"scalping" Topic

was this just done by native americans or british and french also?

Sorry, I thought this was a thread on sports tickets.

This is a common practice of many primitive cultures and was done in turn in retaliation.

It seems to have taken place even before the Colonists arrived.
and I have a friend who once scalped a Masters ticket for 5,000US

Even as late as the Oregon pioneers, one of the veterans of an Indian war was reported to own a Bible with a "leather" cover made from Indian skin.

Hard to imagine by today's standards.

There's a line in the film Jeremiah Johnson-"The walls of England are papered with Indian scalps" or close to that.

During the AWI American fighters made leggings out of Indian skin. So this sort of activity was definitely done on both sides.

Even as late as the Oregon pioneers…

You may not be familiar with the Sand Creek Massacre, 1864. link

Besides the scalping, dismembering and mutilation of men, women and children, other body parts were taken as trophies. For example, one trooper took the Cheyenne chief White Antelope's to use as a tobacco pouch. When the victorious troopers paraded through Denver after the battle, witnesses reported their hats, weapons and saddles were adorned with fingers, scalps, male and female genitalia, and organs, notably uteruses.

Hard to imagine by any standards.

From what I understand scalping was practiced by pre-Columbian Indians (the theory was that scalping prevented the slain from haunting their killer and was proof of the warriors prowess) but the Europeans "commercialised" the horrid practice by paying bounties on scalps. Nobody looks particularly good on this one.

My understanding was that in North American scalping was first encouraged by the European powers, as they paid the natives a bounty for each enemy scalp brought in as proof of killing an enemy. At some point the clever Indians figured they could take one scalp and split it, so the bounty then changed to include a nose or ear as further proof. I don't recall reading the British soldiers ever scalped anyone, but it certainly caught on with the settlers, Provincial and militia units during the F&I and AWI, if not before.

I'll slightly modify that answer as I would not be surprised if ranger units (Rogers) engaged in that acticity, as well as some of the Loyalist units (Butlers, etc.) did as well.

It is said that after the Battle of the Thames US soldiers cut Tecumseh into many pieces for souvenirs.

I remember this had come up fairly recently and Sasha linked an article on the subject:
link

The taking of scalps was not only a matter of post-mortem, or peri-mortem, mutilation for the benefit of the 'taker'.

The wearing by Native American warriors of a so-called 'scalp-lock', a lock of hair seated on a conveniently-sized circle of skin on the bare crown of the head, invited enemies to make the attempt to take the wearer's scalp.

However, as I type this, I am uncertain whether this was a documented practice or merely supposition on the part of European observers.

Clearly, though, if a warrior plucked or shaved his head so that only the single lock remained, then that is what would be taken as a 'scalp'. The circular area of skin could then be attached with sinews onto a hoop of wood acting as a stretcher and dryed for preservation.

Yes, a charming practice.

Anyone remember the scene in John Ford's "The Searchers" ?

"Did you notice them scalps strung
on Scar's lance?
(Martin nods)
Did you see the third scalp from
the point of the lance? Long…
wavy hair.."

I always thought the Scythians started this practice.

It possibly evolved spontaneously in numerous parts of the world, like head hunting- but, who knows, maybe the first migrants across the Bering straits brought it with them from the Old World….?