Sounds similar to the practice of decorated skull drinking cups among
the early Russian rulers- if I recall correctly, one of these rulers or
princes ended up as the victim.
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Debra Jackson/Harold
Forsythe
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 11:21 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Native American Culture
The famed British General Lord Kitchener (1850-1916), victor at the
Battle of Omdurman in the Sudan (1898), took a trophy to commemorate his
victory.
He had the body of the Mahdi, the Muslim prophet who had initially led
the revolt against Egyptian rule in the Sudan, disinterred. The skull
was cleaned and decorated as a ceremonial drinking cup which Kitchener
kept with him throughout his military career, which included command
service in the Anglo-Boer War (1898-1902) and in WW I (1914-1918).
The more one knows of history, the more reluctant one is to judge
precisely what acts denote civilization or its absence.
Harold S. Forsythe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clara Callahan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 4:55 AM
Subject: Re: Native American Culture
> At the risk of stating the obvious, wholesome, non-savage people don't
> sacrifice/murder and then scrape their victims' brains out of their
skulls
> with mussel shells.
>
> Anne Pemberton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Doug,
>
> Good questions. I want them to realize that the English were not the
> heroes
> at that point in history. Without the Indians' help, they would have
all
> perished. I want them to see the Indians are wholesome people, worthy
of
> respect. Not "savages".
>
> That is why I set the year at 1609, since Pocahontas would be older
than
> the
> reader, but not yet an adult. The readers of my story range from four
year
> olds, who have the stories read to them, to young teens who are slow
at
> learning to read. The most common ages are 7-10 for reading them on
their
> own.
>
> Since you asked the questions this evening, I am thinking about 1607,
the
> summer before the Colonists arrive, and focus only on the daily life
of
> the
> Indians. But, then I can't make the points about the first colonists
> listed
> above and below.
>
> I just read an article on Powhatan Women by Helen Rountree at VCU, and
> wonder if, since the Powhatans bathed daily, year round, if the
colonists,
> who if I remember my history well enough, bathed irregularly, smelled
> stinky
> to the Indians. That would be a fun fact for kids to wrap their grins
> around!
>
> I do appreciate all the help as I develop this story. Already I know
that
> some things in my original plot will not work. I do want historical
> accuracy, since kids get enough fiction from Disney, etal. But, I
don't
> want
> to write a text book, I want it to be a fun read.
>
> Anne
>
> Anne Pemberton
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.erols.com/stevepem
> http://www.erols.com/apembert
> http://www.educationalsynthesis.org
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Douglas Deal"
> To:
> Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 10:14 PM
> Subject: Re: Native American Culture
>
>
>> Anne:
>>
>> I see your point... I had misunderstood the basic "format" of the
book.
>> But there is still the question of verisimilitude. What is it that
you
>> want readers of your book to discover or understand about early
Jamestown
>> and the native inhabitants of the area? What sort of historical
accuracy
>> is necessary? What sort is unimportant?
>>
>> Doug
>>
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