Medicine Shield
| Medicine Shield | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Protective weapon |
| Designations: | Medicine Shield |
| Use: | Protective weapon |
| Region of origin / author: |
North America , different ethnicities |
| Distribution: | North America |
| Overall length: | about 50 cm in diameter |
| Handle: | Wood, leather |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Medicine Shield is a protective weapon used by the North American Indians .
description
The Medicine Shield consists of two layers of superposed Bison skin, a frame is stretched in wood. The skin is dried over fire and filled with feathers, fur or paper between the layers of leather. This structure made the shield resistant to arrow fire and even bullets from early muskets . The edge of the shield is often decorated with flannel, feathers or parts of the human scalp ( scalp ). The components of the decoration are carefully selected. The eagle feathers are said to give the wearer spiritual powers. These feathers were also worked into the hair and headgear used for war. The scalps showed that the wearer was a skilled warrior who has already killed enemies. Bear hair on the shield showed the wearer to be a good hunter. A copy was found made from torn pages from an Anglo-American book on the history of Rome. The Indians believed that the shield gave them spiritual, protective powers in battle, hence the name. The shields had a very high value and were often kept hidden up to a kilometer from the tent ( tipi ). Each warrior designed his shield according to his own ideas, which were given to him in a vision , in order to establish a connection to his animal allies (spirit beings) who support him and to receive spiritual power. Such shields were used by several tribes in North America. The Medicine Shield is used in combat.
literature
- Virgil J. Vogel, American Indian medicine. The Civilization of the American Indian Series , Volume 95, University of Oklahoma Press, 1970, Page 18, ISBN 978-0-8061-2293-9
- American Indian art , Volume 1, American Indian Art, 1975, pp. 34, 36, 37
- Julian Harris Salomon, The Book of Indian Crafts and Indian Lore , Courier Dover Publications, 2000, page 177, ISBN 978-0-486-41433-1
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Medicine Shield in the Pitt Rivers Museum, available online (accessed November 15, 2012)