Linda
11-02-2002, 11:22 PM
There's a bit of the historical record on the Saponi at Fort Christanna that's never set right with me and I want to share my point of view on this.
It has to do with the account that William Byrd wrote about Ned Bearskin, his trusty Saponi hunter and guide during the expedetion through the wilds of VA/NC to survey the border in 1723.
This is what I think was going on. I think all those boys had tossed back a few around the campfire and were swapping tall tales, so Ned took his turn and put the crew on with a real stretcher regarding his religious beliefs.
What he came up with was a hodgepodge of missionariy mumbo jumbo and what he knew would play to randy old William. He said that after death a soul would journey on a path that came to a fork. If he'd been a good, honest person he would find himself on a high road with plenty of food, nice, pleasant women, etc. etc. If on the other hand, he'd been a bad person he'd find himself on the other path where it was always winter, the food was terrible and there were nothing but hideous old hags with insatiable sexual appetites clawing at the damned man through eternity.
Ignorant as they were, they didn't know he was putting them on. To this day, they still believe old Ned's tall tale. They know exactly where they were camped, (it being a surveying party after all) and they put up a plaque commemorating Ned's revelations about the religion of the Saponi. They didn't mention anything on the plaque about those old hags, though. Too bad, that was the best part.
Good one, Ned.
[This message has been edited by Linda (edited 11-02-2002).]
It has to do with the account that William Byrd wrote about Ned Bearskin, his trusty Saponi hunter and guide during the expedetion through the wilds of VA/NC to survey the border in 1723.
This is what I think was going on. I think all those boys had tossed back a few around the campfire and were swapping tall tales, so Ned took his turn and put the crew on with a real stretcher regarding his religious beliefs.
What he came up with was a hodgepodge of missionariy mumbo jumbo and what he knew would play to randy old William. He said that after death a soul would journey on a path that came to a fork. If he'd been a good, honest person he would find himself on a high road with plenty of food, nice, pleasant women, etc. etc. If on the other hand, he'd been a bad person he'd find himself on the other path where it was always winter, the food was terrible and there were nothing but hideous old hags with insatiable sexual appetites clawing at the damned man through eternity.
Ignorant as they were, they didn't know he was putting them on. To this day, they still believe old Ned's tall tale. They know exactly where they were camped, (it being a surveying party after all) and they put up a plaque commemorating Ned's revelations about the religion of the Saponi. They didn't mention anything on the plaque about those old hags, though. Too bad, that was the best part.
Good one, Ned.
[This message has been edited by Linda (edited 11-02-2002).]