Analysis of "History of a Voyage to the Land of Brazil"
...pushed in and crushed with the thumb as soon as they come out of their mothers’ wombs (just as they do in France with spaniels and other puppies).” To show that this tendency to compare the Tupi to animals is indeed a tendency and not just an isolated incident when describing their noses, in another passage he describes a practice of the Tupi men in which they cover their bodies with the feathers of a hen. “Having first rubbed themselves with a certain gum that they keep for this purpose, they cover themselves with these, so that they are feathered all over: their bodies, arms, and legs all bedecked; in this condition they seem to be all downy, like pigeons or other birds newly hatched.” From these comparisons, one could easily infer that although Lery may have respect for these people, he views them more on the level of a dog, or other animal, than that of a human being. Lery’s religious views also come into play in the way he views the Tupinamba. The Tupi, in their natural state according to Lery, remained unclothed in any fashion other than decorative jewelry and accessories. In a passage from History of a Voyage to Brazil, Lery describes how he feels about the nakedness of the Tupi. “I do no mean to contradict what the Holy Scripture says about Adam and Eve, who, after their sin, were ashamed when they recognized that they were naked, nor do I wish in any way that this nakedness be approved; indeed, I detest the heretics who have tried in the past to introduce it over here, against the law of nature (which on this particular point is by no means observed among our poor Americans).” Another example of Lery’s impressions of the Tupi regarding the Lord is from a description of a ritual performed by the Tupi. “Not only did they howl, but also, leaping violently into the air, they made their breasts shake and they foamed at the mouth – in fact, some, like those who have the falling-sickness over here, fell in a dead faint; I can only believe that the devil entered their body and that they fell into a fit of madness.” From these descriptions of the Tupi, we can infer that Lery thought these people were heretics without the word of God to guide them on a proper path in life. Above all, for these reasons and others, Lery viewed the Tupinamba as potential converts to the Calvinist faith. In Lerys’ descriptions of the flora and fauna of Brazil, he seemingly attempted to make the “New World” appear as similar as possible to Europe by relating things he saw and found there to types of plants and animals back home. He probably did so in order to entice more people to settle in the “New World.” In this aspect, however, he failed. However pleasant his descriptions of the animals and plant life were, they made the area seem wild, dangerous, and untamed. “The boar of that country, which the savages call taiassou, in its shape resembles that of our forests. Its body, head, ears, legs, and feet are also the same, as well as its teeth, which are long, hooked, pointed, and consequently very dangerous; however it is much thinner and more scraggy, and has a horrible grunting cry.” Lery goes on to describe another of the beast’s abnormalities, a blowhole on its back, similar to that of a porpoise, through which it blows, breathes, and takes in air whenever it wants (in reality, the opening on its back is not for breathing as Lery thought, but rather for producing strong smelling secretions). The boar in this description, although similar to that of the boars in Europe, is far more intimidating, and thus scarier, simply because it is different with body parts that are not easily understandable to people who have not studied them. Lery’s descriptions of the animals in the “New World” confirmed many Europeans assumptions of the wildness and danger of that area of the world. The animals in Brazil are not the only dangerous part of the “New World.” In Lery’s...