VI INTRODUCTION. 



lineage, who inhabited the valley of the Hudson between New York and 

 Albany." Mohegan, (continues the same authority,) is a word, the 

 meaning of which is not explained by the early writers ; but if we may 

 trust the deductions of philology, it needs create little uncertainty. In 

 the Mohegan, as spoken at the present time by their lineal descendants, 

 the Stockbridges of Wisconsin, Maitshow, is the name of the common 

 wolf. It is called, in cognate dialects of the Algonquin, Myegan by the 

 Kenistenos, and Myengun by the Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottowatto- 

 mies. In the old Algonquin, as given by La Hontan, it is Mahingan, 

 and we perceive that this was the term employed by the early French 

 writers for the Mohegans. In the language of the Indian priests ormedais, 

 a mystical use of the names of various objects in the animated creation 

 is made, in order to clothe their arts with the degree of respect and au- 

 thority, which ignorant nations are ready to pay to whatsoever they do not 

 fully understand; in other words, that which is mysterious. Thus, in 

 the medicin songs of the Objibwas, a wolf is called, not Myeengun, the 

 popular term, but Mohhwag. It is believed the priests of the ancient 

 Mohegans made similar distortion of their words, for similiar ends, and 

 that the terms Moh hi Kan and Moh hin gan, used by the early French 

 missionary writers for this tribe, furnish the origin of the term. The term 

 itself, it is to be understood, by which the tribe is known to us, is not 

 the true Indian ; but has been shorn of a part of its sound, by the early 

 Dutch, French and English writers. The modern tribe of the Mohegans, 

 to whom allusion has been made, called themselves Muhhekaniew. This 

 is, manifestly, a compound declarative phrase, and not a simple nomina- 

 tive, and is equivalent to the phrase, " I am a Mohegan." It is in 

 accordance both with religious custom, and the usage of the Indian 

 priesthood, to infer a unity of superstitious practices in nearly affiliated 

 tribes. In this manner the word " Mohegan" was used to denote, not a 

 common wolf, but the caries lupus, under the supposed influence of med- 

 ical or necromantic arts. In other words, Mohegan was a phrase to 

 denote an enchanted wolf, or a wolf of supernatural power. This was the 

 badge or arms of the tribe, rather than the name of the tribe itself. And 

 this, also, it may be inferred, constituted originally, the point of distinc- 

 tion between them and the Minci, or wol ftribe proper. The affinities 

 of the Mohegans with the Minci, oxMoncess, on the west banks of the Hud- 

 son, and through them with the Delawares, are apparent in the language, 

 and were well recognized at the era of the settlement."* 6 



The universal name the Mousey s have for New York, (says Mr. Hecke- 

 welder) is Laaphawachking, or the place of stringing beads. 



a Proceedings of N. Y. His,. Soc. 1844, S7. 



