Might it not be more likely that Twain had heard of the widely-told story of how Columbus had fooled indigenous tribes in Jamaica with predictions of an eclipse. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/eclipse-saved-columbus On Mon, Aug 14, 2017 at 10:41 AM, Clay Shannon <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Was it Tecumseh, or was it his brother Tenskwatawa, who was known as "The > P= > rophet"?=C2=A0- B. Clay Shannon > > From: William Robison <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Monday, August 14, 2017 6:38 AM > Subject: Tecumseh and Hank Morgan > =20 > There is a fairly well known story that the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh > predicted both the solar eclipse of June 16, 1806 and the New Madrid > Earthquake of December 16, 1811, and used this to convince the Shawnee the > gods supported war against the white man. One version of the story says > Tecumseh knew about the eclipse in advance because he had seen it forecast > in an almanac. > > I have read speculation that Twain drew upon this story for the scene in *A > Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court *in which Hank Morgan out-wizards > Merlin by predicting a solar eclipse. > > Does anyone on the list know if there is evidence to support that? > > Thanks! > > Bill > > --=3D20 > William B. Robison, PhD > Department Head / Professor of History > Department of History and Political Science > Southeastern Louisiana University > SLU 10895 > Hammond LA 70402 > 985-549-2109 phone > 985-549-2012 fax > [log in to unmask] > http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/depts/hist_ps/index.html > http://www.tudorsonfilm.com/ > http://www.impairedfaculties.com/ > > History teaches students to read intelligently, think analytically, write > clearly, accurately assess past trends, rationally predict future > developments, and understand the real world. Now *that* is workforce-ready! > > History does offer us very real lessons, but they are seldom simple and > straightforward. To understand and benefit from them, you have to know your > history very well. That is why history matters as much as math, science, > technology, or any other subject. > > "A young horse is fast, but an old horse knows what's going on." > =3DE2=3D80= > =3D93 =3D > Muddy > Waters > > > =20 >