soliloquy cont.
Discovered more information which somewhat counters my earlier comments concerning the hair pipe breastplate being a medicine or talismanic item. Apparantly the design of these derives from a rod type armor fashioned of wood dowels sewn together used in the Northeast culture area. The use of bones, hollowed shells and rolled copper have quite early history for adornment. The first use of the term 'hair pipe' c. 1767 in the Ohio Valley referring to tubular beads traded from 'wampum' trade business in New Jersey. These beads were from West Indian conches and arrived in New York often as ships ballast. These were traded to tribes in the upper Missouri River regions.
According to the author, David E. Jones, "Native North American Armor, Shields and Fortifications" , the Comanches created the hair pipe breastplate around 1854, and by the early 1870s the fashion was seen widely with the Plains tribes. In this outstanding reference, the author notes that these breastplates were almost universally linked to male warriors along with high status and wealth, rather than the talismanic imbuement I earlier presumed.
An interesting perspective that is shown by the author, further defeating the idea of these intended as armor, besides being fragile and unlikely to provide any useful protection, is the suggestion that Plains warriors were entirely ready to die in battle. Such precautions would have been contrary to the ideals and philosophy of most of these warriors, particularly those of the many warrior societies. This is well shown in the Lakota adage used by Sitting Bull, "..today is a good day to die".
This seems quite contrary to the note I made earlier to the 'war shirts' which were indeed intended as talismanically imbued to protect the wearer from bullets. It would seem that tribally there were factions of the warrior groups quite separated philosophically with those seeking protection and those of the warrior societies who were quite willing to accept death in battle.
It would seem that notations of these breastplates being worn in battle would have more to do with the personal pride of the warrior going into battle knowing well it may be his last, than of protective armor. These of course would seem to in certain cases become traditional regalia for warriors of these warrior societies. A 1916 study in the Teton-Dakota division however revealed little evidence of armor as a symbol, fetish or weapon.
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