, they only spared one Mohawk. And then, they say, they cut off his ears. After that they told him to leave and then to tell how all of his people had been killed.]