Inshore Gugas

The recent storm had undermined a small dwelling of a tall one, which once sat on the edge of the cliff.  Its wall and floor boards now littered the beach; thus, Hantar and four of the tropers went about collecting the wood, making piles here and there which would be taken back to the lodges on a gathering sled.  There the wood would be stored and either used for building supports or burned in the kilns.

The morning sun had yet to rise and the little men moved about quickly to finish the cleanup.  The sled was soon on the beach, pulled by six other tropers.  These younger workers were known for their great strength and very quick speed.  It was this team that would be sent if there would ever be the need for a sea rescue.

As the last of the timber was tied down, Hantar heard the cries of Gugas (1).   These large white and black sea birds were highly regarded by the Nubbins, who delighted to watch the ‘sea divers’ plunge into the ocean after fish or squid.  They are majestic birds with a wingspan of up to 2 meters, and they spend their adult life fishing the sea. Gugas can spot fish below and dive from heights of up to 40 meters, and can swim to great depths, making them the most skilled and efficient of the ‘sea divers.’  

This particular group was much closer to the beach than was the usual custom and the little men could see silver flashes of fish breaking the surface as the birds pursued them.  The harsh call of the birds grew louder as the hunt intensified and soon dozens of the birds were diving one after another.  The cleanup party of Nubbins looked on, bringing their work to a halt; but as the crest of the sun appeared at the horizon, Hantar hailed for his crew to depart.  They bowed to the birds, thanking them for the morning display, and headed back toward the hollow where the sled could be pulled up the embankment.

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(1) Guga is the name given in Celtic regions to the Northern Gannet, Morus bassanus.  This sea bird nests in very large colonies off the United Kingdom, Scotland, and Ireland.  In North America their nesting is limited to islands in the Gulf of Maine, Quebec and off the Newfoundland coast.  The Guga hunt, an annual event in the U.K., has been the subject of growing public outcry.  This hunt, steeped in tradition, results in the killing of several thousand gannet (guga) chicks each year.

The Great Storm Bird

Nubbin clan members know well in advance of weather changes. This is due to both many years of observation, and also their auditory system is sensitive to changes in the barometer. Thus, they feel oncoming storms well before they arrive.  

The sudden warmth brought by the southerly wind of the last few days had Hantar and his tropers out exploring the kames and kettle holes* of the north, checking the leaf buds of bayberry, beach plums, and other vegetation.  It was on their return from this scouting that a sudden sense of a storm came upon them. Hantar led the little patrol to the top of the bluff, and from here they could see the dark clouds of an approaching cold front far across the bay.  They could now hear the distant thunder, which they referred to as tarranu.**  Hantar recognized the building clouds and knew the oncoming storm would bring strong winds and much of the bright light which leads tarranu to the ground.   

The squall line was moving quickly and the little men ran back to the lodges to warn the others; but they had already sensed the change in pressure, and were preparing for the storm. Kettles and drying furs were brought in and lodge entrances were secured. Atnas took his staff and walked to the top of the little hill behind the lodge, and from here he scanned the skies, hoping that perhaps he might see the great bird, known to them only through legend, which held that a giant bird glided on the strong updrafts of storms. This bird was known to take sheep and other creatures, and it is told that even some children of the tall ones have been taken.  Nubbins have not seen the creature, but the natives who roam the woods to the west know of the giant bird, much larger than the spring eagle.***  

The black cloud line was almost above them when a great flash of light brought tarranu rolling to the ground. No bird could be seen, but an unknown piercing screech was heard by all just as the downdraft roared at them. Atnas scampered along the hill trying to see the source of the sound, but leaves were being picked up and blown ahead clouding the sky.  Several large pine branches near where he stood broke off and flew into the air as if they had wings, and it was then that he thought he saw the very large bird flying just above the nearby farm, but it was immediately gone into the low dark clouds. Another screech was heard, as tarranu crashed down around him. He stopped and looked back and could see that the front was passing as quickly as it had come. Then a cold wind came from the northwest, and the skies began to clear. As to the bird, Atnas could not be sure, and so it was not reported to the others.

