"Sport is part of culture and a good way to learn about another country… To discover why people are so passionate about it, it's like, 'Tell me what your sport is and I'll tell you who you are,' " he said.
This shows why we are focussing on this so much. This is football for most Americans and soccer to Brazilians.
Ethics also offers an interesting study topic.
We all know Richards ethics and the NHL were bad. Violence=money and money is the root of all evil.
"The fans, they pray for two things. The first is that the Canadiens will win. The second thing is that they pray for the Canadiens to crush the Maple Leafs, but I think you don't need any God for that," he said with a laugh.
They have so much pride and confidence in their team.
Topics will change each week. Students will find themselves examining religious metaphors, behaviours and ethics, and drawing links between them and the Habs.
This is neat and answers my earlier question.
Melançon said he's pleased that Bauer is bringing attention to the topic.
They want to highlight the place of hockey in history.
Bauer's book has six chapters, one of which was written by Benoît Melançon, author of the book Les Yeux de Maurice Richard (The Eyes of Maurice Richard, which will be published in English in April 2009 as The Rocket: A Cultural History of Maurice Richard).
This is neat. I wonder what Benoit thinks about it all.
the team is a religion can still earn high marks.
This shows impartiality and it is great!
neutrality on the subject by lecturing in a referee jersey.
I wonder if he truly teaches without picking sides. After this, I wonder what his side actually is. It would be neat if he had people guess on the last day and then told them and his reasons why.
In Prof. Olivier Bauer's class, students will compare and contrast the Montreal Canadiens and other religions. ((David Sandford/Getty Images))
Sports players are their gods.
"I hope I have enough students to make two hockey teams. Maybe enough to fit the Bell Centre," he joked.
A neat field trip if this was successful would to be to have the class play a game of hockey one day.
"When we learned about the 100th anniversary, we thought it was a good time to talk about the relationship between sport and religion, especially between the Habs and the religious context in Montreal and in Quebec," Bauer said.
I wonder how they spend an entire semester discussing this. It seems like a smaller topic that that. They must cover history of hockey in the area.
The arena is their temple, the players are their saviours, and those who worship them pray that the sacrifices made on the ice — of blood, sweat and tears — will lead them to glory.
The comparisons here are not what I was expected but are an interesting insight. I see them as different types of sacrifices, despite this.
Graduate course set to debate whether one of Quebec's biggest passions is a religion
It is insane to see a high level most likely semester long course shaped around whether religion or the sport is more important in Quebec. People live for their religion, but I suppose the people who followed Richard lived for their "religion" that was hockey.
he Richard Riot is generally considered the firstexplosion of French-Canadian nationalism, the beginning of asocial and political dynamic that shapes Canada to this day.
The sport of hockey shaped the culture of their nation and bound them together with a commonality of a sport.
Therewere shouts, invective, a rumbling in the Forum. The tear gascame 30 seconds later.
I can not imagine how loud it was or the panic of the people who just wanted to be there to enjoy hockey.
The Detroit Red Wings would take a 4-1 lead over theRocketless Canadiens
The red wings winning definitely worsened the impact on Campbell. I wonder if things would have played out differently if Detroit was losing.
NHL officein town and begged him not to attend the game that night.
The NHL understood its fan base.
The gray weather on that St. Patrick's Day mirrored Montreal'smood.
The weather is a great way to describe the mood in the way a reader can understand.
In a match the previous Sunday, Richard had twice viciouslyslashed his nemesis
Slashes is such an impactful and violent word here.
His rare defeats were their defeats.And no defeat was as personal, as galling, as the suspensionthat NHL president Clarence Campbell had handed Richard the daybefore all hell broke loose.
He was their idol and they felt what he felt.
No athlete has embodied the soul of a city and the spirit of itspeople as Richard did in the 1940s and '50s in Montreal, my homefor the past 21 years.
It feels like Clevelands relationship with Lebron.
ghostly yellowish white. Smoke from a tear-gas canister haddriven thousands of hockey fans into the streets, sparking afour-hour rampage that yielded the requisite fires, shatteredwindows, looted stores, overturned cars and 137 arrests. Sportsriots have become commonplace, but the one in '55 was like noother because one of its central figures, Maurice Richard, waslike no other hockey player.
This riot was incredibly violent and became a problem for a lot more than just the people involved. If sure so many people were hurt in these incidents. No matter how mad people were at one or two people, there is no excuse for harming all of those people.
