Neolin, a member of the Lenni Lenape…

1762 CE

Neolin, a member of the Lenni Lenape tribe, had gone through a period of fasting, incantation and dreaming in 1761, during which he claimed to have been visited by the Master of Life (Keesh-she'-la-mil'-lang-up, or "being that thought us into being").

In his vision, Neolin had been called to visit the Master of Life.

He had prepared as if for a hunt.

His journey led him along a path which eventually forked into three roads.

Neolin had sheltered at the fork as night fell, where he noticed "the three roads became all the brighter the darker it grew, a thing that surprised him to a point of fear".

At sunrise, Neolin set out upon the most expansive of the three roads, where he "suddenly saw a great fire coming out of the earth".

He returned to the crossroads and picked a second road, which again led to a great fire.

Returning again to the fork, Neolin picked the third road, which led him to "what appeared to be a mountain of marvelous whiteness, and he stopped, overcome with astonishment".

While at the mountain he encountered a beautiful woman who explained to him that in order for him to see the Master of Life he must strip naked and cleanse himself in the nearby river.

After doing that, the woman told him that "he must use only his left hand and his left foot in the ascent".

Neolin arrived at the top of the mountain naked and tired, and saw a village.

A voice told him that he could go into the village because he was cleansed before the ascent.

At the gate he was greeted by a man dressed in all white who led him to the Master of Life.

The Master of Life took Neolin's hand, gave him a "hat all bordered with gold," and said, "I am He who hath created the heavens and the earth, the trees, lakes, rivers, all men, and all thou seest and hath seen upon the earth. Because I love you, ye must do what I say and love, and not do what I hate".

In conversation with the Master of Life, Neolin was told that the master was displeased with his people for "addiction to the white man's alcohol, and deplored Indian polygamy, sexual promiscuity, witchcraft, and strife".

The greatest offense is the fact that the Indians are tolerating the Europeans in their lands.

The Master promises to restore the lands with game and prosperity if the Indians will resist "further European incursions".

The Master of Life tells him that the path to Heaven is to reject the ways of the Europeans and to return to the traditional ways of their ancestors; particularly monogamous sexuality, to live by the bow and arrow, to dress themselves in animal skins, and to stop drinking alcohol.

There is great resemblance between the religion that Neolin introduces to the Lenni Lenape and Christianity, perhaps because of the exposure to Christianity through missionaries.

Hundreds of native people in the area later known as Ohio become disciples of Neolin.

Neolin teaches that natives have been corrupted by European ways and need to purify themselves by returning to their traditions and preparing for a holy war.

"Drive them out," he declares of the settlers.

A group of chiefs gain influence by adopting Neolin's ideas, and organize a confederacy of tribes.

The principal figure among them is the Ottawa chief Pontiac, renowned as an orator and political leader.

In 1762, Neolin is shown a prayer by the Master of Life, to be said every morning and evening.

Neolin's greatest work is the "Great Book of Writing", a chart in which he maps the path a soul must take to get to heaven.

This description of the 'path to happiness' is portrayed by Neolin on a diagram, inscribed on a deer hide.

The diagram "drew a path from earth to heaven ascending to happiness".

Each path is blocked by 'strokes' which represented the vices brought by the Europeans.

The only way to happiness is to avoid these vices.

By doing this, individuals will have to lead down the narrow path in order to lead themselves to happiness.

By order of Neolin "to help the Indian remember these teachings, Neolin advised the hearers to obtain a copy of the bible, which he offered to reproduce at the fixed rate of one buckskin or two doeskins each". (Hunter, Charles E. (1971). "The Delaware Nativist Revival of the Mid-Eighteenth Century". Ethnohistory. Duke University Press. Retrieved 19 Mar 2018.)