Jean de Brebeuf's characterization of Huron culture and worldviews

Jesuits and Hurons in New France

The Mission To The Hurons

The objective of this study is to answer the questions as follows:

Jean de Brebeuf, a French Jesuit missionary, spent two decades living and working with the Huron. Based on his "Relation" of 1635, how would you characterize his views of the Huron people (for instance: their culture, manners, recent experiences, etc.)? And 2) to what extent is it possible for us to find actual Huron worldviews, opinions, or sentiments in this "Relation" (as opposed to only Brebeuf's views)?

The work of Greer (2000) entitled: "The Jesuit Relations" in Chapter 2 'Jean de Brebeuf on the Hurons" writes that the culture and history of a group of native North Americans specifically the Hurons was greatly documented in their interactions with Europeans. Le Jeune was a missionary to the Hurons and was tortured and killed or in reality martyred "during the Iroquois invasion of 1649. Brebeuf lived with the Hurons for three years and returned again a few years later in 1634 "at the head of a party of three Jesuits and six laymen to establish the mission on solid footing." (Greer, 2000; 41)

I. The HURONS

The Hurons lived in large settlements and in a more traditional family type lifestyle which was stable in nature in the form of a village and that it was this that "made them a more promising target for evangelization than the dispersed, nomadic Montagnais bands Paul Le Jeune has pursued through the forests." (2000; 39) Greer states that Brebeuf actually spent much time in deep discussions with his Huron friends in which they would relate their customs and rituals and metaphysical and cosmological views "and patiently explained the reasons various customs and rituals." (2000; 40) Greer relates that Brebeuf "wrote scathingly of these 'foolish delusions' when he addressed the European readers, and yet it seems he reported what he saw and heard as faithfully as he could. If one reads his words attentively, the voices of his Huron interlocutors faint and garbled though they may be in places can nonetheless be heard." (Greer, 2000; 51) it is written that in the discharge of "apostolic and humanitarian functions" was a place inhabited by approximately 30,000 'savages' (Hannan, 1944; 1).

II. The GIFT in the DETAILS

In Jean De Brebeuf's "Of the Language of the Hurons" (1636) it is related that the language of the Iroquois was a formalized language that contained different genders as well as different numbers as did the Greek and further included the possessive pronoun and that as to cases 'they have them all, or supply them by very appropriate particles." (Greer, 2000; 49) Through relating this as he very precisely does relate the information, De Brebeuf effectively illustrates the intelligent communication utilized within the Iroquois culture and society. De Brebeuf relates in terms of the Hurons beliefs concerning their origin that "...it is astonishing to see so much blindness in regard to the things of Heaven, in a people who do not lack judgment and knowledge in references to those of earth." (Greer, 2000; 50)

De Brebeuf stats that their fables indicate that "in the past that they had some knowledge of the true God that was more than merely natural." (Greer, 2000; 48) as De Brebeuf goes on relating various stories about the Iroquois, he displays a smorgasbord of information concerning the lives of these individuals and their beliefs and indeed, De Brebeuf, while smiling at what he conceives to be their naive nature and contributes excellently to the historical study of this culture or that of the Hurons.

The work entitled: 'Huron Relations for 1635 and 1636" written by de Brebeuf and edited by Campeau is an annotated version of the two 'Huron Relations' and in the view of this work in writing it is stated that the importance of the information provided in de Brebeuf's work is within Brebeuf's keen interest in and observations of both the Huron language and their pre-Christian-contact customs and religious beliefs. Brebeuf writes at length concerning the Huron thoughts about their origins, superstitions, belief in dreams, feasts, dances, sorcerers, style of government, council procedures, and burial ceremonies. He devotes the final chapter to the Huron Feast of the Dead.

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

This research study sought to answer the questions of based on the work of (1) Jean de Brebeuf, a French Jesuit missionary entitled: "Relation" of 1635 how one would characterize the view of Jean de Brebeuf of the Huron people in relation to their culture, manners, etc. As well as to answer the question of to what extent that it is possible for one to pinpoint actual Huron worldviews, opinions of sentiments in this 'Relation' as opposed to only Brebeuf's views? While Jean de Brebeuf viewed this tribe as naive, fanciful, superstitious among other things, at the same time Jean de Brebeuf related the details of this culture, so clearly and so meticulously that it is possible to begin construction of these views through a comparison with other primitive cultures throughout the world insofar as understanding their level of understanding. History has shown that the Iroquois nation possessed some knowledge that was greatly advanced for any world civilization in their day and through the careful documentation process faithfully scribed by Jean de Brebeuf the individual who endeavors to gain a greater understanding of the Huron culture may do so through reading the works of Jean de Brebeuf concerning his stay with the Huron people in the 'New France' of America.