The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-04
FEATHERS NOT FOR FIyERY,
But as EmblemS Of Exploits and SYM
bOliC Types.
They Are Worn by the Savages OF Diff
fsrent Lands-rhey Can Give Better
Reasons for Wearing Them Than Can
the Women of Civilization.
yomen of Civilization.


of the eagle and wild turkey, but almost
every one who thinks at all OF the matter
believes il is merely for ornament and
vanity, just as the devotee Of fashion
among our enlightened selves on viewing
the wreck of some pretty bird in the mil
liners window is sorely distressed until
she obtains the same or some other
equally handsome to adorn her giIdy head
and fiaunt before the eyes of her admirers
But the Indian wears his feathers with
a deeper meaning. much the same as the
grand army man attaches to his badge
and uniform.
one thing the more intelligent tribes
have admired in all, not only among
themselves. but also their enemies, and
that is bravery. Their vanity, however
equals and even surpasses their vaIoU
and when they believe themselves to nave
accomplishe meritorious act they de-
sire all the world to know it, Fabrics and
ornaments being crude and few with
them, among other things they fixed on
feathers as marks of exploit and intre-
pidity. Feathers also have much to DO
with the diplomatic messages, fetishes AMI
charms, becoming, according as they were
worn, cut, painted, stained or bound up
together symbols of many things.
The Sioux Indians, who, in the sight
of the adversaries, touches a slain or
living enemy, is allowed for this exploit
to wear a feather horizontally in his hair
They look upon this as an important act
of valor, for numbers are killed in the at
tempt to attain this honor Differently
marked or emf Gathers are yGorn to hoys,
the succession in which the fallen enemy
was struck, even in some tribes to the
fifth to strike Among the FIdatsas a
feather with one red bar signifies that
| the wearer was second to strike the
enemy, two red bars signify third and
and three red bars fourth, beyond this
honors are not counted If the feather
| is tipped with a tuft of down or horse
hair dyed red it denotes that the wearer
has killed an enemy and was the first TO
strike him. A feather of which the rib or
shaft is trimmed with porcupine quilts
denotes that the wearer has killed a wO-
man of a hostile tribe. These marks are
worn by Hidatsa, Mandan and Arikara
Indians.
Other tribes used similar marks with
some variation Among the Dakotas of
Northern Minnesota a black feather de-
notes that woman belonging to the
enemy has been slain. A plain feather
signifies the wearer has killed an enemy,
without reference to the manner in which
| it was done. When the end is clipped
transversely and the edge dyed red it
signifies that the throat of the foe was
cut, and when a notch is cut out Of the
! broader web and band along the cut
! stained 1t means that the enemy's throat
| was cut and he was scalped by the wearer
of the feather Differently notched feath-
| ers among the Dakotas tell of the success
! sion in which the foe was struck, and
! split feather means that the wearer has
! received many wounds.
! In Mrs. Eastmans "Dacotah" 1t is
stated that a spot on the larger web indi-
! Gates the Staying Of an enemy by the
| wearer, and another writer says when a
! warrior has been wounded he wears a
| red spot on the broad side of his feather.
| Beldon says:
Among the Sioux an eagles feather
! with a red spot painted on it, worn by
! warrior in the village, denotes that on
| the last warpath he killed an enemy, and
! for every additional enemy he has slain
! he carries another feather painted with
/ an additional red spot about the size of a
| silver quarter"
| Lynd, in work on the religion of the
! Dakotas, gives the following information
| of different device, with explanation:
ITO the human body the Dakotas give
| four spirits. The first is supposed to be a
! spirit of the body and dies with the body.
! Inc second is q spirit WnlCn always re-
| mains with or near the body. Another Is
! the soul, which accounts for the deeds of
! the body and is supposed by some to go
| to the south by others to the west after
| the death of the body. The fourth always
! fingers with the small bundle of the hair
! OF the deceased kept by the relatives until
! they have a chance to throw II into the
! enemys country. when it becomes IA
! rowing spirit, bringing death and disease
/ to the enemy in whose country ii is in.
! From this belief arose the practice of
| wearing four scalp feathers for each
/ enemy slain in battle, one for each
| soul"
! Only the most distinguished of warriors
are allowed to wear the great feather cap
/ with horns. They must have performed
| many deeds of valor and have led sue
/ cessful war parties and become quite
! celebrated ere they can don this plumed
/ uniform for which they are so noted and
/ in which artists love to depict them. This
/ cap consists of strips of white ermine and
/ red cloth. or simply red cloth hanging
/ almose to the heels; and an upright row
/ of eagle feathers is set firmly into the
/ strips, so the appendage somewhat resem-
/ bles the long black I'm of dolphin, and
/ the front of it Is surmounted by "a pair of
/ buffalo or OK horns.
/ Possibly one Of the strangest of sym
/ bolic decorations by feathers is that men
| toned by Worsnop as used by the Aus
/ tralian natives. He says that on grand
! occasions Of the "Mindarie' (peace festi-
vaD these natives decorate their bodies,
| face legs and feet with the down of
| wild fowl. stuck on with their own blood.
! The ceremony of taking the blood is very
| painful, but they endure It without
/ murmur. II takes five or six men four or
five hours 10 decorate one man The
/ blood is put on and while wet the down is
stuck to il, showing, when finished the
]. outlines Of the head. face and feet Of man.
/ snakes, emu fish trees, birds, and other
zitlmeE representing the sun. moon.
and stars and Aurora Australis, the
whole signlfying that they are at peace
with the world
/ Feathers are also used in messages and
fetishes bound up with numerous other
objects. each having It's own purport and
strange devices and appendages of dress
and ornament which TO us appear ridicu-
! lous, each has It's symbolic meaning to a
brother savage and a glance at the person
| will tell an Indian many things relating to
| the history Of the brother warrior he
meets on the way g. ..
At a church meeting Ia one of the .,,t,