Virtues

[Koontz John E]

On Tue, 25 Jun 2002 bi1 at soas.ac.uk wrote:

> In the connection of virtues the wors wauNs^ilapi or wowauns^ila
> which in biblical contexts comes to mean 'mercifulness', 'mercy' is
> probabbly just general 'kindness' and seems to be one virtue often
> referred to or the absence of it.  It may in a nomadic society imply
> quite often 'hospitality' I suppose.

Thanks, Bruce!  This seems like a plausible suggesion.  With that hint, I
recall that the Omaha-Ponca texts refer the feeding of strangers or
enemies frequently as a sign that they were treated well and no killed.
A variety of terms are used:

niN'tta gigaNdha 'to desire someone to live'
iu'gdhaN=khidhe 'to cause to put (food) in the mouth'
dhathe=khidhe 'to cause to eat'

In one story certain Pawnees tell others not kill a visitor because 'he
has finished eating, finished drinking, finished smoking'.

In at least some of the stories, it is specifically the role of the woman
of the house to feed the guest or petitioner in situations like this.

'To be merciful; to pity' is dha?e=...dhe (a causative).

JEK