A 1934 aerial photography cropped, zeroing in on some squiggly lines, that turn out to be familiar rows of stone.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Squiggly Lines on an Old Photo
A 1934 aerial photography cropped, zeroing in on some squiggly lines,
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Another Familiar Place and Something "New"
A familiar place again, a zigzag row of stones along the east branch of the river - one of many rows that remain along the water features, many many more, even along the main river, lost from flooding and human activity. Why I never saw it before I'll never know...
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Toes and Claws
A cat, some mounds, some snapping turtles - with similar shapes, like a low backed shell with a diagonal quartz line on it, a sharp 3-toed right forefoot, blunt slightly larger left foot - on the two snappers, I mean, not the cat or mounds...
The second snapper:
The right foot:
The left is larger and is blunt, just as on the other:
Head with eyes, foreleg with toes, part of a larger mound of stones...
Closer:
I've poked around a little around the base of a mortar or two looking for the pestle stone, removed brush and leaves, but have never done any digging - for many reasons, all of them good. These mounds were excavated/exposed by chickens scratching and pecking on and around them about 20 years ago...
This spot has been posted about before:
"Great Moments" scan from Sketchpad Lucky day
One isn't Good, But Two is Better July 18 Funny...
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Could it be...
William Cothren, in the History of Ancient Woodbury (pg. 880), writes:
"But by far the most curious and interesting relic that has been found in the ancient territory, is also in the writer's possession. It is no less than an Indian idol or charm, artistically cut from a piece of rock, which appears to have been originally a piece of petrified walnut wood. It was found in 1860, on the lot near F. M . Minor's, before mentioned as the place where the most perfect specimens have been found. It was discovered while hoeing corn. It evidently represents some animal, but it is difficult to divine what. It has a pretty well formed head and body, with large, round ears, and holes for the insertion of four legs, but the latter are missing. It looks as much like the representative of an enormous lizard, as any thing. It can hardly represent the Good Spirit. It is not of a sufficiently attractive conception for that. It may, therefore, be presumed to be the likeness of Hobbamocko, or their Spirit of Evil, whom they feared, and worshipped more assiduously than the Good Spirit, whom they supposed lived quite at his ease, caring little for the actions or affairs of his red children, after having given them their corn, beans and squash, and taught them the mode of their cultivation. Some of these relics our artist has endeavored to make plain to the "mind's eye."
"But by far the most curious and interesting relic that has been found in the ancient territory, is also in the writer's possession. It is no less than an Indian idol or charm, artistically cut from a piece of rock, which appears to have been originally a piece of petrified walnut wood. It was found in 1860, on the lot near F. M . Minor's, before mentioned as the place where the most perfect specimens have been found. It was discovered while hoeing corn. It evidently represents some animal, but it is difficult to divine what. It has a pretty well formed head and body, with large, round ears, and holes for the insertion of four legs, but the latter are missing. It looks as much like the representative of an enormous lizard, as any thing. It can hardly represent the Good Spirit. It is not of a sufficiently attractive conception for that. It may, therefore, be presumed to be the likeness of Hobbamocko, or their Spirit of Evil, whom they feared, and worshipped more assiduously than the Good Spirit, whom they supposed lived quite at his ease, caring little for the actions or affairs of his red children, after having given them their corn, beans and squash, and taught them the mode of their cultivation. Some of these relics our artist has endeavored to make plain to the "mind's eye."
I wonder: "Could it be a "Foot Snake" or "Horned Serpent?"
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Snake Legend
An Indian tread! I know the stealthy sound; 'Tis on some quest of evil, through the grass
Gliding so serpent-like...
"It has been mentioned that the height now known as High Rock was formerly known as Squaw Rock. There are several legends connected with this name, which seem to be variations on a single theme. One of them runs as follows:
Some two hundred years ago, when Indian maidens wandered over the mountains, or paddled their light canoes, and sang like Laughing Water, ' Thinking of a hunter, From another tribe and country,'while the traders came from the coast, and sought to bribe the chieftain Toby, with a quart of rum, to give his daughter to the whites. But she, being as the sequel proves romantically inclined, begged that she might have one-half of the rum before giving her consent. She drank it and fled from her father's wigwam. Failing to return soon, Toby and his warriors started in pursuit of her. Coming out upon the top of Toby's Rock, and looking across the Glen, Toby discovered his daughter standing alone upon Squaw Rock. The maiden perceiving that she was discovered sprang to the edge of the cliff, precipitated herself to the base of the Rock, and was killed. After witnessing the death of his daughter, Toby despatched his warriors to the village, to take from the traders the jug of rum. It was taken to the top of the Rock and thrown thence into the middle of the river ; when, behold I from the spot where it struck, there sprang instantly a huge boulder, which remains to this day—a warning to all future Tobies, who may be disposed to sell their daughters for rum.
