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Ghost Dance Knife: This
knife is one of my all time favourites. Largely because, like the "Beaver
Tail and Scalping knives" it is made
in tribute to the old ones.
This knife wields a beautiful 7 1/4 x 1 3/8’’ Rainbow Obsidian blade. It has been hafted to a
5 5/16''
cedar handle that has been sealed with pine
pitch. The handle has been wrapped with leather which holds bone, wood beads and "aged" bells. The total length is 12
3/4’’.
The Plains Tribes use to look North where at times they would see the
Northern Lights. They believed in what they called this mystery
"The Dance of the Dead Men". Perhaps with the right lighting, you too
can see the "Ghost Dance" in this knife.
The story of the Ghost Dance is as follows:
The Ghost Dance was one of the central rituals of a new movement that
focused on the restoration of the past. In essence, it was believed
that the performance of these rituals would protect them from a
natural catastrophe that was about to happen. In this event, all
European, or white, influences would disappear and those that were
pure in the old ways and beliefs would return to the way that it was
before, when buffalo were too numerous to count.
To bring these and the other beliefs into effect, the Indians had to
practice the customs of the Ghost Dance movement and to renounce
alcohol, farming and white trade goods. The most important practice to
ensure the effectiveness of the movement was the dance itself. The
dance was faster and louder than other dances and lasted for about
five days.
The first dance was held by Wovoka around 1889. He was the Medicine
Man, a member of the Paiute Tribe, which during an eclipse had a
vision which inspired the Ghost Dance.
Word spread quickly and the Ghost Dance was accepted by many
neighbouring tribes. Eventually, the Plains tribes also adopted the
Ghost Dance movement. While adapting the movement, many tribes added
specific customs and rituals to the Dance that reflected their
individuality. The Lakota added a ghost shirt which was said to make
the wearer immune to bullets. Other warriors made other items that
gave them similar protection.
A famous Lakota Chief, Sitting Bull, adopted the Ghost Dance into his
way of life. His following of this movement alarmed the military and
in 1890 Sitting Bull was killed. His followers fled and joined the
band of Kicking Bear, one of the first to practice with Wovoka.
However, even while wearing their ghost shirts, the followers were
rounded up at Wounded Knee creek and killed.
The Ghost Dance was one of those customs lost, but never forgotten.
Many of Wovoka’s ideas and concepts were adopted by Peyote cults and
can even be found in practice today.
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Product:
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K355 |
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Price: |
Sold |
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