Myths and truth about the American Indians

• Myths and truth about American Indians

What first comes to mind when I start talking about the Indians? Usually - it is silent savage redskin with a bunch of scalps on his belt. In fact, Native Americans were not as good as the show in Hollywood films.

1. The nickname "Indians" Indians received from the color of their skin

On submission of the first American colonists Indians came to be called "redskins." But this does not mean that skin color was red aborigines, at least because such a pigment in nature simply does not exist. The fact that the Indians liked to paint his face and chest in red. To do this, they used a special dye of ocher and fat. Especially loved like body art warlike tribes of the Apaches. Coloring bodies served as a kind of magical protection for the soldier and showed his status. In fact, the Indians color depending on the region ranged from tan to bronze.

2. Scalping was an Indian custom of

With scalping among North American Indians connected a lot of errors. The most common is the fact that the Indians were collecting the scalps of their enemies. Of course, these events took place, but overall it was not a universal tradition. Indians often scalped only in response to a similar insult from the enemy. Moreover, the colonists paid for the Indians scalped "fire water". Yet there is a misconception that all people are sure to die scalped. There are many cases when people not only survived after this cruel rite, but also continued to lead a normal life.

3. The Last of the Mohicans

In the historical novel by James Cooper tells the dramatic story of the life and death of Uncas American Indian - the last of the Mohican tribe. The novel is set in the middle of the 18th century. Uncas - actually existing people, but he lived 150 years before the events described in the book. In fact, the tribe of Mohicans not died so far in 2003, there were 1611 residents. In the book, Cooper Delaware act as positive characters, and Iroquois - antagonists. The reason is banal to the ridiculous. The first were the US allies, and the second - the UK.

4. Tomahawk - a Throwing Ax

Tomahawk - a true weapon of the Indian. In films and books show the amazing ability of Aboriginal throw the axes at your enemies with a decent distance. In reality, this "fact" is not mentioned in any authentic source, which indicates the absence of such practices among the Indians. Moreover, to the arms of axes are usually tied a loop, which is put on the hand. And if you think rationally - what is the point to throw their main weapon at the enemy and stay after that defenseless. Most likely, this is nothing more than a fictional kinoshtamp from which any battle scene will look much more spectacular.

5. The Indians - good, and white - the bad

The image of the indigenous North American people greatly romanticized fiction and cinema. Almost always seems noble savage Indian, defending their land. In fact, "Indians" were cruel. There were as peaceful tribes and militants. The last did not spare anyone. They killed the men and took captured women and children, cut out all the cattle and burned down houses. War among the Indians were commonplace. Wild West acted only one law - the cat is stronger, he is right.