The novel, “The Last of the Mohicans” by James Fennimore Cooper reveals how divided the Indian tribes are. Not only do they speak different languages, they are constantly at war with one another. However, it is interesting to see that these tribes share some common practices and traditions. The warriors practiced scalping, each tribe/individual had animal totems, and the Natives usually had their faces and bodies decorated in paint for various reasons. These shared traditions may not have united the warring tribes, but they served as links binding them to a common cultural heritage.
Scalping and Decorative Use of Scalps
Scalping was an Indian tradition that served as proof of conquest over an enemy. The scalp-lock of a warrior was once believed to have “symbolized his life force” (“The delicate art of scalping” par. 2). It served as a prize and confirmation of victory of the scalper. There has been some …show more content…
The body and face art was a cultural legacy which served as a social differentiation and was used in spiritual observances and rituals (“Native American Face Paint; Customs, Colors, Designs” par. 2). Face and body paint served various purposes for the natives. It was used for decorative purposes, in war- to terrify their adversaries, as camouflage, and for protection from environmental elements (“Native American Paint” par. 2). Not only was this art used for different occasions, each color had its distinct meaning. For instance, the color red was quite popular and it symbolized war, while white represented peace, and yellow stood for death (“Native American Paint”). This practice meant that whenever a native was decorated with paint, any tribe member could decipher the condition and motive of the paint bearer. Body and face paint was indeed a common and popular culture among all members of the different
Scalping and Decorative Use of Scalps
Scalping was an Indian tradition that served as proof of conquest over an enemy. The scalp-lock of a warrior was once believed to have “symbolized his life force” (“The delicate art of scalping” par. 2). It served as a prize and confirmation of victory of the scalper. There has been some …show more content…
The body and face art was a cultural legacy which served as a social differentiation and was used in spiritual observances and rituals (“Native American Face Paint; Customs, Colors, Designs” par. 2). Face and body paint served various purposes for the natives. It was used for decorative purposes, in war- to terrify their adversaries, as camouflage, and for protection from environmental elements (“Native American Paint” par. 2). Not only was this art used for different occasions, each color had its distinct meaning. For instance, the color red was quite popular and it symbolized war, while white represented peace, and yellow stood for death (“Native American Paint”). This practice meant that whenever a native was decorated with paint, any tribe member could decipher the condition and motive of the paint bearer. Body and face paint was indeed a common and popular culture among all members of the different