Bibliographical Society of Canada
Facsimile Series No. 4
CREE SYLLABIC HYMN BOOK
Bibliographical Society of Canada Publications.
Reprint Series :
No. 1. Thoughts on the Education of Youth, by Richard Cockrel. Neward, Tiffany, 1795. 1949,
No. 2. Représentations par le Corps de Gramds Jurés (Québec, 1764) Québec, Brown [et] Gilmore, 1765. 1949,
No. 3. Sawney' Letters, by James Anderson. Barkerville, on Williams Creek, B.C., Cariboo Sentinel, 1868. 1950.
No. 4. The Manuscript Book of Oliver Goldsmith. England, 1825, and Canadian Review and Magazine at Montreal, 1826. 1950.
Facsimile Series :
No. l. Aux Citoyens et Habitants des Villes et des Campagnes de la Province de Québec. Québec, Brown, 1785. 1951.
No. 2. The Union of Taste and Science, by Stephen Dickson. Québec, Neilson, 1799. 1952.
No. 3. The Red River Expedition, by J. C. Major. Winnipeg, Laurie, 1870. 1953. [Note : This facsimile replaces the reprint of An Old Woman's Story, by Lizzie Rowe, previously announced.]
No. 4. Cree Syllabic Hymn Book, by James Evans. Norway House, 1841. 1954,
No. 5 The British American Almanack For the Year 1792. Saint John, Sower and Ryan, 1791. 1953.
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Facsimile Series No. 4 ——B PR
CREE SYLLABIC HYMN BOOK
by James Evans
[Norway House, 1841]
Publication 8
Toronto, Canada 1954
146839
INTRODUCTION
The Cree Syllubic Hymn Book reproduced in the following pages is unique in the annals of Canadian typography. It was printed in 1841 by the Rev. James Evans at Norway House, Hudson's Bay Territory, on a converted fur press. The type used had been cast from lead obtained partly from the lining of tea chests and partly from bullets. Only three copies of the little hook are known to have survived, All are in the Library of Victoria University, Toronto, to which they were presented in 1910 by Miss Sophia Evans (now deceased), daughter of the Rev. Ephraim Evans of London, Ontario, and niece of James Evans.
The Hymn Book is the earliest book extant that is known to have been printed in the Canadian Northwest. It is probable, however, that this 20-page edition was preceded by an earlier version consisting of only 16 pages. A tradition persists that this first edition was printed on birch bark. In his biography entitled James Evans, Inventor of the Syllabic System of the Cree Language (Toronto, 1890), Dr. John McLean states that Dr. Ephraim Evans “has now in his home in London, some of the original type made by James Evans from tea lead and bullets. He has also some old books made of birch bark and others made of paper.” Yet in neither of two letters written by James Evans to his brother about the time the Hymn Book was printed is any mention made of birch bark. Writing from Upper Fort Garry on June 11, 1841, he says : “I have made a fount of Indian type — press and everything necessary and have printed about 5000 pages in the Mushkego language. Among other things, a small volume of hymns which is bound — 100 copies, of 16 pages each.” And in his letter dated August 2, 1842, he remarks : “I am sending you a few of my home made types and a specimen of printing... I dare say my book is without ‘register’, the form is none of the best. I had a very bad ‘devil’ and much of my type ought to ‘go to hell.”
This description might apply with equal accuracy to the copies now in the possession of Victoria University. The text of all three is identical, but there are slight differences in paper, binding and cover. All are printed on coarse paper. In one instance, however, the paper stock is more primitive than in the other two, and as this particular copy hap- pens to be badly worn, its appearance could give the impression that it is printed on birch bark. Indeed, it is conceivable that the whole birch bark story stems from the condition of this copy.
The early date at which it was printed, the romantic circumstances of its production, and the fact that it contains the earliest known printed examples of the Cree syllabic script invented by James Evans in 1840, make this humble little volume a book to be treasured.
James Evans, the translator and publisher of the Cree Syllabic Hymn Book, was born in Hull, England, in 180], and emigrated to Canada in 1823. He was converted at a Methodist camp meeting in 1826 and was
given charge of the mission school at Rice Lake, Upper Canada, in 1828. There he began a study of the Ojibway language. In 1831 he was appointed to the Credit Indian Mission, and in 1834 to the St. Clair Mis- sion, where he was outstandingly successful. In 1836 he completed a syllabic version of the Ojibway language which he submitted to the Bible Society in Toronto, but which was rejected. He then published, in 1837, The Speller and Interpreter, in Indian and English, a grammar of the Ojibway language, and translated hymns and portions of the Scriptures into Ojibway. In 1838 he was sent to initiate missionary work on Lake Superior with Thomas Hurlburt and in 1840 the Wesleyan Missionary Society in England appointed him Superintendent of Missions in the Hudson's Bay Territory, which extended from James Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It was in connection with his missionary work in this Territory that he invented, in 1840, the Cree syllabic alphabet, based on his earlier syllabary of the Ojibway language. Here, too, he gathered about him translators and Indian helpers who were ultimately responsible for the first edition of the Bible in Cree syllabic, published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1861.