There are moments when life gets in the way, when sports and thereal world collide at some intersection--
Sports are a massive part of the real world and always will be.
It is one of those moments when you realize you are part of something special, that this spontaneous moment is taking on a life of its own, and one of those moments that remind you sports can mean so much more than a game. He is giving them one final memory here in the Forum. The crowd begins to chant, “Ree-char, Ree-char!”
It is really cool when one person can get an entire city excited. Living in Cleveland, I see this often, which makes me often overlook how amazing it is. One person playing a sport is able to bring so many people together in the way that Richard did. This is definitely "something special."
Before the emcee can finish listing his exploits, the cheers begin for the silver-haired man. Wearing his No. 9 home jersey, he walks out onto the red carpet spread over the ice.
I can only imagine the cheering.
The protests did indeed contain seeds of revolution. André Robinson, the man who smooshed the tomato against Campbell’s chest, became a minor folk hero. Supporters sent him more than 50 letters, enough money to afford his legal fees and a gold watch.
He was praised for doing something bad. What a sad, sad thing. I understand he stood on the side of the culture, the people, and the majority, but that does not make a crime okay. Crime should not be rewarded.
That became a popular narrative. Novels, plays, folk songs, academic articles and movies followed that cast Richard as an ethnic martyr of sorts,
People still were praising him in the culture.
It was a frustrated people, protesting against their fate.
What was this fate they were protesting about?
There was a widespread effort from editorial writers to the judge who heard the cases of those arrested that night, to pass off the riot as the work of “hoodlums.”
They tried to pass it off as hoodlums, but it obviously was not. It was crazy hockey fans and supporters. It was not bad people, just regular people doing really bad things.
“For 15 blocks they left in their path a swath of destruction,” Katz wrote in Maclean’s. “It looked like the aftermath of a wartime blitz in London.”
THis shows just how big the riot really was. This must have been so sad and difficult for the residents and imagine the children present.
e. They arrested the offenders they could catch. By midnight, his men managed to herd the crowd away from the Forum.
This is what law enforcement should do and it seems amazing that they managed to get things somewhat under control.
Forty-five, maybe 60 seconds later — at 9:11 p.m. — the bomb exploded. Twenty-five feet to Campbell’s left, a canister of tear gas detonated by Latreille’s group from the auto repair shop. The acrid smoke in the building gnawed the throats and scorched the eyes of those nearby. Suddenly, fear gripped the crowd. What next?
So many people were hurt because people let their sports over emotions overtake them. The time the bomb went off shows how it is a tragedy and I see symbolism there.
his way through the cordon of ushers and walked up to Campbell with his hand outstretched. Campbell hesitated, then reached to shake the man’s hand. The man slapped him. Campbell pushed the man away with his foot. Jimmy Orlando, a former Red Wing seated nearby, collared the man and dragged him away.
This shows how law enforcement and being a lawyer can be a dangerous job.
The crowd grew more disenchanted and upset with two more Detroit goals,
Richard's team was losing without him.
Richard glanced occasionally behind him. “This is a disgrace,” he said.
He does not like how the people are treating Campbell and yet he treats people worse often.
Even before Campbell could sit, they began shouting insults and throwing objects his way. The police were primarily occupied with the crowd outside, having underestimated the furor of their turnout. That left Campbell on his own, exposed.
THe violence of fans is shocking. They probably learned the violence from their idol: Richard
fiancée, who had fielded the angry calls to his office earlier that day.
People would do anything to defend Richard. They should have been protecting King, and Campbell and the woman.
Lacking their leader, Richard, Montreal quickly fell behind 2-0
He was clearly what made the team a winning one.
The city of Montreal waited in suspense for his verdict.
The whole city cared what came of the case because this played so largely into their culture.
Richard remained silent during the meeting conducted in English, his second language.
He spoke French and English and that is another impressive distinction with his lack of attending school to play hockey.
According to Irvin’s son, his father insisted until his death that the officials altered the facts in their account to please Campbell. Irvin defended Richard, saying he was dazed and did not realize what he was doing, that he mistook Thompson, the linesman, for a Bruin.
When you hurt people you always know what you are doing. Even if officials lie in court, it should have been clear from peoples' injuries what happened. I blame the judge if Richard won this.
