The Death of the Tattooed Serpent

Mon ami se leva assez précipitamment & paroissoit avoir quelque chagrin ; je l'arrêtai pour lui en demander la raison : il me répondit avec un air triste que le Serpent Piqué étoit très-mal ; & que si ce Soleil venoit à mourir, toute la Nation, ou peu s'en faudroit, mourroit aussi ; parce que le Grand Soleil frere du Malade se donneroit la mort, que s'aimant beaucoup, ils s'étoient promis de ne point se survivre.

My friend got up rather hastily and seemed to have some sorrow; I stopped him to ask him the reason: he answered me with a sad air that the Tattooed Serpent was very ill; and that if this Sun came to die, the whole Nation, or very nearly, would die also; because the Great Sun, brother of the sick man, would give himself death, [since], loving each other greatly, they had promised each other not to survive one another.

My friend1 got up rather suddenly and seemed troubled. I stopped him to ask why. He answered sadly that the Tattooed Serpent2 was very ill. If this Sun3 died, he said, the whole Nation, or very nearly, would die too. For the Great Sun, the sick man's brother, would kill himself. They loved each other dearly and had promised each other not to outlive one another.

1. The chief guardian of the Natchez temple, whom the writer calls his friend.
2. Serpent Piqué, literally “pricked (tattooed) Serpent”: a Sun, the Great Sun's brother. The writer dates his death to the spring of 1725.
3. The Natchez ruling family were called Suns, and the Great Sun was the highest of them. Membership in Natchez social groups passed through the mother's line.

En effet, quoique je les aimasse, comme on doit aimer des gens de probité qui ne font point de mal dans le tems qu'il le pourroient, nous ne pouvions pas nous flatter d'abolir l'usage ancien de cette Nation.

Indeed, although I loved them, as one must love people of probity who do no harm at a time when they could, we could not flatter ourselves to abolish the ancient usage of this Nation.

I was fond of them, as one must be fond of honest people who do no harm even when they could. Even so, we could not hope to abolish an ancient custom of this Nation.

Cependant mon ami fut chez l'Interprète, lui raconter la même chose, pour l'engager d'aller dire au Commandant, qu'il étoit bon que les François fissent leurs effors pour empêcher cette destruction ; l'Interprete s'y porta par une raison d'intérêt particulier, le Commandant y consentit, y envoya un Soldat, avec ordre d'y rester pour empêcher que le Malade n'abrégeât son mal avec sa vie, & de l'avertir dès qu'il y auroit apparence de mort. Le Soldat partit & y resta jusqu'à ce qu'il vît ce Soleil à l'agonie & qu'il avoit déja les jambes froides.

Meanwhile my friend went to the Interpreter's, to tell him the same thing, to engage him to go and tell the Commandant that it was good that the French make their efforts to prevent this destruction; the Interpreter applied himself to it for a reason of private interest; the Commandant consented to it, sent a Soldier there, with orders to stay there to prevent the sick man from shortening his illness with his life, and to warn him as soon as there was appearance of death. The Soldier left and stayed there until he saw this Sun in his death agony and [saw] that he already had cold legs.

Meanwhile my friend went to the Interpreter and told him the same thing. He wanted him to tell the Commandant4 that the French should do all they could to prevent this destruction. The Interpreter took it up for reasons of his own. The Commandant agreed and sent a Soldier with orders to stay there. He was to stop the sick man from cutting short his illness by taking his own life, and to report as soon as death seemed near. The Soldier went and stayed there until he saw this Sun in his last agony, with his legs already cold.

4. The French commander of Fort Rosalie, the post built among the Natchez villages in 1716.

Le Commandant du Fort l'ayant appris, en avertit les plus distingués des François & me prit en passant. Nous trouvâmes le Grand Soleil au désespoir d'avoir perdu son frere, & il se préparoit à le suivre. Notre arrivée & les raisons que je lui apportai pour sa conservation parurent le tranquilliser ; mais ce n'étoit que pour être plus libre d'exécuter son dessein ; les François y furent pris ; mais je ne m'y fiois point, & je leur dis qu'il falloit qu'il y eût toujours avec lui quelqu'un de nous, & que je fusse averti dès le moment que l'on verroit qu'il y auroit du risque ; ce qui fut arrêté ainsi ; le Commandant fut aussi de cet avis.

The Commandant of the Fort, having learned it, warned the most distinguished of the French and took me along in passing. We found the Great Sun in despair at having lost his brother, and he was preparing to follow him. Our arrival and the reasons I brought him for his preservation seemed to calm him; but it was only to be freer to carry out his design; the French were taken in by it; but I did not trust it, and I told them that there must always be one of us with him, and that I should be warned the moment one saw there was any risk; which was so decided; the Commandant was also of this opinion.

When the Commandant of the Fort heard this, he alerted the leading Frenchmen and picked me up on the way. We found the Great Sun in despair at losing his brother and preparing to follow him. Our arrival, and the reasons I gave him to stay alive, seemed to calm him. But that was only so he would be freer to carry out his plan. The French were taken in, but I did not trust it. I told them that one of us must always be with him, and that I must be warned the moment anyone saw a danger. This was agreed, and the Commandant thought so too.

Le Grand Soleil alloit souvent voir son frere depuis sa maladie ; mais notre présence le retint un peu plus long-tems ; il y fut un peu avant la nuit ; je le suivois sous prétexte de voir mon ami peut-être pour la derniere fois, nous le trouvames froid. Nous sortîmes ensemble de la cabanne du défunt ; & lorsque nous fumes sortis & que nous fumes seuls, il m'arrêta par le bras & me dit : ouitigui-tlatagoup, cohc-yogo ; il est mort tout-à-fait, qu'en dis-tu ? Je lui répondis, noco, je ne sçais ; cependant je ne doutai point qu'il ne fût réellement mort, & je ne voulois point l'affliger.

The Great Sun often went to see his brother since his illness; but our presence held him back a little longer; he went there a little before night; I followed him under pretext of seeing my friend perhaps for the last time; we found him cold. We went out together from the cabin of the deceased; and when we were outside and we were alone, he stopped me by the arm and said to me: ouitigui-tlatagoup, cohc-yogo; he is dead altogether, what do you say of it? I answered him, noco, I do not know; however I did not doubt that he was really dead, and I did not wish to afflict him.

Since his brother fell ill, the Great Sun had often gone to see him, but our presence held him back a little longer. He went a little before nightfall. I followed him, saying I wanted to see my friend perhaps for the last time. We found him cold. We left the dead man's cabin together. When we were outside and alone, he stopped me by the arm and said, “Ouitigui-tlatagoup, cohc-yogo: he is quite dead, what do you say?” I answered, “Noco, I don't know.” In fact I had no doubt that he was really dead, but I did not want to hurt him.5

5. The writer's spellings of words in the Natchez language, which is not related to the other languages of the region. Each is followed by his own French gloss, translated here.

Nous entrâmes chez lui où il dit tout haut, ouitigui-tlatagoup, il est mort tout à fait ; puis il s'assit & s'accroupit en mettant ses yeux sur les points. Dans le même instant qu'il eut dit que son frere étoit mort, sa femme qui étoit présente, jetta les hauts cris ; ce fut un signal de tristesse pour toute la Nation qui étoit dans l'attente des suites de cette maladie, lesquelles ne pouvoient que leur être funestes, dès que le Serpent Piqué seroit mort. Alors on entendit par tout des gémissemens & des lamentations ; les cris les plus lugubres firent retentir tous les Bois voisins ; presque aussi-tôt on entendit deux décharges consécutives de fusils pour avertir tous les villages, qui y répondirent peu de momens après.

We went into his house, where he said aloud, ouitigui-tlatagoup, he is dead altogether; then he sat down and crouched, putting his eyes on his fists. In the same instant that he had said that his brother was dead, his wife, who was present, uttered loud cries; it was a signal of sadness for the whole Nation, which was waiting for the consequences of this illness, which could only be fatal to them as soon as the Tattooed Serpent should be dead. Then one heard everywhere groans and lamentations; the most mournful cries made all the neighbouring Woods resound; almost at once one heard two consecutive discharges of guns to warn all the villages, which answered a few moments after.

We went into his house, where he said aloud, “Ouitigui-tlatagoup: he is quite dead.” Then he sat down, crouching, with his eyes pressed to his fists. The moment he said that his brother was dead, his wife, who was there, let out loud cries. This was a signal of grief for the whole Nation. Everyone was waiting to see what would follow this illness, and they knew it could only bring death to them once the Tattooed Serpent died. Then groaning and wailing were heard everywhere, and the most mournful cries rang through all the nearby woods. Almost at once two volleys of musket fire were heard, to warn all the villages, and they answered a few moments later.6

6. Musket volleys carried the news from village to village.

Peu de tems après ces décharges, le Porte-parole entra & se mit à pleurer ; le Grand Soleil leva la tête & regarda sa femme favorite, à laquelle il fit un signe que nous ne comprîmes qu'après qu'elle eut jetté une gammelée d'eau sur le feu qui en fut entierement éteint. Alors le Porte-parole ou Chancelier du Grand Soleil heurla pour saluer ce Souverain, & sortit ; dès qu'il fut hors de la cabanne il fit un cri effroyable, qui fut à l'instant répété par tout le peuple des villages.

A little while after these discharges, the Speaker entered and began to weep; the Great Sun raised his head and looked at his favorite wife, to whom he made a sign that we did not understand until after she had thrown a bowlful of water on the fire, which was entirely put out by it. Then the Speaker or Chancellor of the Great Sun howled to salute this Sovereign, and went out; as soon as he was outside the cabin he gave a frightful cry, which was at once repeated by all the people of the villages.

A little after these volleys, the Speaker7 came in and began to weep. The Great Sun raised his head and looked at his favorite wife. He made her a sign that we did not understand until she had thrown a bowl of water on the fire and put it out completely. Then the Speaker, the Great Sun's Chancellor, howled to salute his Sovereign and went out. As soon as he was outside the cabin, he gave a terrible cry, which was at once repeated by all the people of the villages.

7. Porte-parole, the Great Sun's official spokesman, whom the writer also calls his Chancellor.

Le feu éteint en notre présence & les cris redoublés de toute la Nation me firent craindre avec raison pour le Grand Soleil & même pour nous : car qui pouvoit pénétrer les suites du désespoir où nous le voyons tous ?

The fire put out in our presence and the redoubled cries of the whole Nation made me fear with reason for the Great Sun and even for us: for who could foresee the consequences of the despair in which we all saw him?

The fire put out before our eyes, and the redoubled cries of the whole Nation, made me fear, with good reason, for the Great Sun and even for ourselves. For who could tell where the despair we all saw in him would lead?

Le Grand Soleil étant toujours accroupi & ses yeux cachés, je m'approchai d'un simple Soleil, & lui demandai ce que signifioit ce feu éteint & ces cris lugubres ; il me répondit que c'étoit le signal pour éteindre tous les feux, ce qui faisoit trembler avec raison tous les Natchez, parce que l'extinction des feux ne se faisoit point à cause de la mort du Serpent Piqué.

The Great Sun still being crouched and his eyes hidden, I approached a simple Sun, and asked him what this extinguished fire and these mournful cries signified; he answered me that it was the signal for putting out all the fires, which made all the Natchez tremble with reason, because the extinguishing of the fires was not done on account of the death of the Tattooed Serpent.

The Great Sun was still crouching with his eyes hidden. I went up to an ordinary Sun and asked him what the dead fire and these mournful cries meant. He told me it was the signal to put out all the fires. All the Natchez trembled at this, and with reason. For the fires were not put out for the Tattooed Serpent's death.8

8. Putting out all the fires was the sign for the Great Sun's own death, not his brother's. Many of the Great Sun's servants and others were expected to die with him.

Je compris à ces paroles que le Souverain vouloit mourir ; j'en fis le rapport au Commandant & aux autres François. Ce Commandant vouloit lui faire parler par l'Interprete ; les François l'en détournerent en lui faisant connoître que je réussirois mieux que l'Interprete, puisque j'étois ami de ce Prince : j'y consentis volontiers.

I understood from these words that the Sovereign wished to die; I made the report of it to the Commandant and to the other French. This Commandant wanted to have him spoken to through the Interpreter; the French turned him away from it by making him know that I would succeed better than the Interpreter, since I was a friend of this Prince: I consented to it willingly.

From these words I understood that the Sovereign meant to die, and I reported it to the Commandant and the other Frenchmen. The Commandant wanted to have the Interpreter speak to him. The French talked him out of it, pointing out that I would do better than the Interpreter, since I was this Prince's friend. I gladly agreed.

Je m'approchai du Grand Soleil, & lui demandai s'il n'étoit plus un homme depuis la mort de son frere, puisqu'après nous avoir donné sa parole qu'il ne se tueroit point, il avoit donné ordre d'éteindre tous les feux, ce qui annonçoit sa mort ; que l'on m'avoit prévenu là dessus dès la veille ; mais, me dit-il, « sois assuré que je n'y pense plus ; dors en repos. »

I approached the Great Sun, and asked him if he was no longer a man since the death of his brother, since, after having given us his word that he would not kill himself, he had given the order to put out all the fires, which announced his death; that I had been warned about it the evening before; but, he said to me, “be assured that I no longer think of it; sleep in peace.”

I went up to the Great Sun and asked him whether he had stopped being a man since his brother's death. He had given us his word that he would not kill himself, I said, and yet he had ordered all the fires put out, which announced his death. I added that I had been warned of this the evening before. “Rest assured,” he told me, “I no longer think of it. Sleep in peace.”