Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-07-16
THE SCALP
An Art Not Confined to the North
American indian.
ALLIED TO HEAD HUNTING.

Entire Head, Including the Hair and
Beard Of Their viotim-Ears and
tiands Also Served For Trophies.
The art of scalping has declined
owing to the severe pains and penalties
dealt out to its practitioners In the va
rious states of North America. II was
In certain sense a product of Euro
pean settlement. for II would never
have become so widespread had 1t not
been for the white man.
Scalpfng is commonly considered a
custom belonging exclusively to the
North American Indian. This is a
mistake. 1t IL found In South America,
and Herodotus mentions It as having
been practiced among the Scythians.
But as the old Greek travellers book
was not published until 1902 1t Ii
probable that scalping appeared to
the early explorers of America as a
new thing. 1t was first described by
Francisco de Carey, who In 1920 came
across It In his Ill fated expedition to
Panuco. He found that the Indians
removed the skin of the entire head.
Including the hair and beard. In 1886
u
scalping party which is more typical
Of the custom as usually found. From
this time on 1t is described by many
writer's. notably Captain John Smith
and Champlain.
The Indians themselves were uncer-
tain as to the use of keeping an enc
my's scalp, except that they felt 1t
would hurt him In some way. Some
said it put him In the power of the
owner of the scalp. others that It ban
lshed him from the happy hunting
grounds, while still others believed
that it annihilated him.
In the opinion of George Frederick.
whose monograph may be consulted In
the Smithsonian institution report of
1905. scalping Is a modification of
head hunting, a practice INDUCED In
by many savages. There Is primitive
notion that the possession of a token
or portion of man gives one a power
over that man. To keep the head of
an enemy puts him In your power. the
savage thinks. But 1t is often incon-
venient to carry so large thing as
head. A smaller token Is therefore sub
stituted. This statement would seem
to be borne out by the following facts:
Many American Indians did not fol-
low the practice of scalping notably
those of the north. adjoining the Es-
kimo, the Frazer river Indians and
the Algonquins of New Jersey. Nearly
all of these practiced head hunting. A
transition period is represented by the
Caddoes of Texas, where the men took
the scalps and the women at a more
convenient period collected the heads.
Some tribes in California secured, in
stead of scalps. the eyes of their enc
mics, which were preserved In some
way. while others In Mexico selected
The ears for their trophy. probably fol-
lowing the lead of the Spaniards, who
Topped off ears as punishment for
crime
The Hudson river Indians used to
preserve hands. probably In imitation
Of the Dutch, who In the so called
Esopus war gave a bounty for Indian
hands. Around the sources of the Mis-
souri, the Lewis and Clark expedition
found the custom of preserving scalps
replaced by that Of preserving fingers
In northern Mexico the custom of
Bcalping prevailed. but toward tho
south 1t was replaced by head hunting.
In South America there are two locali-
ties where It still fiourishes. One OF
these is northern Argentina and Para
quay. where It gives signs of being in
digenous. as 1t differs in many ways
from the practice Of North America.
1t Ia also found around Guiana. proba-
bly, introduced by the Indian slaves
brought from Florida.
The Huron Iroquois have been ac-
credited with the invention of scalp
Ing. but unless 1t arose independently
In several places 1t much more likely
originated In Florida. where II was
irst discovered by Europeans. Con-
tact with a higher grade of culture
gave tremendous impetus to the Gus.
Tom.
Previous to the Spanish discovery
the weapons of the Indians had been
very simple. being manufactured from
stone. bones. shells or even reeds. The
tribal wars. though numerous. were
seldom bloody, and with such primi-
tive means the braves found 1t both
awkward and dangerous to remove the
scalp of fallen enemy.
But the Europeans brought with
them firearms and iron knives. The
former increased a hundredfold the
number of those killed In battle. while
the latter made the process of scalping
sn easy one. Besides this. the whites
encouraged the custom by offering
bounties for scalps.
The first premium of this nature was
offered in 1887 by the Puritans, who
gave a payment for every Indian head.
the custom Of scalping not having yet
reached New England. But by the
time of King Philips war 1t was in
full blast, and In 1875 the Connecticut
legislature offered large prizes for
scalps. One Hannah Dustin received
ESQ and other substantial gifts for hav-
Ing secured with her own hands the
scalps Of two Indian men. two wom-
IN and six children st. Paul Pioneer