THE WAR-WHOOP

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 119, 10 August 1927, Page 6

THE WAR-WHOOP

INDIAN BATTLE CRIES “A fearful sound that freezes blood There’s death or torture nigh.” In these cheerful lines an old-time poet of the New World referred to the dreaded war whoop of the fierce tribes of American Indians. Each tribe had its own war whop, and at one period a little book was printed by an enthusiast in such subjects, containing more than 60 “authentic war whoops,” each of them set to the proper music, as one might say, and guaranteed to be exactly as uttered by their original authors. And, as a matter of fact, no one but a genuine redskin can give whoop (says the “Boys’ Own Annual”). As we al know, the war whoop was the red man’s war cry. He gave vent to the war whoop in order to stimulate his own ferocity, and urge himself on to more violent effort and greater deeds. Also, by the guidance of its sound, the war whoopp served to keep together parties of braves operating perhaps in long grass, or other cover. And, even more important, the horrid whoop, “fearful sound,” assisted to paralyse the foe, and by fear rob him of much of his full vigour and courage. What exactly was the war whoop? Invariably with every tribe of Indians it was a shrill, piercing note, pitched in the highest key of the voice. From long practice it was usually the oldest braves who gave vent to the shrillest war cry, a sound that when heard in its very peculiar perfection was many times described as being a variety of scream. Indeed, you may read the comment in some ancient books relating to adventures among the Indians that war cries were so shrill and high-pitched that they sounded as if made by women. The war whoop was always sounded with a swell, and there was mingled with it a wildness like the rushing of the wind. Still more characteristic and horrorinspiring was another feature of the war whoop that is but infrequently referred to. The whoop was uttered with the most rapid vibration possible. This vibration was produced by striking the flat of the hand or the fingers against the lips, and the effect of this operation on the screaming wail, as it issued from the red man’s throat, was uncanny in the extreme. Under pain of punishment no one was allowed to use the war whoop in times of peace. Except, however, that just to keep the braves in good vocal trim for any emergency, meetings of the chiefs were called from time to time, which terminated in an accompaniment of war whoops from all the fighting men present. A tight hand, though, had to be kept on the company, for, excited by the sound of their own war whoops, some of the braves were liable to break away on the war trail, and go off in search of scalps. The Sioux war whoop could be heard further than any other, which was mentioned as a proof of bravery in their tribe, thus giving ample warning to their foes. The Shoshones had a war cry which, if ominous, was reputed to sound quite musical, and which, it is said, was once actually introduced as a theme into an opera. The war cry of the Ojibbeways was based on thedeath-howl of certain wild beasts. A sinister-looking fellow in war, the red man was an adept in every way at preying on the fears of his foes. And, to go withh is war whoop, he ingeniously devised another repellant sound. This was what was called by some writers the “thunderobe” of the Indians. It was an unearthly sound, said to be much like the rolling of stage thunder, that was produced by the Indians for the purpose of frightening the horses. The sound was caused by the violent shaking of their buffalo skin robes. In some parts, where not repeatedly bent and creased in the wearing, these robes wer of parchmentlike consistency. And the thunderous roaring of hundreds of robes so shaken formed a fitting bass to the terrible treble of the Indians’ battle scream. Energy will do anything that can be done in this world; and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities will make a two-legged animal a man without it.—Goethe.