James Evans remained at this post for six years, during which he travelled many thousands of miles by canoe and York boat, to direct the missionary activities under his superintendency. He was recalled to England in 1846, where he died suddenly on November 23 of the same year, after addressing a missionary meeting at Keelby, Lincolnshire.
The original version of Evans’ Cree syllabary is reproduced on the front cover of his Cree Syllabic Hymn Book. It consisted of ten charac- ters (later reduced to nine) in four positions, each position representing a vowel sound. One of the nine characters in the four positions repre- sented the vowel sounds in open syllables, while the other eight repre- sented the consonants as combined with these vowels, in the position designating each vowel sound.* There were in addition a number of smaller characters, denoting terminals or aspirates, which were placed above or beside the syllabics to which they pertained. In all, about 49 characters were employed in this syllabic alphabet, which gave a written language that could be adapted for all branches of the Algonquin languages and for other Indian languages as well. In the twenty years from 1841 to 1861 the Cree syllabary won its way through all the Algonquin Tribes and gave a new stimulus to the work of transla- tine and printing. Bishop Horden of the Church Missionary Society adapted it for the Moose Cree in 1851, building on the foundation laid by George Barnley, a Wesleyan missionary at Moose Factory from 1840 to 1848, who had learned the scrip under Evans, and in 1871 Father Lacombe adopted it for use in the Catholic missions.
For the translation of the Hymn Book 1 am indebted to the Venera- ble Archdeacon Raymond B. Horsefield, of Flin Flon, Manitoba, an
authority on the Cree language. Archdeacon Horsefield, coming from
England as a young man, graduated in 1926 from Emmanuel College, at the University of Saskatchewan, and was ordained as a priest in 1927, He spent his, early ministry in the diocese of Brandon, serving Indian communities. In 1942 he became rector of St. James Church, in Flin Flon; he conducts a regular broadcast in the Cree language from the radio station there.
Archdeacon Horsefield”s translation reveals the contents of the volume to be as follows: Pages 2-14, hymns; pages 15-20, Scriptural texts, including the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes. The hymns were undoubtedly the favourite Wesleyan ones of the period, freely translated into Cree words and idioms that would be within the range of the vocabulary of the Indians and of a person having an elementary knowl- edge of Cree. In some cases they have been so freely adapted that it is most difficult to identify the originals. The hymn that comes first in the book, Jesus my All to Heaven is gone (pages 2-3), was also the first ever printed by James Evans, Its initial appearance in Cree sylla- bic type had been on a sheet of birch bark. The English text was written by John Cennick, a teacher in John Wesley’s school at Kings- wood, England, who later became a Moravian. The first verse, in English and in a Cree translation, reads as follows:
Jesus my all, to heaven is gone, Jesus net itáyimoowin He whom I fix my hopes upon; Ispimik ka Ke itotat His track Í see, and Pll pursue Weya piko ne mumisen
The narrow way, till Him I view. Nesta 4 we itootayan
Two other old favourites included are Behold the Saviour of mankind, by Samuel Wesley, Sr. (pages 8-9), and O for a thousand tongues to sing, by Charles Wesley (pages 10-11).
Archdeacon Horsefield has commented on the Evans Cree trans- lation as follows: “The vocabulary of the author is pretty extensive, but his syntax is poor: he uses plural nouns with singular verbs, and vice versa, is uncertain of word order and (not unnaturally) lost among some of the more complicated forms of the truly weird and wonderful Cree verb.” This is only to be expected when it is remembered that the Hymn Book was published less than a year after James Evans began his study of the Cree language, and before the earliest Cree grammar (that of Joseph Howse) was published in 1844. Under such circum- stances the fact that it can be translated so readily by a modern Cree scholar is almost as remarkable as the ingenious manner of its publi- cation.
MARGARET V. RAY.
Victoria University, Toronto,
November, 1954.
eh ay i ee o 00 uh ah w peh pay pi pee po poo puh pah p teh tay ti tee to too tuh tah t keh kay ki kee ko koo kuh kah k cheh chay chi chee cho choo chuh chah ch meh may mi mee mo moo muh mah m neh nay ni nee no noo nuh nah n seh say si see so s00 suh sah s yeh yay yi yee yo yoo yuh yah kh speh spay spi spee spo spoo spuh spah (1,1)
** Fish River 1841
* (Translator's note as in pet, pay, pin, pea, foot, moon, pun, part, watch.) ** . Le. - Norway House, Man.
