American Indian tomahawks

1965·18.6 MB·English

by  Peterson, Harold Leslie, 1922-

AMERICAN INDIAN
TOMAHAWKS
OU HAROLD
L.
PETERSON
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
HEYE FOUNDATION
1965
JUL 2 2000
1}*W'71

PETERSON: AMERICAN INDIAN TOMAHAWKS Frontispiece
AN EXAMPLE OF A PIPE TOMAHAWK WITH EXTREMELY ELABORATE DECORATION
[see No. 161)
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
HEYE FOUNDATION
Vol. XIX
AMERICAN INDIAN TOMAHAWKS
HAROLD PETERSON
by L.
With an Appendix
.-
THE BLACKSMITH SHOP
by MILFORD G.CHANDLER
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
HEYE FOUNDATION
1965
LibraryofCongressCatalogue card number 65-17277
Printedin Germanyat J.J.Augustin, Gliickstadt
Price: $8.50
CONTENTS
PAGE
Illustrations iv
Foreword
vii
Introduction i
Chapter
I. A Matter of Words 4
II. The Indian and the Tomahawk 8
III. The Simple Hatchet or Belt Axe 18
IV. The Missouri War Hatchet 22
V. The Spontoon Tomahawk 24
VI. The Halberd or "Battle Axe" Tomahawk 27
VII. The Spiked Tomahawk 29
VIII. Tomahawks with Hammer Polls 31
IX. Celtiform Tomahawks 32
X. The Pipe Tomahawk 33
XI. The White Man and the Tomahawk 40
XII. Naval Boarding Axes 44
Directory of Makers and Dealers 46
Index to Provenience 53
Appendix:
"The Blacksmith's Shop/' by Milford W. Chandler 55
Bibliography j8
Captions to Photographs 83
111
iv CONTENTS
ILLUSTRATIONS
Plates
I. Decorated Pipe Tomahawk frontispiece
(following page 32)
II. Sketch of an Indian throwing a tomahawk.
III. Engraved powder horn.
IV. Sketches of mid-i9th century weapons, by Seth Eastman.
V. Page from Lewis and Clark's journal.
VI. Page from Lewis and Clark's journal.
VII. King Hendrick of the Mohawks.
VIII. Cornplanter, painted by Frederick Bartoli.
IX. Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Ton, one of the "Four Kings."
X. Indian with a spontoon axe.
XL Woainga, or "Pipe-Stem," an Oto man.
XII. Chief Holds-His-Enemy, a Crow warrior.
XIII. Plug cutter for Battle Ax Plug Tobacco.
Text Figures
page
1. Nomenclature of a hatchet 11
2. Manufacture of a simple belt axe 19
3. Spontoon type blade 24
4. Halberd type blade 27
5. Construction of a spiked hatchet 30
6. Lathing hatchet 31
7. Shingling hatchet 31
8. Method of forging a pipe tomahawk 27
9. Tools and equipment used in making tomahawks 58-59
10. Improvisations 62
11. Improvisations 63
12. Improvisations 64
13. Manufacture of the common pipe tomahawk 66-67
14. Alterations on the common pipe tomahawk 68
15. The pierced eye technique of making a tomahawk . . . 70-71
16. Manufacture of a gun-barrel tomahawk 72
: :
CONTENTS V
PAGE
17. Manufacture of a pipe tomahawk using the "wrap-
around eye and blade" technique 74~75
18. An Indian's modification of a ball-peen hammer yy
Photographs of Tomahawks
{following page 142)
Aboriginal Forms Nos. 1- 23
Simple Hatchets and Belt Axes 25- 45
Missouri War Hatchets 46- 51
Spontoon Tomahawks 52- 53
Halberd Tomahawks 54- 60
Spiked Tomahawks 61- 88
Tomahawks with Hammer Polls 89-101
Celtiform Tomahawks 102-106
Pipe Tomahawks of the Halberd Form 107-108
Pipe Tomahawks with Conventional Blades
Iron or Steel Heads 109-208
Brass Heads with Steel Edges 209-219
All-Brass Heads 220-239
Pewter or Lead Heads 240-255
Silver Heads 256
Stone Heads 257
Pipe Tomahawks with Spontoon Blades
Iron or Steel Heads 258-287
Brass Heads 288-293
Pewter Heads 294-298
Stone Heads 299
Implements Used by White Men 300-314