Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08
HORRIBLE TROPHIES.
Necklaces OF Human Fingers and Teeth
Worn Ornamental

hohnAbLE IRORHIES.
Necklaces OF Human Fingers and Teeth
Worn Ornamental
HORRORS IN THE SHAPE OF WAR
trophies have recently afforded n subject
ior investigation by the bureau Of ethnoloey.
ferhaps the most remarkable specimen secured
rs necklace Of human fingers. Il represents
eight lives. There are only a. m.nv fn,.r,-
each individual slain being represented by thu
MIDDLE digit Of the left hand alone. They ware
subjected, after amputation. 70 a csreful ana
elaborate antiseptic treatment in order TO thor
eny preserve them. Each one was split
ons.n~'se on the inner side and, after the bone
100 oeen extracted, the skin, both inside and
49, "As washed With kind Of earth containing
s.: nsr' Inc bones were not replaced, bot
shape.
H, Inc w nsskl.ce was formerly the property Of
ias a Won, who himself slew the eight men. be.
longing to rival tribes He was biz che; N
sue .neyennes. who were for . long time d..
Pers.eiy hostile TO the whites. Cen CrooL
.p 2 long and arduous campaign sr.ipst
.oS anu tne sioux. which ended in the sur.
renoer OF 4.500 Of the allies In 1877 on ~.
morning Of November as Is7s The ,orrsh ,s ~
alprised and destroyed the main village Of
nness nennng savages on the hesdwaters Of ia
Iowoer river, Wyo. The red men were foroed
and ammunition. More thar h.,s - sSuas
great herd Of ponies we're c.ntnr.s =. a.o Va sneS
Inc cold was 90 intense that on the night sfser
mothers arms
This blow, the most severe every ins,cs.s
surrender Of the Chevennes "a 49, ~ ne
the principal chief Of the Sioux. the renovnsd
Crasy Horse. Among The mot /. n.ssS ~uoo
Of property suffered by the desssssS e. -
this occasion was that of two neckIsce, ~ ~.
man fineers to~ether vi,h III h on nn-
filed with the right hands OF sIs,n ;ns'n pss
longing to the tribe Of the shoshoui The L..
ter are deadly enemies OF the Chex.nr..
These trophies Of war were picked mn A. ~.
deserted village. The one already descrihss 1.
now in the National Museum; the other WA
buried.
The necklace that was preserved "a Il. ror,s
collar Of buckskin. incrusted with hlus 80
white beads, and further adorned With ritz "a
shell wampum of native manufactura psnS.ss
from is are five stone arrowbeads' as ~aii -
four medicine bses" One Of the.s ,.t..r a,,.'
tains some sort of yeeetsbie noxde- ths s.asss
is filed with tobacco. the third Win srr.,i
gsrnet-colored seeds. and the fourth with = va.
lowish vegetable sabstance NOT ,dsnt;s.S n.
wise attached TO the trophy are seyersI ar,;sc,.,
teeth carved out of soft stone in Imitation 81
the teeth of fossil animals vhich AZ. Sor,.S
Such q trophy is kept by the savage not only..
Q proof Of personal prowess. but aiso on A.
count Of . deeply rooted belief In the tslis-
manic potency possessed by ali mart. of the hu
man body, especially after death. II was such
q faith that impelied the Aztecs ana Other
American tribes TO preserve the skulls Of their
dead. and especially those Of victims sacrificed
In honor of the gods The Zuni Indians take
care to offer food at stated periods 70 the scalna
OF their enemies. Necklaces OF human fingers are
found in MANY parts Of the vorId so,e.tt,,..
the whole arm Il utilized, and in other CO.
only the nails.
The Cheyennes did not ALWAYS restrict THANH
selves to fingers; they generally made nse ~
the whole hand or arm of the slaupbtered
enemy In a picture painted by one of them
selves is represented q scalp dance. in which
the squaws are seen carving the arms ~ 90.
elevated on poles and lances This prsct;ce ~
cutting OF the arm or hand presumsbly o,vs
rise TO their aboriginal name Of "slssbers o.
"wrist Cutters" Just as a correspondino ns.-
culiarity of the Dskotas caused them 10 +.
called Throat Cutters." Necklaces Of human
fingers are made and priced by other tribeu
In Eastmans Legends Of the Sioux" a eouav
named Harpsthinah 10 mentioned as wearing A
necklace composed Of the hands ana feet n
Chippewa children
In New Zealand the natives used 20 ve.s
necklaces composed Of several rows of human
teeth. Capt Cook speaks Of seeing fifteen iav
bones Of men attached TO a semi-circular ho.rs
at the end Of house on the island OF T.h,e
They seemed to be fresh and NOT ona ~ ,h.r.
wanted single tooth In the s.ne ni.c. n.
saw q model Of canoe about three f.et LOVE a.
which were tied eight similar iavbonss It..s
learned that these were tron6ies on w.r tn.
wild Andamanese who live on the fru;ts a, a.
forests and on fish, 80 far revere their nroesn.
itors that thew adorn their woman .nd ch,iS~.,,
with necklace. and other Ornamental m.ds cnt
Of the finger nails and toe nails Of the,r an.
cestors.
The aborigines Of California did not usu.ilv
scalp, but they cut OF and kent the hands ana
feet and head Of q slain enemy They also Rat
q habit of pluckine ont and preservin. ~.
eyes. The ojibwss have made Il their on.tor.
to cut of fingers from the hands of their foes
preserving these CHASTITY relics for use in thes,
dances. Sometimes the warriors become "a
excited that they viii break of and swallow a
finger They also use sacks OF human shin 20
contain their medicines, fancying that some
thing is thus added 10 their efsc.cy IN.
principal war fetiches OF Uganda. In Asrios.
are dead lizards. claws Of animals. beaks OF
birds and human nails. The explorer Stanley
saw such charms displayed before King Mites.
The women Of some Australian tribes pre.
serve the hands Of defunct relatives or friends
for souvenirs. They also utilize the skulls of
their dead for drinking vessels Thus q
daughter would utilize the skull OF her mother.
For the same afectionste purpose females Il,
Gippeland wear around their necls hrv,.,