Many descriptions of New World native peoples written by English colonists depict Indians who are bloodthirsty savages. Theodor de Bry created these engravings for Thomas Hariot's 1590 Briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia. These engravings appear to show a less biased account of tribal life and the natural setting of Virginia before the arrival of European settlements. The Native Americans pictured here are members of the Powhatan Confederacy.—CL
Hariot, Thomas, 1560-1621.
A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia of the commodities and of the nature and manners of the naturall inhabitants. Discouered by the English colon there seated by Sir Richard Greinuile Knight in the eere 1585. Which remained vnder the gouernement of twelue monethes, at the speciall charge and direction of the Honourable Sir Walter Raleigh Knight lord Warden of the stanneries who therein hath beene fauoured and authorised b her Maiestie :and her letters patents: This fore booke is made in English by Thomas Hariot seruant to the abouenamed Sir Walter, a member of the Colon, and there imploed in discouering Cum gratia et priuilegio Caes. Matis Speciali, Francoforti ad Moenum : Typis Ioannis Wecheli, sumtibus vero Theodori de Bry anno M D XC. Venales reperiuntur in officina Sigismundi Feirabendii, [1590]
Date: 1590
STC 12786
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Map of Virginia
Plate Four, On of the chieff ladyes of Secota
Plate Seven, A cheiff Lorde of Roanoac
Plate Eight, A cheiff Ladye of Pomeiooc
Plate Twelve, The Manner of makinge their boates
Teacher Ideas
Courtney Lawton / Public Academy for Performing Arts / Albuqurque, NM / English
When students are getting ready to costume their scenes, they often will default to modern dress because they have no access to intricate design shops. When costuming The Tempest, allow students to glean ideas from the de Bry engravings (I am not suggesting going topless!) Prospero and Miranda would have been on the island for so long that their clothes would be tattered; Caliban may have fashioned garments for himself: why not use these prints as ideas?
Christina Porter / Revere High School / Revere, MA / English
Present these prints as a warm-up lesson for teaching The Tempest. Cut the descriptions off the engravings and save them. Divide students into groups and distribute one engraving per group. Have each group write a travel journal in the voice of an early European traveler, to document what they saw on their journey. After students have finished composing their journals, hand out the accompanying text for each image and have students compare their observations with those of author Hariot.
Heather Newsam / Little Rock Central High School / Little Rock, AR / English
Juxtapose these seemingly harmless images with the negative images found in John Smith's narratives, since they are copies of the original de Bry engravings.
Tim Clark / Contoocook Valley Regional High School / Peterborough, NH / English
Distribute copies of the engravings. Ask students to imagine they are visitors from outer space. How would they portray our men, women, children, and everyday activities? Have them produce their own engravings with paragraph-long explanations of the different parts of their drawings. You may want to give them an unbreakable taboo for their portraits, such as, "The face shall never be shown," or, "The head shall never be higher than the feet." Discuss the portraits the students have made of Earthlings by comparing them with Hariot's commentary on de Bry's portraits. What sorts of cultural taboos or expectations do these portraits convey?
