What the scalp represented for the Native American: from the ritual to the war to the Hollywood myth

The scalpthe removal of the scalp of the enemy is one of the most iconic and controversial practices associated with the native Americans. Often depicted in Western movies Like a war trophy and an act of pure cruelty, reality is always much more complex: the scalp had in fact a Symbolic, ritual and social value within many native American cultures.

Origins of the scalp among the Native American

Scalp It is a word of Scandinavian origin (chisewhich means “scalp”), and includes all the hair that surrounds the human skull. “Scalp“In this sense, it literally means removing manually, in a rather brutal way, the entire part of the scalp of the opponent defeated in war. It is believed that one of the first European reports of the” baking “was recorded by the explorer Jacques Cartier During his exploration of San Lorenzo in PatagoniaIn the 1534when he met a tribe belonging to the Irochesi family. Their boss, Donnacona presented him 5 Capelluti leather taken by members of a close tribe that he himself had attacked (and presumably massacred) the previous year.

About 30 years later, during the French expedition to Florida by Jean Ribault and René Laudonnière del 1564the member of the shipment and artist Jacques Le Moynefamous for his first representations of the American native culture, he dedicated himself to the second European report of the dripping; presumably telling that performed by warriors of the tribe TIMUCUANalong the San Giovanni river. Observing them, the Moyne wrote:

They cut the skin of the head to the bone from the front to the neck and all around and, in the meantime, pull the hair away which, more than one and a half meters long, remain attached. (…) Then they dry the hameold leather until they seem to be parchments (…)

Although there is not enough information to get a solid geographical location On the birth of the “baking”, these two first European reports suggest that the practice was relatively widespread throughout the Eastern part of the American continent from the 16th century.

Because native Americans cut the scalp

For native Americans the scalp was not only a war trophy but had a spiritual and cultural meaning very precise, summarized in four Main features:

• The scalp was one Test of victory in battle: obtaining one represented a concrete proof of strength and skill, a warrior who managed to collect many was respected within the tribe and could aspire to the more prestigious roles.
• The scalp served by rite of passagein fact, for the young warriors who had to demonstrate their courage in battle, the conquest of a scalp was a fundamental stage to be recognized as men, defenders of the community.
• The scalp brings with it a deeply spiritual meaning. In fact, many tribes believed that the scalp contained the vital energy of a person, removing him, in this sense, meant depriving the individual of his essence and preventing him from returning as a vindictive spirit.
• The collection and exposure of the scalp was also part of the Community rituals: In fact, the scalps were thick and used in the rituals of Vittoria, where they were used in ceremonial dances, honoring the victory of the entire community.

Technique and method of removing the scalp

The process of removal of the scalp It was as rapid as brutal, and it required a lot of technique. Generally, the warrior recorded the victim’s head in a circular way, starting from the forehead and reaching the neck. Once the incision was carried out, the skin of the scalp was strongly pulled, detaching it gently from the underlying tissues, so as not to damage the hair too much. After the scalp was detached, it was worked with great care: the drying processwhich took place through exposure to the sun or fireallowed to preserve the skin. Sometimes the scalp was decorated with feathers, beads or paintings, embellished, giving it a ritual and spiritual meaning, since some warriors used it as an offer to spirits or as a symbol of power and victory. In some tribes then, the scalp was tense on a wooden circle, creating a sort of drum or ornament to hang.

Decline of the practice and the myth of Hollywood

With the End of the Indian wars and the progressive colonization Of the entire North America, the practice of scalp gradually disappeared. In the late nineteenth century, the forced assimilation policies and the creation of Indian reserves The armed conflicts between natives and colonists reduced, making the practice lose relevance. However, thecollective imagination It was strongly influenced by western cinema and literature, which have painted natives as “ruthless wild”. THE Western Holliwood movies, In particular, they consolidated the idea that the removal of the scalp was a distinctive feature of all American peoples without distinction of context, cultural differences and spiritual meanings of the same. It must also be said that an aspect little considered by Western narration is that the baking was not a technique of Native Americans, but also widely used by European colonists: Some colonial militias in fact adopted the scalp technique in the colonization and conquest process of American territories, showing off the scalps of the natives outside their camps.