Walam Olum, or “red record” or “red score” is an account of the origins of the Lenape, a central eastern tribe of Native Americans who settled in and around Delaware and New Jersey. Variously described as the Lenape’s Bible and Aeneid, the work had been overshadowed by questions regarding its authenticity since it was first published in 1983 by botanist and antiquarian Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783–1840). Some critics claim the document is an outright hoax. The Walam Olum includes a creation narrative, a flood narrative, and claims the Lenape can trace their history back to at least 1600 B.C.
Walam Olum, or “red record” or “red score” is an account of the origins of the Lenape, a central eastern tribe of Native Americans who settled in and around Delaware and New Jersey. Variously described as the Lenape’s Bible and Aeneid, the work had been overshadowed by questions regarding its authenticity since it was first published in 1983 by botanist and antiquarian Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783–1840). Some critics claim the document is an outright hoax. The Walam Olum includes a creation narrative, a flood narrative, and claims the Lenape can trace their history back to at least 1600 B.C.
Comments