kuku'i ghost

[Mark-Awakuni Swetland]

Hmm... the image of a firefly flickering in the night seems to suggest a
possible connection to the image of a ghost, enit?
mark

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alan H. Hartley" <ahartley at d.umn.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Friday, September 02, 2005 4:14 PM
Subject: Re: kuku'i ghost


> The OED has:
>
> Cucuy(o) (also cucuio, cocuyo, cucullo, cucujo). [Sp. cucuyo, adaptation
> of a Haitian or other native American name.]
>
> The West Indian firefly (Pyrophorus noctilucus), an elaterid beetle
> which emits brilliant phosphorescent light from spots on the body.
>
> 1591 SYLVESTER Du Bartas I. v. 794 New-Spain's Cucuio, in his forehead
> brings Two burning Lamps, two underneath his wings. 1647 W. BROWNE
> Polexander I. 97 These little Cucuyes..mingle their living lights with
> the obscuritie of this Dungeon. 1692 COLES, Cucuye, a bird in
> Hispaniola, with eyes under the wings, shining in the night. 1706
> PHILLIPS (ed. Kersey), Cucuyos, a king of Fly in America, which gives
> such a Lustre in the Night that one may..write and read by the Light of
> it. [and later]
>