[Front Cover]
pee
HYMNS
SWAMPY INDIANS
Their Speech
Fish River
1841
E Šers | tw ta ie NS La r E Aha NUSA S Casci ee! | P l- PE J je) AAS, EU Aha MCAR YAN / apel | ra 1" b Qo
VV pr rec Ac DL ATUL» TR RALPH . Eo. PPyd: AN»
Ty. PAL pHfs Ob: Mec KC] adn ob AC dich i Rp AU “a Qo
i A0 PE SS u Ly rk AÑ (i ¡PE Cc» EASY KPAOVĀS Tras ac SEAT
| pos AC UNAS: Bi. SF AX ic: WP b:CdgCL» | - Vb Y rá. NN Lo
Now I am in pain
Jesus my hope I make pitiful sounds
Who has gone on high I see He went . Where 1 too shall go.
Those who were good In this life
The way of life There I will walk,
Long where it is dark Here have 1 walked - Suffering
For I was not good.
[p. 2]
Jesus hear me, and say Come, I am the way.
When you come in great gladness Here where I wa
I am poor
You are merciful.
The very poor
I want to show them
I will point out to them Look ! Here is the way.
[p. 3]
ibh.
SE. BP: FI Gu,
be De A: | NY... or dnd MU Pf Pr Pa
Aha. Lo A." „F PAL Ar. = beac 1 | a: aa
ofa Erem “bALNAVe
Now all of you
Be very glad
To hear this Throughout the world: Light comes to you
Be very, very glad.
Jesus who is God
Ill-treated Himself Sympathize with Him
You who would please Him.
Praise Jesus Who saves.
[p. 4]
yoNa ea
pri Bre pr ehren
SNN 4s" ks "Cp MAG Nabe etd don
vage AAP “ 3 | ās bt. SI“ o om ANCE de. l br Sroda
e dea rom das ii
By His blood, by His blood Who blesses all.
My brothers
In trouble
Come try to escape He does well for you.
You, Above Who strove Christ promises To give to you.
Now listen to The Gospel.
dd
Entirely believe That you may live.
He who made us all Who are living
We will implore That You bless us.
Look on us now Walking here You the Saviour Be our Lord.
[p. 6]
£
SEE
«ga Be
N
We look above I hope
To be given
A blessing.
We cry to Thee For joy
Make us to know A blessing.
Now Holy Ghost Throw to us . Christ's blessing That we may be glad.
[p. 7]
15
“aa D ach Av) h : suck w „D NC ab» "Ab (Ne a 4 lana ELO a : Si. Yy. Sal | Poy Ira aSr tebrana 1 FARA ri TA o ES au pascua ES
PEER EN LIP EY uwe. BAM qoc er Je. han o ERA MAS o>
Zu
0? An: End. wo —— : Ca i V sa, M ACD und AC CP Ab a Lae ra
He who heals Already I surrender to Thee Is crucified Take my soul
Who loved me so much See Him bow His head That He died. As He dies.
Praise to Jesus But soon He rose
Who died for us Now He shines bright Praise, praise, Truly He suffered
Praise Jesus. Wanting to save mankind.
Hear them groan
The earth shakes —_ Rocks are If only, I thought, Rent asunder My fellow men
[p. 8] [p. 9]
16.
oa bae Du | e DAL bua Ya
puro Yin Ped
Pr te Cl V ba als pp x Fh que F A:
bn yas NA»
c oi 61 MSc BLA ANY: Apr PON: ge at Ade
BLANN A e
&. aCA Abs
Would now thank The great Saviour.
God, help me
To tell abroad
In the dark places of the earth My great adoption.
Jesus’ name `
Truly sounds so sweet Let the sinner
Be wise.
The evil-doers Soon He heals
[p. 10]
By Jesus’ blood My soul is holy.
Ye who die
Take note
How you may live
Ye poor, become rich.
Look all you
Who go astray
That you may believe And so live.
Come ye sufferers Ye defeated [?]
[p. 11]
ml] <<
P esr dd» bb. P b UV gua Aro
LoD 6 Nih: py : ea Cd. ACD LEAS Vo bi bga - bir SN |
=
el Sa
oc» Ex Pelco DA cg ie our Arb- TAH) bacco Ph
He calls you You shall rule.
God sends me
To call you
Get ready then
Christ has prepared everything.
He warns me God does,
Lest my soul die To look to Jesus.
[p. 12]
SA Ahn be ArI abras UA» ESTO bs
ad AN
VON NESS GA.%o- pnbp Ob6f > U> Pe Lay” TNN S> <p bo.. IX AS. V un AN >>
Help us, Jesus, To do this
We always long To serve Thee.
