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Chapter XXIV

THE FIRST BIBLE OF GUATAMA (AMERICA).--BEING OF EAWAHTAH, A MAN CHOSEN BY GOD FOR THE CHILDREN OF GUATAMA.

1. IN Guatama, in the Middle Kingdom, by the sea of So-ci-a-pan, came down from heaven, Gitchee, the Creator, the World-Maker, Manito! With silence, speaking in the soul of things. He said: Speak, O earth! Have eyes, O earth! Have ears, O earth! Behold Me, your Maker!

2. The earth answered him, not with words, boasting, but raised up man!

3. Man said: Here am I, O Gitchee! The Creator looked, and lo and behold, the I'hins of Guatama stood before Him, the little people, white and yellow. Gitchee (God) said: Because thou hast answered Me in faith, O earth, thy ong-wee (talking animals) shall be called I'hin. Thus was named the first talkers; men with mouths for words; ears for words.

4. Then Gitchee (God) called the I'hins together, and said they were good; even the handsomest of all created creations. And He commanded them to marry, male and female, and beget heirs.

5. And they obeyed God's commands; but the dumb earth cast clouds upward, and blinded the ways of the I'hins, and they strayed away from the mounds, and came to black druks, which speak not; have no words; being dumb like the black mud of the earth where they burrowed.

6. In the darkness of the earth the I'hins mingled with the druks, and lo and behold, a second born speaking animal (ong'wee, or Indian) stood upon the earth, tall, and red, and strong, swift and handsome. Gitchee (God) said:

7. I blame thee not, O I'hin! I saw the darkness; saw thy straits! But never more shalt thou dwell with druks, nor with the new red-born, those with faces like new copper. Call them I'hua; for they shall be protectors over My chosen, the I'hins, forever. The I'hua shall drive away the baugh and mieu and great serpents, and all man-slaying beasts; for I will make mighty nations out of the seed of the I'huans.

8. The first I'huan's name was O-e-du, and his wife's name was Uh-na; and they begat Owena and Dan and Shu-sa, but they had no more heirs. At a time soon after, the second man, whose name was Ka-Ka-och and whose wife's name was Wees, begat Somma, and Pan-ah, and Kac-ak, and Ku-bak, and Jessom.

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9. And these were the first tribes of I'huans in the land of Guatama (after the flood), and they dwelt together, marrying and begetting offspring, dwelling in peace. And the I'hins taught them in all things, so they became an honor on the earth and a glory unto the Creator; but they were mixed so together that one tribe had no preference over another. So, by commandment of God, they were called the tribe of Oedukakaooh, of the middle kingdom, Waneopanganosah (Central America).

10. In the valley of Owak, by the river Ho-e-jon-wan, Gitchee (Jehovih) created another tribe called Bak-Haw-ugh, and to the north of them, in the mountains Mein-how-an-go-to-bah; and their tribes commingled, and Gitchee (God) named them, Bakhawughmeiuhowangotobah.

11. Jesson, son of Rakaooh, married Wepon, daughter of Bakhawughmeiuhowangotobah, and they begat Sto-gil-bak, and he begat Kom, and he begat See, and she married Ban, son of the tribe Rakaooh, and Ban's first-born son's name was La-ban-a-see.

12. And Labanasee was born in su'is of the second order, and could hear the voice of the Creator, Gitchee, the Great Spirit. And the Voice remained with Labanasee during his life-time, which was one hundred and twenty and five years, when he died. And the Voice descended to Labanasee's son, Hootlabanasee, who lived one hundred and one years, and he died, and the Voice descended to his son, Hatapanagooshhootlabanasee; and thence to his son after him, named Arapanseekasoodativhatapanagooshhootlabanasee.

13. Thus were represented the eighteen tribes of Gitchee's chosen amongst the I'huans who should become everlasting heirs to the Voice.

14. And God said unto Ara: Arise and go forth; my hand will steer thee. So Ara rose up and departed by the hand of the Creator, and came to the valley of Owg, broad and sweet-smelling, full of health-giving food and air and water. And there came with Ara into Owg one thousand men, women and children; and they built a city and called it Eftspan, signifying place of beauty.

15. And these took the name of the tribe of Ara, the which name survived one thousand seven hundred and fifty years. And their people were tens of thousands.

16. After the tribe of Ara lost the Voice, there was raised up Sho-shone, of the tribes of Sto-gil-bak. And Gitchee raised His hand before Sho-shone and pointed the way, and Sho-shone departed out of the country of Tabachoozehbakkankan and came to Owg, and took to wife Hisam, daughter of Ooeguffanauha, and they begat E-a-ron-a-ki-mutz, a son of great beauty and strength, a swift runner.

17. And the voice of Gitcheemonihtee (Son of Jehovih) came to Earonakimutz and remained with him during his natural lifetime, which was ninety years. And to his son, Fassawanhootaganganearonakimutz, and thence to his son, Monagoamyazazhufassawan-hootaganganearonakimutz.

18. And Monag inhabited the regions of the plains of Yiteatuazow (Arkansas), and his people became mighty in cities and agriculture. For four thousand years the Voice of the All Father remained with the regular succession of the heirs of Monag, but their names and their cities' names became so long that no man could speak them or write them.

19. So Gitchee (Jehovih) raised up Honga, son of Ab, of the tribe of Oedu, of the land of the Middle Kingdom. And Honga went into the mountains of Ghiee (Rocky or Eagle Mountains), sloping to the east.

20. Gitchee (God) spake to Honga, saying: Thou shalt take Oebe for thy wife; out of thy seed will I raise up a greater tribe than all other tribes; and thy first-born son shall have thy name; and thy son's son shall be called Honga also; and thy son's son's son, and so on forever. For I am wearied with the burden of names; thy Great Creator hath spoken.

21. Then asked Honga, saying: What if I have no son, but only daughters? Or of my son or my son's son, they cease to have a son, but only daughters?

22. Then spake Gitchee, saying: The wife's first daughter. So it came to pass, in course of time, Honga married and begat heirs; and the Voice of the Great Spirit remained with the tribes of Honga, and it came to pass that he who heard the Voice, who was always the chief high prophet for the tribe, was called Hoanga; but the peoples themselves were called ong'wee, the same that hath endured to this day, and is called Indian.

23. And the generations of Honga were called, --first, Honga; second, Honga; third, Honga; and so on. And this was the beginning of the counting of time in Guatama. Neither knew any man the number of generations before the time of Honga the first.

24. And the land became full of cities, from the east to the west, and from the north to the south, and the people dwelt in peace, tribe with tribe, the world over. Then came the God p. 364 of evil, I'tura (Ahura), sowing evil in the temples and on the altars. Yea, with a false tongue and cunning came he, before the prophets, stealing their eyes away, stealing their ears away, holding up his hand, saying: It is the Great Spirit's hand.

25. And I'tura obsessed the nations and tribes of men to worship him; infatuating them with the stories of far-off countries, and the glory of kings and queens. And he set on foot a war of plunder; brought ten thousand times ten thousand evil spirits to aid and abet mortals in war.

26. And I'tura, the God of evil, taught mortals to flatten the head, to make prophets, and, lo and behold, the land of Guatama became a land of seers and prophets and conjurers, seeking evil for sake of evil; consulting the spirits of the dead for war and for earthly glory in blood and death.


Next: Chapter XXV