The Fair People had expected to find the newly discovered world uninhabited by mortals. They were surprised, and somewhat disappointed, therefore, to find that Native Tribespeople (whom they were never so foolish as to call ”Indians” ) were already in resi- dence from the northernmost coast, where the Scan- dinavian Elves confronted the Innuit and Beothuk, to the southern shores, where the Iberian Hadas were greeted by the Timuca and Calusa. But it soon became clear that the manners and customs of the Natives had much in common with Fairy ways, and bore little resemblance to the sav- age behavior of Civilized Man in the Old World. The Tribespeople, for instance, had deep respect for earth, air, fire, and water, and this was much appreciated by the Fair Folk, who are, as you know, the natural children of those elements; and on the whole, relations between the natives and the Fairy newcomers were cordial. There were, to be sure, some unfortunate con- flicts and skirmishes. The Italian immigrant Falletti and the indigenous Powhatan engaged, briefly, in a sort of guerilla gang war over fishing rights off the peninsula of what is now called New Jersey. Difficulties between the newcomer Tree Spirits of Africa and the native Caribees were resolved in their mutual love of music; what was to have been a winner-take-all drumming contest between the 22
13の国々からようやく新大陸にたどりつい
た妖精たちのだれもが、 この新世界に人間な
ど住んでいるとは思いもしなかった。
ところが、すでに原住民が住んでいたのだ。
妖精たちは、 その人びとのことを“インディ
アン” などと呼んで差別するほど愚かではな
かった。驚くと同時にがっかりもしたが、 賢
明な妖精たちは原住民となかよくやっていこ
うと考えた。
スカンディナビアの妖精が発見した最北端
の海岸には、 イニュイト族とベイアスク族が
住んでいた。 スペインのハダス女王たちが上
陸した南の海岸には、ティムワク族とカルー
サ族がいた。 そういったぐあいに、 北から南
までこの新しい大陸には原住民たちが住んで
いた。
しかし、この原住民を観察しているうちに、
すぐに妖精たちは、自分たちとかなりの共通
点があることを発見して、安心した。 という
のは、旧世界に住む文明人の野蛮な行動とは
似ても似つかず、 妖精と同じように自然を愛
し、 夜空の星に天文学の教えを乞い、 美しい
38
ものをいつくしむマナーをたしなんでいたの
である。
たとえば、 原住民は大地、 空、火、水に深
い敬意をいだいており、生活すべてがこの4
要素をもとにいとなまれていた。
自然の子である妖精たちは原住民をたいそ
う気にいり、原住民のほうも同じような観察
をへて、 同じ結論をいだいていたので、やが
て彼らの心はかよいあうようになった。
むろん、不幸な衝突やこぜりあいもあった。
イタリア出身の小妖精フォレッティと原住民
のパウハタン族とのあいだで、 現在ニュー・
ジャージーと呼ばれている半島沖の漁業権を
めぐって、 短期間だが一種のゲリラ戦が行な
われた。
新参のアフリカの木の霊と原住のカリブ族
との対立は、音楽を愛するという共通点が解
決してくれた。 双方のチャンピオンたちによ
るドラム合戦は、 すぐに1ヵ月にもわたるパ
ーティーに変わった浜辺での即席のお祭
りだ。 いいつたえによると、 この祭りのあい
だにラム酒が発明されたという。
39m
None of the Fair People who had finally arrived in the New World from thirteen nations imagined for a moment that humans might already be living there.
And yet the native peoples were already in residence. The fairies were not so foolish as to discriminate against these people by calling them “Indians.” Surprised and somewhat disappointed, the wise fairies decided they would try to get along with the native inhabitants.
On the northernmost shores discovered by the Scandinavian fairies lived the Inuit and the Beothuk. On the southern shores where the Spanish Hadas queen landed lived the Timucua and the Calusa. And so it was — from north to south, native peoples lived throughout this new continent.
But observing these native peoples, the fairies quickly discovered considerable common ground and were reassured. For unlike the savage behavior of civilized people in the Old World, the natives loved nature just as the fairies did — seeking astronomical wisdom from the stars in the night sky and cultivating the manner of cherishing beautiful things.
For instance, the native peoples held deep reverence for earth, air, fire, and water, and their entire lives were built around these four elements. The fairies, as children of nature, took a great liking to the native peoples — and the natives, having made similar observations and reached the same conclusions, gradually found their hearts in harmony.
Of course there were unfortunate clashes and skirmishes. Between the Italian Folletti and the native Powhatan people, a brief guerrilla war broke out over fishing rights off the peninsula now called New Jersey.
The conflict between the newly arrived African tree spirits and the native Caribbean peoples was resolved by their shared love of music. A drumming contest between the champions of both sides quickly transformed into a month-long beach party. According to legend, rum was invented during this festival.
38-39
