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| Red Savage Beliefs |
| Red Savages have many Beliefs, here I will only list a few.
One such is called the "Memory". This suggests, in the books, that they were attacked by White Settlers. The Memory could very well be the Wars and such fought in the days of the Settlements by White Men. The Ihanke could have been founded for that very reason. Also, the Medicine world is very sacred to the Savages. They use dreams as translations to future or inner events one mustr go through. The following quotes point out seasons, to the very beliefs in animal life. "It would make my heart heavy to have you killed," said Canka. The kailiauk bull is 'Tatanka. The suffix 'sa' designates the color red, as in 'Mazasa', 'Red Metal', 'Copper. The expression 'Kailiauk' is used by most of the tribes for the kailiauk, which is not an animal native to Earth. The expression 'Pte' designates the kailiauk female, or kailiauk cow. It is also used, colloquially, interestingly, for tire kailiauk in general. This is perhaps because the "Pte" is regarded, in a sense, as the mother of the tribes. It is she, in the final analysis, which makes possible their hunting, nomadic life. Like any similar peoples, the red savages have generally a great reverence and affection for the animals in their environment. This is particularly true of the animals on which they depend for their food. The useless or meaningless slaughter of such would be unthinkable For those who might be interested in such things, we came to the wands in the early spring, early in Magaksicaagliwi, which is the Moon of the Returning Gants. The preceding moon was the Sore-Eye Moon, or Istawicayazanwi. Because of its uncertain weather, the possible freezes and storms, and its harsh winds, this month had been avoided by Grunt. The next moon was Wozupiwi, the Planting Moon, which term, in the context, I find extremely interesting. |
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| Warriors |
| Warrior Societies
The Fleer moved his kaiila about, on the other side of the coffle, so that he might look at the girls, one by one. None of them, as Grunt had advised, met his eyes. They kept their beads high, and looked ahead, knowing themselves scrutinized as the pretty, meaningless beasts they were. "Our friend," said Grunt to me, "is a member of the Blue-Sky Riders, a warrior society of the Fleer." "One should be careful of such fellows?" I asked. "I would think so," smiled Grunt "You are gathering this membership from the marks on the kaiila's flanks?" I asked. "Yes," said Grunt, "the dark line of the earth, the overarching dome of the blue sky." "I see," I said. Most tribes had several warrior societies. These societies had much influence within the tribes and, on an alternating basis, to preclude any one society from becoming predominant, a good deal of power. Their members were expected to set an example in the war and the hunt. Clothing Of Males The breechclout of the Barrens, incidentally, consists of a single piece of narrow material. This may be of tanned skin but, not unoften, is of soft cloth. It is held in place by a belt or cord. It commonly goes over the belt or cord in the back, and down and between the legs, and then comes up, drawn snugly tight, over the belt or cord in the front. In cooler weather it is often worn with leggings and a shirt. In warmer weather, in camp, it is usually the only thing that a male will wear. Song Of Death Many sang their death songs. " Though I die it is true the sun will blaze in the sky. Though I die it is true the grass will grow. Though I die it is true the kailiauk will come when the grass is high." Cermony Of Blood Brothers Cuwignaka's knife moved on his own forearm, and then on mine, and then on Hci's. "You cannot be a member of the Sleen Soliders of the All Comrades," had said Hci, "for you are not Kaiila, and you do not know our dances and mysteries, the contents of our medicine bundles." "There is another thing," had said Cuwignaka, "which can be done." "Do it," had said Hci. Cuwignaka held his arm to mine, and then I held my arm to that of Hci, and then Hci, in turn, held his arm to that of Cuwignaka. Thus was the circle of blood closed. "It is done," said Cuwignaka. "Brothers," I said. "Brothers," said Hci. "Brothers," said Cuwignaka. The Shield. Warriors swear on their shield, for, if a lie is told, it will not protect them in battles. Here are a few quotes concerning Sheids and Shield Swearing. "Hci is a liar," I said. "No," said Akihoka. "Why not?" I asked. "He has sworn by his shield," said Akihoka. "Once," said he, "I grievously lied. Later, in battle, my shield betrayed me. It would not obey me. I could not control it. It refused to protect me. Of its own will it rose, exposing me to the lance of my enemy. It is not uncommon for a warrior to keep his shield in it's case or cover when not fighting. It is removed from the case, or cover, also, of course, when it is sunned, set forth to draw in power and medicine from the yellow, life giving, blazing star of two worlds, Sol or Tor-Tu-Gor, Light Upon the Home Stone. Refusal to ride in a War Party is a Steep crime among the Savages. You get two chances. The second is to be bound and sold as a slave girl to other tribes. When one is not strong enough or proven themselves as a warrior, often they are made as females, to do tha labor of them. In most tribes, incidentally, a man who refuses to go on the warpath is put in women's clothes and given a woman's name. He must then live as a woman. Henceforth he is always referred to in the female gender. Needless to say, she is never permitted to mate. Sometimes she must even serve the members of a warrior society, as a captive female "Do you think you are a man?" asked Canka. "I am a man," said Cuwignaka. "You do not wear the breechclout," said Canka. "It is not permitted to me." said Cuwignaka. "Because you are a woman," said Canka. "I am not a woman," said Cuwignaka. "If you return to camp," said Canka, "you will live as a woman. You will wear the dress of a woman and do the work of a woman. You will scrape hides and cook. You will tend lodges. You will please warriors." "I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka. "I think that I will give you as a female slave to Akihoka," said Canka. "I will not please warriors," said Cuwignaka. "That is the first duty of a woman," said Canka, "to obey men, and be pleasing to them." The Lance Then the lance blade of bluish, chipped flint was at the Yellow Knife's neck. He stood up, quickly, angrily, brushing the lance away, his hand at the handle of his knife, in the beaded sheath at his hip. Most other weapons of the Savages included Bone or Rock blades. Bows and Arrows, Knives, Tomahawks, Spears, Lances and other such items. War Path 'That dust," he said, "does not rise from the paws of the kaiila of Dust Legs, nor of Yellow Knives nor Fleer. It is not raised, at all, by the kaiila of red savages. They would not ride so openly, so carelessly, so stupidly. They would avoid, where possible, grassless, dry areas, and they would ride at intervals, in single file. This arrangement not only obscures their numbers but lowers and narrows the dust line." |
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