and I'm sure chopping off peoples heads and putting them on spikes to rot for all to see is much more civilized. Or drawing and quartering. Or dare I bring in some contemporary events? On Feb 12, 2007, at 11:54 AM, Katharine Harbury wrote: > 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 >>> >>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions >>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions >> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html >> >> >> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions >> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the > instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html