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*Kames & kettle holes are geologic terms for the small hills (kames) and associated small valleys (kettleholes) which were created as the ice retreated across the Cape landscape during the last great glacial period. These are very evident on the bay side of south Truro and elsewhere.

**The Nubbin term tarranu is very close to the Welsh term taranu, which means to thunder. See also Taranis.

***There are many stories and legends about this giant bird, known to many Native American tribes as the thunderbird, often depicted in totem poles, and usually associated with western and plains tribes. See the legend of the thunderbird.

The Placement of Stones

When the elders returned from the New Year’s procession, they took off their robes and stood waiting for Atnas to light the incense vessel, then bowed and sat at the table. Atnas took out the ledger, or passing book, as it is also called, and read the passage for the first full day of their New Year.

“Another round of suns is a gift given to us this day.  We are thankful for the time you have provided us. We stand ready to serve and shall honor all that lives among and around us.  Your charge we willingly accept, and we await the time when our life’s reward is to be there with you.  May this next traveling of suns be filled with the energy of life and the joy it bestows.  Let our gathering this eve be fruitful and may our decisions prove worthy of your blessing.”

He closed the book and went over to the lodge entrance.  He picked up the large round stone that sat just inside the narrow opening and placed it on the table before them.

“My brothers, the time for the placement of the stones is upon us; for we know that this, the first day of the suns is one which honors those who came before us.  Each of you this eve may choose a place to set your chosen stone, and here it will stay, a marker of your life, like those set long ago."

Each elder went to the rear of the room and picked up the stone they had choose the prior season of suns and brought it back to the table.  Atnas then swung the incense vessel over the collection, and said:

“Each stone is a record of life long ago, pressed into a unique formation. We honor those who walked the land before us. Let the setting of these symbols represent our respect for the time of their life and that which they passed on to us.”

When it was finally dark, the elders took their stones and marched to the sacred rock* just north of the great marsh.  Atnas climbed to the top of the bolder, held his arms to the sky, and bowed to the east.  He took his staff and upon his striking the rock three times, the elders set out, each in their own direction, each knowing where they would leave their stone and their mark.  

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*We believe this to be Enoch’s Rock or Doane Rock, as it is more commonly called.

The White of Day

The small kettle-hole ponds were still frozen each morning, kept this way by a relentless cold wind from the North; yet each day small patrols checked the river which flowed to the larger ponds east of the lodges, watching for the arrival of the scotans.* These fish of the great ocean come each spring to spawn in the ponds of their origin, and this event marks the beginning of a New Year for the little people.  When the eldest has sufficient evidence that the first fish has arrived, the first day of the calendar year is recorded. ** 

On this day, the early morning patrol found no fish at the great pond, but did come upon some wompis, or "that with the white beak".***  The birds came out of the water to greet the little men, and Resmis, who could now speak to fowl, asked them about their journey.  The birds responded in scratchy clucking sounds, but Resmis understood them and learned that this group had come to the pond on their way back North, where they will breed in the marshes near the great river which runs from the landlocked oceans to the west.  Resmis wished them well on their journey and bowed to them as they swam off along the edge of the pond.

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*Scotan, the Nubbin word for alewife, is likely derived from the old Irish term for herring, scatan, another indication of the possible Celtic background of the Nubbins.

**What is not known at this point is which river was chosen to be the sentinel site for the New Year announcement, but several journal entries indicate it might be that which flows through the valley of great stones.  Our interpretation of those entries would be the site of Stony Brook in Brewster, though it is some distance from the present location of their lodges.  However, we do know some patrols have gone great distances in a single night, so this may well be the site.

***Wompi is a Nubbin term for the American coot, best identified by its white bill and darkish gray body.  Of interest is the term being very similar to the Wampanoag word whompey, meaning white.  It is not yet known why the little people use terminology for fowl that so often bears this seemingly Native American influence, when at other times their words are so closely related or derived from Northern European cultures.   

The Wyce

The elders spent the last several nights on the bluff in honor of the great moon, which they understood was only to be seen on rare occasions.* On the fourth day of the honoring, a gathering crew was sent off to the site of the wyce shrubs, and here they would carefully select certain branches: those not bearing the small capsule-type fruit.  The branches were considered to be of the Great Spirit, and each year one specially shaped branch was chosen to be used as a diving rod and kept at the great lodge in case the need for use of such arose.  The rest of the branches were stripped of their bark, which was ground up to be used in several healing powders.  These powders were applied to cuts and other wounds of both clan members and animals, when injured.

The wyce shrub was also known as “seed thrower” and next fall when the time was right and the fruits were ready, about eight moons from the time the flowers fall, the clans will gather near them to watch as the seeds snap forth from their capsules. Each time one shoots forth, a cheer will rise among the members of the clan. Some of the seeds will be gathered for planting, and others will be saved to be eaten as a favored treat, sometimes steeped in a brew of tree moss, which they drink to insure their health and prolong their lives.**

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*Nubbins have a keen sense of astronomical events. Though they may not understand the science, their celebrations and honoring often coincide with events like the perigee, syzygy or "supermoon” mentioned above.

**The description found here is certainly that of the shrub witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), long used by Native Americans for its medicinal qualities and common in medicine cabinets of our grandparents.  It is still used and sold today, largely as an astringent.

Two Birds in the Bush Worth More than One in the Hand

When the men returned to the lodge sites, the carcass of the pequam was given to the elder matron, who would use the fur of the animal to line deer hide boots. The rest of the day was spent preparing for the arrival of the forkees.* These large birds crossed through the valley every several days. The Nubbin village always welcomed them with seeds and akarns as they made their way toward the swamp.

Long ago hunted to near-extinction, the number in this flock had grown dramatically since the tall ones re-introduced the birds back to these woods several years ago.  The elders knew that this was done for the sport of the hunt, but they were happy that the birds had prospered and now could be heard gobbling in many areas of the forest. The males at this time of year bore bright blue heads and strutted among the females with their tales fully fanned out.  It was a sight that delighted the little people.  

A small wooden horn made many years before imitated the raspy call of the male birds, and was now used by the elders to trick the tall hunters during the season when they would seek out the sound in hopes of firing a shot at the bird.  The elder chosen for the prank ran with great speed from location to location making the would-be sportsmen think there were many birds present, while the real flock moved off to a safe location.  While many of the forkees were taken by tall ones during the hunting season, success of this trickery was evident by the number of young birds within the brood, and the overall growing population.  

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*Forkees is the Nubbin term for turkeys and, as with many other Nubbin bird names, may have Native American origins. 

Return of the Red-Wing

Due to the heavy snow of winter and recent rains, the water level of the reflecting pond was very high, flooding the dense vegetation which surrounded it. The stone monument marking the ylf was now only a few feet from the waters edge, but the single leaf of the plant was still visible and appeared to be healthy. Atnas directed the men to take off their caps and holding his arms outstretched over the plant, recited the verse written in its honor so many years before. 

Oh great one, you gave to our woods the ylf,

and your kindness for this we hold in high regard.

Let us never allow its place to be forsaken

and we shall protect this one from being taken.

We thank you for this beautiful gift

The roots of which bring joy and health! 

Each of the men then bowed over the plant, and when all had passed before it, Atnas took his staff and struck the ground three times, as was the ritual to encourage good growth, symbolizing sunlight, soil and water.

The men replaced their caps and readied themselves to head back, and it was then that they heard the call of the trupia,* the blackbird with red shoulders who brings the spring and good luck, and is the symbol of a life well lived.  This first solitary male sung from high above in the great oak tree which shadowed the pond. The men were heartened by the call, for they knew many others would soon follow, and the valley would be soon filled with their chorus and the warmth of the spring sun would be upon them. 

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*Obviously, this Nubbin term describes the Red-winged Blackbird so familiar to us. Of interest, it is similar to the term "troupials," given by some to flocking blackbirds of the new world.  Troupial is derived from the French term troupe, meaning flock.