As each man arrived, they squeezed past reporters and cameras and radio equipment to meet behind closed doors. Laycoe was there, with cuts on his face and a patch above his left eye. So was Thompson, his shiner evidence against Richard. Dick Irvin and Ken Reardon from the Canadiens attended, along with Bruins’ general manager Lynn Patrick, referee Frank Udvari, linesman Sam Babcock and Carl Voss, referee-in-chief.
Was this his first time in a court hearing? Did everyone decide to work as a team against him because of his wrongdoings?
Back in Montreal the morning after the Bruins’ game, Richard showed up for practice despite a headache and upset stomach, likely suffering from a concussion. The team doctor sent him to the hospital for X-rays and other tests. Richard stayed overnight but left the next day to attend the hearing at the Sun Life Building.
He should have been resting and yet he never stopped going.
“Freedom of speech is no longer mine to enjoy,” he wrote bitterly. “As a hockey player, I am obliged to obey my employer’s orders.” The implication, as a French-Canadian forced to buckle to his Anglo overseers, was clear.
This seems the beginning of politics in hockey in Quebec culture.
Richard accused Campbell of being partial against the Canadiens and enacting ethnic injustice:
There have always been injustices and this just shows that.
they could count on him retaliating and they would rather see him in the penalty box than on the ice.
Winning was more important than preventing injury to them, it seems.
did not wear helmets or mouth guards and when they jousted more frequently with their sticks, Richard still exceeded the acceptable standards.
I did not realize there was no protection. How did people not die?
Yet Richard had a dark side. His intensity sometimes provoked violence. His tantrums had become as legendary as his goals.
I get frustrated with tennis really bad sometimes and I understand the feeling of wanting to break a racket and this or that, but the violence he had was at a new level. It had to have been because of how high his talent level was.
“The Babe Ruth of hockey,” Wind wrote.
This is an honor to be called.
Catholic French-Canadian in a Catholic French-Canadian city
Again, we see the connection between Quebec and Catholicism.
stood 5’10, 180 pound
This really does not seem that big for a hockey guy.
By 1955, Richard had scored more goals, 422, than anyone in the history of the NHL
This is a ton. Hockey is a low scoring game.
e married his teenage love, Lucille, in 1942, when he was 20 and she was 17,
People used to grow up so much faster.
the 18-year-old Richard tried to enlist for active duty, but military doctors determined his wrists and ankle — already broken during hockey games — had not healed properly.
Before he was even big or a pro he was playing on injuries. Athletes doing this is so sad and they almost always regret it later in life.
He had started playing this game as a 4-year-old on the backyard rink his father Onésime, a machinist at the Canadian Pacific Railway, built for him. It was quickly apparent he could play in ways other boys could not. By the time he reached his teens, his skills were in such high demand he played as often as he could, sometimes four games in a weekend, using aliases to play for multiple teams, often against grown men. The oldest of eight children, he quit school at 16 to work with his father in the factory. He began playing junior hockey the following year.
His life was hockey. This would never be allowed now unless you went to one of those prestigious academies.
“RICHARD GOES INSANE”
The title foreshadows Richard losing it and doing something insane. It is a hook. I wonder how bad it really was. Did he hospitalize or almost kill someone.
Thompson manages to grab hold of Richard — the side of his face smeared with blood from Laycoe’s original strike — but cannot restrain his anger. Richard thinks Thompson, who once played for the Bruins himself, holds him so Laycoe can hit him. He swivels and drops Thompson to the ice with a right to the face. Then Richard snatches a stick from the ice and swings it wildly at Laycoe. He cuts him below the eye.
It is like a fight scene from a book.
stick splinters
Breaking a stick on someone would hurt so bad because they are so hard. Think of how hard pucks are hit and yet the sticks don't break.
In the second period, the Canadiens’ star tripped Laycoe and sent him spinning across the ice but escaped a penalty.
Escaped is an interesting word to describe this because he didn't just get out of it, but instead ESCAPED. It like he had it and then talked his way out of it.
he tension between the two rivals in the six-team NHL has been building inside the Boston Garden all night.
They came in ready to fight almost it sound like.
The 12,023 fans brace themselves.
Sports tend to pull more people than this now, but that was amazing for a turnout in that time.
“No one can know when the anger of men, whipped indefinitely, becomes sculpted into political revenge. And more, it is not just a matter of hockey.”
Hockey is not a game, but a lifestyle for Canadians.
Unbeaten, unbowed, unrepentant — still forever proud.
sports hold power!
And the Rocket, who always refused to align himself with a political party, would lead his teammates to five straight Stanley Cup victories until retiring in the spring of 1960 with 544 regular-season goals to his credit.
This was a time when politics were not involved in everything, like they are today. This highlights the Rocket's successful hockey career.
crack down on all-out brawls
Many viewers were bummed out by this.
Since then, larger thinkers on the Quebec scene have argued whether this was the beginning of Quebec's Quiet Revolution — officially pegged for 1960 with the election of Jean Lesage as Premier — or perhaps just the end of a time when hockey was more important than politics, as the latter began to take hold among French Canadian youth.
People used to care more about athletics than politics. Now, people seem to care more about politics and more closely follow athletes who have the same political view. It is no longer the other way around.
He would reluctantly take his punishment.
The riots continued. Since it went on through the night, it was beyond out of hand. Richard did not want the punishment, but he also understood he needed to take some responsibility and punishment to make this all end.
Out on the street, the largest riot since Conscription was passed in 1944 (bringing in the draft for the final year of the Second World War) broke out along a seven-block length of Rue Ste. Catherine, featuring overturned cars, smashed windows, a shot fired from somewhere and 137 arrests.
I am surprised I have never heard of this riot or this piece of history.
bomb went off.
extreme over hockey, if you ask me.
Les Habitants trailed 4-1 at this point as the home side had their minds on something else, and that didn't help matters either. Garbage and various fruit rained down on the NHL boss, one man raced up and smeared a tomato on Campbell, and less than a minute later a homemade tear gas bomb went off.
The fact they were losing intensified fans' feelings and everyones emotions were heightened. A gas bomb in intense.
. However, nothing may have happened if Campbell hadn't made a tactical error — he showed up to the game (10 minutes late) with his secretary (future wife) and took his regular place.
Fans cared so much about hockey that French and English were willing to come together and agree on it, which shows how insane it was.
But the fact was the Rocket was suspended for the final three games of the season plus the entire Stanley Cup playoffs.
Punishments began, finally! I wonder the reaction or violence that came from this decision.
Ted Lindsay had been dispatched for four games after punching a Toronto fan.
They were beginning to punish violence. Everyone needed to be disciplined the same. The league was getting out of control, being violent towards whomever. It was the environment of hockey.
The president really worked for the six owners, five of whom wanted the book thrown at Richard for the Boston incident.
People were starting to get angry at this grown man's unacceptable behavior.
finally clocked the official.
It is a good thing that people are penalized for hurting officials today. Officials are doing their job.
So far, pretty normal for those days. The rest will always be disputed.
Beating someone up because you are mad during a sport being normal, should be a crime and yet because it was making money for the companies involved, no justice was served.
bespectacled Bruins defender Hal Laycoe had another of his endless run-ins with Richard, leaving the Habs' star cut on the head after a high stick. A brawl ensued, and the Rocket broke his CCM stick over Laycoe's back.
It sounds like he used hockey to get his anger and violence out. He was using his opponents as punching bags. I would be scared of this man.
ichard's coal-black eyes glowed with defiance, danger and pure disgust for losing.
It shows he cared about the sport and winning. but it also shows he was a sore loser and an aggressive man.
Many of them hated each other with the type of passion only love can understand,
Unless you love someone, you cannot have a deep down heart and passion feeling about them. You have to be tightly bound for them to get to you enough for you to hate them in this way.
"hockey was bigger than the Church, and Rocket Richard was bigger than the Pope."
This shows its popularity and money making. I also shows the important to it in the culture.
hen it came time to dish out suspensions and fines.
when people feel put down, oppressed, or attacked, they will attack back, so I do not know what this man was expecting.
Clarence Campbell
was he a Canadian or did he just want to make money off of them?
Sticks were high, fists flew, blood often smeared the ice, and the owners thought this was all manly and a great way to sell tickets.
I am assuming this is how he is describing all hockey in those days. I wonder if he was right that it sold tickets.
violent the National Hockey League was in those days.
I wonder in what ways they were violent, because the sport is still agressive today.
in March of 1955.
Was this the end of the hockey in Quebec?
A violent end of an era
Hockey alone is a violent sport. Do they mean that the riot of the hockey was violent, or both?
And Maria answered him:—"Yes ... If you wish I will marry you as you asked me to ... In the spring—the spring after this spring now—when the men come back from the woods for the sowing."
This is neat because she chose someone to say yes to and found love.
The rain was pattering on the roof, and nature, rejoicing that winter was past, sent soft little wandering airs through the casement as though she were sighing in content. Throughout the hours of the night Maria moved not; with hands folded in her lap, patient of spirit and without bitterness, yet dreaming a little wistfully of the far-off wonders her eyes would never behold and of the land wherein she was bidden to live with its store of sorrowful memories; of the living flame which her heart had known awhile and lost forever, and the deep snowy woods whence too daring youths shall no more return.
I love this writing. It is done so sweet and descriptive. The patter of rain and the sound and smell of nature are far better than anything else. She was able to sleep and enjoy the life, even though it had been hard and sad.
The dreaded snow stealing away in prankish rivulets down every slope;
They say the snow steals because they feel it takes away from them. Later in the paragraph again is mentioned sickness and battle with soil. We know it is showing winter is hard.
About midnight came Eutrope Gagnon, bringing Tit'Sebe the bone-setter.
Sounds like a fighter name, but we know he is a doctor of osteopathic.
A great stillness reigned in the house. The comfortable thought was with them all:—"Anyway the medicine he has given her is a good one; she groans no longer." But scarce an hour had gone by before the sick woman ceased to feel the effect of the too feeble drug, became conscious again, tried to turn herself in bed and screamed out with pain. They were all up at once and crowding about her in their concern; she opened her eyes, and after groaning in an agonized way began to weep unrestrainedly.
Winter for them did not only bring it being tougher for food, but also sickness without advanced care. The medicine that worked was probably more shocking and naturally derived than they would be today.
this was her problem: when a girl is grown to womanhood, when she is good-looking, healthy and strong, clever in all that pertains to the household and the farm, young men come and ask her to marry
Was this like arranged marriages? It is neat how clever women used to be about house and farm. I would actually like to be, but I would not like to have to say yes to marrying whatever man came to ask me.
In all this, but one phrase left Maria a little doubting, it was the priest's assurance that François Paradis, in the place where now he was, cared only for masses to repose his soul, and never at all for the deep and tender regrets lingering behind him.
Seems like a mix of church and state because it is a politician and talking about a priest. Interesting to think about.
ONE October morning Maria's first vision on arising was of countless snow-flakes sifting lazily from the skies. The ground was covered, the trees white; verily it seemed that autumn was over, when in other lands it had scarce begun.
This sounds amazing and I would love to sit and stare at it. I know for them they saw it more as a problem, because life was harder and more scarce when it began to be winter.
The Canadian spring had but known a few weeks of life when, by calendar, the summer was already come; it seemed as if the local weather god had incontinently pushed the season forward with august finger to bring it again into accord with more favoured lands to the south. For torrid heat fell suddenly upon them, heat well-nigh as unmeasured as was the winter's cold. The tops of the spruces and cypresses, forgotten by the wind, were utterly still, and above the frowning outline stretched a sky bare of cloud which likewise seemed fixed and motionless. From dawn till nightfall a merciless sun calcined the ground.
They were clearly trying to take advantage of a nice spring to prepare for summer. They were obviously hard workers from the rest of this document.
alders
I am unsure what alders are
alders
I am unsure what alders are.
"Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us now and at the hour of our death..." "Immaculate heart of Jesus, have pity on us..."
The Catholic school I went to was St. Mary and I heard this phrase every day! It plays and clearly has always played a big role for catholics.
three-decked stove
I wonder what this looks like. Would ours be considered 2 deck?
"Nor have you altered in these seven years; not a bit; as for Maria ... surely you find a difference!"
Sentence structure is off, probably because of the translation.
"Spring is not far ... Spring is not far ..."
This sounds like holding out hope.
against the heavy burden of the long winter
Whenever I read or watch old stuff they seem to use this phrase.
The icy road held alongside the frozen river. The houses on the other shore, each surrounded with its patch of cleared land, were sadly distant from one another. Behind the clearings, and on either side of them to the river's bank, it was always forest: a dark green background of cypress against which a lonely birch tree stood out here and there, its bole naked and white as the column of a ruined temple.
The description of the place seems kind of sad. This is super descriptive and I can picture the place. It sounds like it would be beautiful to me, though.
"The mass is beautiful. I am often very sorry that we live so far from churches.
There are churches everywhere now, so people do not really have long commutes anymore. Despite this, less people seem to go to church or to just listen online.
Ste. Anne de Beaupre—, a likeness of Pope Pius X
Religious house decor is interesting and representative of the people.
Author: Louis Hémon Translator:
Originally written in French, then translated to English, which is clear from this portion of author, translater.
When they felt their strength ebbing away. they talked of drawing lots to see which of them should serve the others for food. one of the number, who was rather stout and fleshy, said to them: " Do not resort to chance; I see no one in the [page 231] company better able to afford you nourishment than myself. "
Even in the worst times, some of them were still so strong for their Christian brothers and sisters and it showed their tenacity and love for one another.
By good luck, he saw a Vessel, and cried out, " A Ship, a Ship! I see a Ship!" At that word, all began to breathe new life; and they made straight for that Vessel, whose crew were greatly surprised at seeing so many men.
By saying cried out, they show how desperate these people were for good things to come their way.
In conclusion, experience taught us long ago that the [109] blessings which have come to us from the Cross of Jesus Christ are much more effectively received and communicated by crosses and sufferings than by prosperity.
They are saying here that living a life that is easily and enjoyable, while being a Christian is not as convincing as living a miserable lifestyle and still being faithful. If Jesus/God was not real, then why would they be die for it.
Savages
The word savages is used so much and repeats, so we know its importance.
every day the number increases, as well as their miseries.
It was only getting worse not better, I do not understand how they did not lose all hope.
prostration of a famine which
Seeing a famine mentioned is unique, because famine is such a significant event in the Bible.
in the woods and forests, on the lakes and rivers, and among the Islands most unknown to the enemy.
They so badly wanted to hide, that they left home and went to undesirable places. It is sad and painful to see.
" Do upon me that which God permits you; for without his will a hair will not fall from my head."
I think he is saying here that everything in life is God's will and even if that is a painful death for him, than that is fine (because it is God's will). He is a martyr and it is so powerful that he knows bad things can happen, even to those who are God's people.
—taking pleasure
How DISGUSTING
Mass in his honor,
Catholics always ha e masses in honor of people like Mary or the patron saint of the school, so it is neat to see this on more of a national or local level .
they attached them to stakes fastened in the earth
What a brutal way to die !!!
he most esteemed in the country for his courage and his exploits over the enemy, would never allow it. " What! " he said, " could we ever abandon these two good Fathers, w
This is very honorable.
happened at a public recreation
By public recreation, I wonder what they mean. Is it like a typical gathering? Now, when we hear public rec, we think of recreation centers.
His zeal accompanied him even to death, which did not surprise him unexpectedly, although it was very sudde
He had his faith until he died and it stayed strong, unwavering. That is impressive and convincing of everything he stood for.
to day we shall be in Heaven."
So did they believe Baptism alone got you to Heaven?
. The number of these proved to be so great that, unable to cope with it by baptizing them one after the other, he was constrained to dip his handkerchief in the water (which was all that necessity then offered him), in order to shed abroad as quickly as possible this grace on those poor Savages, who cried mercy to him,—using the manner of baptizing which is called " by aspersion."
They felt so strongly about the necessity of Baptism, that they went to using handkerchiefs instead. It feels forced and not like a choice from this article.
On the 27th, arrived father André richar; and, on the 28th, our brother feuville. They came on board the nostra Dame, which did not arrive here until the month of October.
Travel took so much longer back then than it does now and this really shows that.
livres'
What are livres?
Ash Wednesday, as last year.
This is a really big Catholic holiday and that is important to notice. They put ashes on their foreheads as a way of showing their faith, before Easter.
Shrovetide as usual; benediction after, Vespers on Sunday, at the parish church; on Monday at the hospital,
What were hospitals like back then? Were the doctors even educated at all, or were they just taking their best bets? Didn't most people simply die when in need of any medical attention? Were hospitals even buildings, or just out of peoples' homes?
s we sent a few bouquets of flowers to them, as well as to the Hospital nuns—
Has it always been common to send flowers when a life is lost?
hey sent at evening a Rosary with a reliquary medal.
Is this saying the Ursulines sent rosaries later on, out of feeling like they had to, not out of good heart and kindness?
Monsieur the governor sent his butler in the morning, to bring us two bottles of Spanish wine, a Turkey, and an Agnus dei;
Were wine and turkey expensive at that time, since food was not as easy to come by as it is now?
In fine, I saw and touched all the wounds of his body, as the savages had told and declared to us; we buried these precious Relics on Sunday, the 21st day of March, 1649, with much Consolation.
Just like in the article we read before this, they talk about people as savages. They saw natives as horrible people and did not understand their culture at all. They were rude to the natives and only cared about their own beliefs.
nd he was not consumed
If they were truly barbarians, I would think they would have eaten the people.
n his body extinguished the fire,
Does fat actually extinguish fire?
Those barbarians threw the remains of his body into the fire
Are they calling them barbarians, just for throwing the remains in the fire? I understand they should respect them and bury them, but also if they are already torn to shreds, is it as big of a deal?
The other missions show the blessed results of these noble examples; and the superior is rejoiced at the piety and devotion which he sees everywhere among the native Christians.
Piety and devotion both describe religious acts and being absolutely devoted to them.
eat the flesh of one of their own number.
I think the lowest low in life and the most sad moment of someones life would be to have to resort to canabalism.
Sillery.
Is there any significance to this place called Sillery or any history attached to it that is really unique?
At the same time, Abraham Martin is imprisoned on a scandalous charge connected with this poor girl;
scandalous sounds dirty and everyone knew it was bad.
particular of all our Fathers and Brothers.
It is good to see the importance of family, with something that they take so seriously and dedicate their lives to sharing.
It is true I have some little fear in regard to the time when I must employ a new language in reference to their morals, and teach them to keep down the flesh, and hold them in the honesty of Marriage, preventing divorces by fear of the judgments of God on
Honesty in marriage is so important, and its neat that almost all people agree, including here.
. Truly there is reason here to admire the secret judgments of God;
secret judgements of God is a unique thought. Nobody really knows the judgements God will give.
One of the souls, which was not securely tied, or was perhaps too heavy for the cord that fastened it, fell of itself into the pit; the noise awakened the Company, who immediately ran and mounted in a crowd upon the scaffold, and emptied indiscriminately each package into the pit, keeping, however, the robes in which they were enveloped.
This passage describes a chaotic moment during a burial ritual, where an unsecured soul fell into the pit, causing confusion and a rush to dispose of the bones. The crowd’s reaction highlights the urgency and disorder that can occur in such ceremonies, showing the deep importance they place on properly handling the dead. Despite the disorder, they maintained the practice of preserving the robes, indicating their significant value in the ritual. Why did the burial need to be so brutal?
UR SAVAGES are not Savages as regards the duties that Nature itself constrains us to render to the
This sentence asserts that Indigenous peoples show profound respect and dedication to their deceased, comparable to that of more "civilized" nations. The author highlights their elaborate and sincere burial practices, including the generous use of their valuable possessions for funerals and their open acknowledgment of death, contrasting this with the more reserved attitudes towards death seen in some other cultures.
O NOT CLAIM here to put our Savages on a level with the Chinese, Japanese, and other Nations perfectly civilized; but only to put them above the condition of beasts, to which the opinion of some has reduced them, to give them rank among men, and to show that even among them' there is some sort of Political, and Civil life
This sentence highlights the author’s intent to elevate the perception of Indigenous peoples, countering the view that they are merely savage. The author aims to show that Indigenous communities possess complex social structures, including political and civil aspects, by noting their organized village life, agricultural practices, and systems of social interaction. This argument serves to acknowledge their humanity and societal sophistication, challenging stereotypes about them as uncivilized.
If therefore it happens that some one of some consideration falls sick, [121] the Captain goes to inquire so often, on behalf of the Old Men, what he has dreamed, that at last he draws from him what he desires for his health, and then they all put themselves to trouble to find it for him; if it does not exist, it must be found.
This sentence highlights the Huron people’s reliance on dream interpretation for addressing illness and their practices surrounding healing. It describes how a community leader, or Captain, engages deeply in the sick person's dreams to determine what is needed for their recovery. This practice seems strange and do many people in Quebec still think that finding what the dreams reveal is important? Does anyone there still think dreams' significance play a role in health?
They address themselves to the Earth, to Rivers, to Lakes, to dangerous Rocks, but above all, to the Sky; and believe that all these things are animate, [109] and that some powerful Demon resides there.
Annotation:
Sentence: “They address themselves to the Earth, to Rivers, to Lakes, to dangerous Rocks, but above all, to the Sky; and believe that all these things are animate, and that some powerful Demon resides there.” [page 109]
This sentence reflects the animistic beliefs of the Huron people, emphasizing their view that natural elements such as the Earth, rivers, lakes, and sky are alive and inhabited by powerful spirits or demons. It illustrates their belief system where these elements are not merely physical objects but are seen as active, influential beings capable of affecting human fate. This belief is central to their religious practices, including offerings and sacrifices meant to appease or seek favor from these spiritual entities. The sentence sets the stage for understanding their ceremonial practices and the ways in which they perceive and interact with the divine.
they hold that Iouskeha is the Sun and [92] Aataentsic the Moon, and yet that their Home is situated at the ends of the earth, namely, toward our Ocean sea; for beyond that it is a lost country to them,
This sentence highlights the cosmological beliefs of the Huron people, illustrating their perception of Iouskeha as the Sun and Aataentsic as the Moon while also explaining the picture of their understanding of the world’s boundaries. It underscores their view of their own land as the center of existence, with distant lands being perceived as unknown or nonexistent until their contact with Europeans expanded their geographical knowledge. This reflects both their spiritual beliefs and their historical context of geographic discovery.
Should we scatter the seeds of the Faith without ourselves profiting by the
This question reflects a deep part of the relationship between the missionaries' work and their own spiritual growth. It challenges the notion of self-sacrifice and the missionary's role, questioning whether the act of spreading faith is inherently beneficial to the missionaries themselves. Is their personal spiritual enrichment a necessary counterpart to their missionary efforts, or can they truly give without receiving?
On the twenty-first of March, a woman, who had been about twenty-four hours in travail, brought forth a child happily, as soon as we had applied to her a Relic of Our Blessed Father St. Ignatius. Her child lived only long enough to enable us to send it to Heaven by Baptism.
This line highlights the use of religious relics as a form of spiritual intervention in the lives of the indigenous people. The missionary's account shows a profound belief in the power of sacred objects to influence and improve situations, especially in big moments like childbirth. The relic of St. Ignatius is seen not just as a symbol of faith, but also as life and death of the child, reflecting the deep intertwining of faith and everyday life in the mission’s activities. The brief lifespan of the child, followed by its baptism and entry into Heaven, shows the importance placed on religious rites as a means of ensuring spiritual salvation, even in physical suffering and the harsh realities of colonial missionary work.
One would have to be of bronze not to be irritated by such insolence.
This line expresses the Jesuit missionary's deep frustration at the indigenous people's accusations and blasphemies against God and the Christian Cross. The term "of bronze" is a sign of the intensity of the emotions felt by the missionaries, highlighting how deeply the missionary's commitment to their faith and the rejection of their teachings affected them. The missionary is reacting to the perceived insult and disrespect towards their religion and the symbols they hold sacred.
They seek Baptism almost entirely as an aid to health.
This line reveals the practical motivations behind the indigenous people's desire for baptism. Rather than seeking spiritual enlightenment alone, many Hurons viewed baptism primarily as a remedy for physical ailments. This practical approach to religion underscores a significant cultural difference and the challenge faced by missionaries in shifting the focus from immediate physical benefits to long-term spiritual goals.
URING the present year, eighty-six have been baptized, and, adding to these the fourteen of last year, there are a hundred souls in all who, we believe, have been rescued from the service of the devil in this country since our return
This line shows Jesuits' emphasis on numerical success. It is clear they felt the success of the missionary work was based on this numerical data. "Rescued from the service of the devil," shows that their view was simply that it was a spiritual rescue operation. They thought when people were converted, that it was deliverance from all things bad. The missionaries were proud of their achievements and it is spoken about in a tone that we can tell they were overbearing and possibly to forceful for missionary work.
The missionaries are compiling a grammar and dictionary of the Huron dialect; a
This shows that Jesuits were committed to understanding Huron Culture. By getting to know the language, the missionaries were clearly aiming to effectively say what they wanted to. The effort seems to me, to reflect a broad strategy of cultural adaptation and overall mission work.
Their great hope is in the conversion of the children, who, they report, show surprising aptitude and willingness to learn the doctrines of the Christian faith; a
This is a strange tactic. In my opinion, to go for peoples' kids first is weak.
ommences his annual letter by describing " the conversion, baptism, and happy death of some Hurons."
This line is strange because happy death sounds so counterintuitive. Also, it seems like they are trying to say the central mission of Jesuit missionaries in New France was to convert indigenous people.