When Thou comest to judge At the last day
Shall I be glad ?
Who am like a worm Sometimes in danger of dying
While I live.
[p. 13]
i
aL Amb: ob ALA bE Nee,
‘jo PA > - i Ma. ADC nd
ae do aaa Pe
brag OPA do < tts < As CHIA» "uu de N- WC "PJT b Uo,
<a ONL POCAS 1
AUHCHP be Gw
brys Tb’ ocg
ms wepL hard,
Vor QALNNAD
I will never leave Thee nor forsake Thee.
Ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall
find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.
*Let him that thinketh he standeth take
heed lest he fall. I am the way, the truth and the life.
* (Literally: He ‘I stand upright’ who thinks, shall be
wary that he do not fall.)
[p. 14]
MX N e aUe
'QLAd | EPS iy Ye woe? Naftu oa Ad: K>abA: ep LAQ Pbabn: m qeu Ore de | NAO oe bere ‘T PPH | «rep ¿Neo dn: Aa. "or Arpa] b> MD edn VV 6, ce: PAR Mis ic. Ved QSA- (TR Qt i Rb K PAPA fho... Ay PLM Ir abr meor
No man cometh unto the Father but by Me. :
I will not leave Thee, I will come to you in
trouble.
Can a woman forget her very own offspring,
her suckling child, yes, she may forget, still I will not forget Thee.
See, I have written Thee down on the sole (sic) of my hand.
[p. 15]
19. —
a ba»oC: Ha bs, =.
a Keo NANT y» eon bo PUTIN UY» PNNG AAD e Nyaah beir CoN obb ane: es be Kap ya [> Sn pr C Ant Zar BATE | ca) dor: DON bs bVF Ms SIP ag os a. Ta VALAD LP AMAA CQ:
The Lord’s Requesting.
Our Father who art above Thy name be honoured Thy kingship arrive
Thy will be acted upon in this earth as there above,
Give us to-day our clean food and cast away from us our evil doings
[p. 16]
90
Oe TAN TAI? pers do LLP Štāls Arps. ¿ooo Ab ANY: anne ox ANN “PP, Ta as oa» Ah < C N Po 2
As we cast it away from them who do harm to us.
Avert from us when we are going towards evil ways.
Put it away from us to be in. ut
For Thou ownest the cane and the strength and the honour, for ever and ever. Amen.
Seeing the multitude He went up
[p. 17]
An. Oro. dre ci ot ar outer. | Adu Ja AZ VA hs RYT dN < Sa ada Ve yang Roban WB os p Pap odt <]. pa Z AAE ae KMP á ae < p0?v0 : aby Vso di ns ‚pr gs ord Lda DL: GP Lay CCH Py | hose q. angio ant = =. es i E Pa EN Are x “pe Ss mg | LADY ea a NE ATO dida s ALAC IPS
on top of the mountain and when they shall be of good heart. He was set His disciples came unto Blessed are those who are gentle Him and He opened His mouth and in their ways, they shall govern taught them saying thus the earth. Blessed are those who are hungry Blessed are the poor in their spirits and thirsty for right dealing, those shall have the kingdom above. they shall be filled up. Blessed are those who think mercifully Blessed are those who think poor for they shall be mercifully thought of. Lp. 18] [p. 19]
ca db
Tw Ne ee dH gs aa Vip UFM y bios QSL i P L Pe
e Jan 4:
GA Sara: (>
Eo. gs PyLo o be kera alan YANG Mp E NES J Mata As P by ALA Ne No Br h Q: Di b Pue Al! vbo\ Opec A Po PAD PE
Blessed are those who are clean hearted
they shall see God. Blessed are those who make to sit peaceably together they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are those who for righteousness are tormented they shall have the chiefship Above.
[p. 20]
—99—
weh tweh weh pweh nweh pehp wehk nech wehn 10. tehs 11. newh 12. ahl
Editor’s note:
ee
pai Bija
Dou Dū a MN
way tway way pway mway payp wik nich win tis niw mir
nuw poor
wah twah
wee pwee mwee pahp wuk nuch wuhn tus
pool
pway chway wah pwah mwah kit chik mihm kin mikh nó pwuh
pwuh pwah chuuh . chuah
mweh kot ku | chok chuk mohm muhm kon kuhn mokh mukh . chi tay
kuhrist (Christ)
The back cover, reproduced above, contains an elementary reading lesson in syllabics. a
The translator draws attention to the character c, on line 11, which denotes an aspiration of the vowel it follows, and which he indicates by a Greek “rough breathing” sign on the
appropriate vowel.
dd
Feb 18 87 |
| gs
Y RE
Bibliographical Society of Canada, . Facsimile series.