Iraçéma: the Honey-lips, a Legend of Brazil/Chapter 5
CHAPTER V.
The Prairie-cock raises his scarlet crest from out his home. His clear trill announces the approach of day.
Darkness still covers the earth, but already the savage people roll up the hammocks in the great Taba, and walk towards the bath. The old Pagé, who had watched all night, talking to the stars, and conjuring the bad spirits of the darkness,[1] entered furtively into the wigwam.
Lo! thundered forth the Boré,[2] filling the valley with its booming sound.
The active warriors seize their weapons and rush to the prairies; when all were collected in the large and circular Ocára,[3] the chief Irapúam sounded the war-cry.
"Tupan gave to the great Tabajára nation all these grounds. We guard the Serras which supply with water the rivers and the fresh Ipús,[4] where grows the maníva,[5] and the cotton. We have abandoned to the barbarous Potyuára,[6] Eaters of Prawns, the naked sands of the sea, with the table-lands wanting wood and water. Now these fishers of the beach, always conquered, give sea-way to the white race, the Warriors of Fire,[7] the enemies of Tupan. Already the Emboabas[8] have stood upon the Jaguaribe river. Soon they will be in the prairies of the Tabajáras, and with them the Potyuáras. Shall we—Lords of the Villages —do like the dove, who hides in her nest while the serpent curls himself along the branches?"
The excited chief brandishes his tomahawk,[9] and hurls it into the middle of the circle. Bending down his forehead, he hid his eyes, ruddy with rage. "Irapúam has spoken," at length he said.
The youngest of the warriors advances.
"The Sparrow-hawk hovers in the air. When the Nhambú[10] rises, he falls from the clouds and tears out his victim's heart. The young Tabajára warrior, son of the Serra, is like the sparrow-hawk."
The Poçema[11] of war thunders and re-echoes. The young warrior lifted up the tomahawk, and in his turn brandished it. Whirled rapidly and menacingly in the air, the chief's weapon passed from hand to hand.
The venerable Andíra, brother of the Pagé, let it fall, and stamped upon the ground with his foot, still firm and active.
The Tabajáras are struck by this unusual action. A vote of peace from such a tried and impetuous warrior! The old hero, who grew to bloodshed as he grew in years—the ferocious Andíra—is it he who lets fall the tomahawk, herald of the coming struggle?
Uncertain and silent, all gave ear.
"Andíra, the old Andíra, has drank more blood in war than all these warriors who now gladden the light of his eyes have drank Cauim[12] at the feasts of Tupan. He has seen more combats in his life than moons which have stripped his brow. How many Potyuára skulls has his implacable hand scalped before Time plucked off his first hair! And old Andíra never feared that the enemy would tread his native ground; he rejoiced at their coming, and, as the breath of winter revives the dried tree, he felt youth return to his decrepid body when he scented the war from afar. The Tabajáras are prudent. They will lay aside the Tomahawk to play the Memby[13] at the feast. Let Irapúam celebrate the coming of the Emboábas, and give them all time to swarm upon our plains. Then Andíra promises him the banquet of victory."
Irapúam could no longer restrain his fury.
"The Old Bat[14] can remain hidden amongst the wine-jars, because he fears the light of day, because he drinks the blood only of the sleeping victim. Irapúam carries the war at the point of his tomahawk. The terror which he inspires flies forward with the hoarse boom of the Boré. The Potyuára already trembles as he hears it roaring in the Serra, roaring louder than the rebounding of the sea."
- ↑ Os máos espiritos da treva : the savages call these spirits Curupira, wicked imps.
- ↑ Boré or Muré means a pipe of bamboo, which gives out a hollow, roaring sound.
- ↑ Ocára, a circular space in the centre of a village, upon which all the wigwams open.
- ↑ Ipú, a small fertile oasis in the prairies.
- ↑ Maníva is the root of mandioca, which is like our parsnip, but larger. The Indians dry and grind it, make bread of it, or eat it as farinha (flour).
- ↑ Potyuára means a "Comedor de Camarão," or "Eater of the Prawn." This was a spiteful soubriquet given to the Pytiguáras by their enemies, because they lived on the shores and chiefly ate fish.
- ↑ Guerreiros de fogo, "warriors of fire," the Portuguese.
- ↑ Emboabos, a name given to the Portuguese, and afterwards to all strangers, on account of their trousers. Its literal meaning is a fowl with feathers down its legs, and alludes to the European practice of wearing nether garments.
- ↑ Tacapé, tomahawk.
- ↑ Nhambú, the Brazilian partridge.
- ↑ Poçema, the great noise made by the savages on solemn occasions—war or triumph. It consisted of clapping their hands and beating palms, accompanied by war-cries or shouts.
- ↑ Cauim, wine of the Cajú.
- ↑ Memby, horn or trumpet.
- ↑ Andíra means "Velho Morcego," or "Old Bat;" hence the taunt of Irapúam.
This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.
| Original: |
This work was published before January 1, 1931, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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| Translation: |
This work was published before January 1, 1931, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse |
