Page:Iracéma, the honey-lips (1886).djvu/62

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IRAÇÉMA.

Araken remained statue-like and ecstatic in the centre of a cloud of smoke.

Each warrior on arriving placed at his feet an offering for Tupan. One brought the succulent game, another water-flour, a third Piracem[1] of the Trahira,[2] and so on each in turn. The old Pagé, for whom were the gifts, received them with disdain.

When all had taken seat round the Great Fire, the priest of Tupan commanded silence by a gesture, and three times pronounced aloud the dread name, as though to fill himself with the God who inspired him.

"Tupan! Tupan! Tupan!"

Three times the distant echoes answered the name.

Iraçéma came with the Igaçaba full of the green liquor. Araken decreed to each warrior his dreams, and distributed the wine of the Jurema, which was to transport the Tabajára brave to the happy land.

The mighty hunter dreamt that stags and Pácas[3] ran to meet his arrows and transfixed themselves; at length, tired of wounding them, he dug the Bucan[4] in the earth, and roasted so much game that a thousand warriors could not finish it in a year.

The conqueror of hearts dreamt that the most beautiful of the Tabajára virgins left their fathers՚ Wigwams to follow him, slaves to his will and pleasure. Never had the hammock of any chief witnessed the reality of such wild warm visions.

The hero՚s vision was of tremendous struggles and fearful combats, whence he always issued victorious and covered with fame and glory.

  1. ↑ In the original farinha d՚agua. This is a sort of flour like tapioca, which the Indians used to eat mixed with water.
  2. ↑ Piracem de trahira. Trahira is a river fish. Pira caém means fish roasted.
  3. ↑ Pácas (Cavia páca), a small rodent in Brazil like a pig two months old; its flesh is eaten.
  4. ↑ Bucan is a Tupy word for a way of grilling flesh, which the French of Maranhão turn into boucaner, and whence comes our English buccaneer.
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