Some two hundred years ago, when Indian maidens wandered over the mountains, or paddled their light canoes, and sang like Laughing Water, ' Thinking of a hunter, From another tribe and country,'while the traders came from the coast, and sought to bribe the chieftain Toby, with a quart of rum, to give his daughter to the whites. But she, being as the sequel proves romantically inclined, begged that she might have one-half of the rum before giving her consent. She drank it and fled from her father's wigwam. Failing to return soon, Toby and his warriors started in pursuit of her. Coming out upon the top of Toby's Rock, and looking across the Glen, Toby discovered his daughter standing alone upon Squaw Rock. The maiden perceiving that she was discovered sprang to the edge of the cliff, precipitated herself to the base of the Rock, and was killed. After witnessing the death of his daughter, Toby despatched his warriors to the village, to take from the traders the jug of rum. It was taken to the top of the Rock and thrown thence into the middle of the river ; when, behold I from the spot where it struck, there sprang instantly a huge boulder, which remains to this day—a warning to all future Tobies, who may be disposed to sell their daughters for rum.
Two hundred years ago Toby was a boy and became the slave of Col. Johnson, but he never was a chieftain, and never had warriors at his command.
According to another version, the maiden leaped from the top of the rock upon hearing of the death of her lover. Yet there is still another account of the catastrophe which has been given in the following fashion :—
Long years ago, when the country belonged to the Indians, a certain chief became enamored of a dusky maiden of another tribe and sought to make her his squaw, but she was not in favor of this plan, and one evening, when the chief came a wooing, she took to her heels and made straight for the summit of this cliff. She was closely pursued, and on reaching the edge of the precipice found herself almost within the grasp of the deserted lover. Escape in the direction whence she came was cut off; beneath her yawned the dreadful abyss. Breathing a prayer to the Great Spirit, she threw herself from the brink, and the next moment was a shapeless mass upon the rocks below. Hence the name " Squaw Rock."
It appears that the spirit of this maiden does not rest well, whatever may have been the cause of her death ; for, about half way up Squaw Rock, and down the river from the cliff, there is a narrow crevice, from which the said spirit appears at midnight, on the 2Oth of March and the 2Oth of September, of each year. It takes the form of a snake,—some say with four heads, some, with seven ; and the snake has upon its heads a large carbuncle, which, if anyone can secure it, will make him fabulously rich. Many a night have superstitious persons watched for the snake, hoping to capture this wealth ; but although they may have found snakes with seven rattles, no snake has thus far been secured with heads decorated with carbuncles..."
According to another version, the maiden leaped from the top of the rock upon hearing of the death of her lover. Yet there is still another account of the catastrophe which has been given in the following fashion :—
Long years ago, when the country belonged to the Indians, a certain chief became enamored of a dusky maiden of another tribe and sought to make her his squaw, but she was not in favor of this plan, and one evening, when the chief came a wooing, she took to her heels and made straight for the summit of this cliff. She was closely pursued, and on reaching the edge of the precipice found herself almost within the grasp of the deserted lover. Escape in the direction whence she came was cut off; beneath her yawned the dreadful abyss. Breathing a prayer to the Great Spirit, she threw herself from the brink, and the next moment was a shapeless mass upon the rocks below. Hence the name " Squaw Rock."
It appears that the spirit of this maiden does not rest well, whatever may have been the cause of her death ; for, about half way up Squaw Rock, and down the river from the cliff, there is a narrow crevice, from which the said spirit appears at midnight, on the 2Oth of March and the 2Oth of September, of each year. It takes the form of a snake,—some say with four heads, some, with seven ; and the snake has upon its heads a large carbuncle, which, if anyone can secure it, will make him fabulously rich. Many a night have superstitious persons watched for the snake, hoping to capture this wealth ; but although they may have found snakes with seven rattles, no snake has thus far been secured with heads decorated with carbuncles..."
The Indians of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Valleys - Google Books Result
by Samuel Orcutt - 1882 - History - 220 pages
by Samuel Orcutt - 1882 - History - 220 pages
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Fishweir Blues
Woke Up This Morning, Fishweirs on my Mind,
Woke Up This Morning, Fishweirs on my Mind,
I just can't help it people,
I see those turtles all the time...
Images above from: http://tispaquin.blogspot.com/2009/10/kennebec-indian-post-of-day.html - with my additions for effect. This mental illness called Turtle Vision (http://www.neara.org/macsween/turtlevision.htm) caused me to wonder, "Is that an anthropogenic testudinate construction, perhaps the remnants of a diagonal fishweir?" Woke Up This Morning, Fishweirs on my Mind,
I just can't help it people,
I see those turtles all the time...
About Me
- Tim MacSweeney
- Woodbury, Connecticut, United States
- Before this place we live in was called New England (and New Everywhere else for that matter), it was called "Turtle Island" by the People who lived here. It's been many years since I woke up to the fact that I live in a special place on Turtle Island. Not that I was actually asleep for a long period of time, but rather I gradually became aware that remnants of ancient stonework was all around me, dismissed as Colonial construction, but really part of a managed cultural landscape that may be hundreds or thousands of years old.
Links
- Tispaquin's Revenge
- Larry Harrop
- The Corner Report
- Primative Technologies
- Stone Ceremonial Landscapes
- Rock Piles
- Massachuset
- Indigenous Politics: From New England and Beyond
- Schaghticoke Tribal Nation
- The Deer With Horns Site
- Bethlehem Peace Watch
- Poets Against War
- Toad and the Jugadelics
- The Jugadelics
- SliderTim