From angels to demonic specters; astonishing visions to devilish terrors; dreams inspired; challenged; and soothed the men and women of seventeenth-century New England. English colonists considered dreams to be fraught messages sent by nature; God; or the Devil; Indians of the region often welcomed dreams as events of tremendous significance. Whether the inspirational vision of an Indian sachem or the nightmare of a Boston magistrate; dreams were treated with respect and care by individuals and their communities. Dreams offered entry to "invisible worlds" that contained vital knowledge not accessible by other means and were viewed as an important source of guidance in the face of war; displacement; shifts in religious thought; and intercultural conflict.Using firsthand accounts of dreams as well as evolving social interpretations of them; Dreams and the Invisible World in Colonial New England explores these little-known aspects of colonial life as a key part of intercultural contact. With themes touching on race; gender; emotions; and interior life; this book reveals the nighttime visions of both colonists and Indians. Ann Marie Plane examines beliefs about faith; providence; power; and the unpredictability of daily life to interpret both the dreams themselves and the act of dream reporting. Through keen analysis of the spiritual and cosmological elements of the early modern world; Plane fills in a critical dimension of the emotional and psychological experience of colonialism.
#1449086 in Books University of Pennsylvania Press 2010-08-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .51 x 5.98l; .75 #File Name: 0812221338224 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The "New World" from an Algonquian worldviewBy TrudenI read this for my North Carolina Indians class. While I haven't actually taken the class yet; I'm looking forward to it because of this and the other texts the professor assigned. The author's attempt to recreate an Algonquian's point of view of the first true English attempts at settlement around Roanoke Island in the 1580s seems to prove successful. His analysis of the Algonquian gods Ahone and Kiwasa; the Indians attempts to please Kiwasa with Montoac; and subsequent attempts to integrate English Christianity into this system was especially fascinating and illuminating. Of course; due to the scarcity of documents from the period; much of the book is based on speculation and relating the Roanoke Indian's practices to neighboring ones such as the Powhatans. Despite this hurdle; the book is very interesting and makes logical sense; at least from my perspective as a student.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent InterpretationBy HaroldThis book focuses on the viewpoint of the Algonquian natives of coastal North Carolina in the 1580s as they attempt to adapt their lives to the rapid change brought upon them by English settlement on Roanoke Island. Drought; disease; and; eventually; violent attack by the settlement's paranoid soldiers destroy their system of subsistance survival and harmony with nature and a spiritual world. Other books about the Roanoke settlements are written from the Englishmen's point of view. Oberg's book; cleanly and intelligently narrated; is unique in its perspective. Oberg's thoughtful conjectures are based upon extensive research. 5 stars for the reader who needs to understand fully specific historical events.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy A. E. NugentVery interesting.
