John Jenkins Designs Preview: Cheyenne

While hunting was a male activity woven into the interests of the family, fighting was an activity institutionalized in the organization of the tribes’ warrior societies.

They were centered on the common experience of the members as warriors, with rituals glorifying and enhancing that experience, and with duties and services performed on behalf of the band.

All were focused on war in their spirit, purpose, regalia and ritual with any religious features having their foundation in the need to influence the supernatural powers to lend their aid in battle.

Sources differ as to the actual number of the warrior societies.

THE DOG MEN SOCIETY

This was the largest society, made up of males fifteen years and older and usually contained at least half the men of the entire tribe. At an early date all the men of one of the tribal divisions joined the Dog Men, forming both a powerful military organization and a distinct tribal group.

The Dog Men were the famous Dog Soldiers so frequently mentioned by white observers.

The four bravest Dog Men were chosen for year long terms to defend the society and the tribe from the raids of the enemy and wore some specific regalia. This was a sash of tanned skin eight to ten feet long.

Whenever a battle was going badly for the Cheyenne those who had been selected to wear the “Dog Ropes” for that year drove their spears into the ground and remained attached there, fighting to cover the retreat of the other warriors.

It was expected that they would die rather than pull up the spear and retreat.

Society members carried bows along with the usual weapons. The usual headdress was a cap with a narrow, beaded band along the front edge, with the crown entirely covered with golden eagle, magpie, raven tail feathers, hawk and crow feathers. These were made to stand upright to achieve a spiky look.

Leggings were painted with horizontal stripes. An eagle wing bone whistle was suspended around the neck, and the upper body was uncovered and painted red, and a black face with a white skull was quite common.

THE INVERTED OR BOW STRING SOCIETY

 

Society members reversed all speech and actions and were, hence, Contrary, or inverted society.

Inverted warriors all dressed alike and were always ready to unite as one in war. When attacking the enemy the society’s members charged as a group independent of the main body, usually making a flanking attack.

If warriors from other societies had given up in battle or fled, the inverted warriors blew their whistles and would charge into the enemy, fighting bravely until either they were killed or the enemy defeated.

The thunder bow lance, the stuffed owl and “contrariness” were the marks of membership.

The medicine Thunder Bow-Lance was carried by all society members and was eight feet long, painted red and the steel or flint tip was painted blue.

A stuffed screech owl was worn tied to the forehead, to remind them to conduct themselves wisely, and a bone whistle hung around the neck by a string.

For battle warriors usually stripped to the breechcloth, their face, bodies, hair were painted red.

THE OWL-MAN’S BOWSTRING OR WOLF WARRIORS SOCIETY

This society was confined to the Southern Cheyenne, and was the last to be formed. There were usually 100-200 members who had something of a reputation for revelry, noisy singing, wild dancing and colourful clothing. Each member dressed as he chose, and there was no standard society costume, although there was a standard regalia, such as a wolf hide worn in poncho fashion.

The Bowstrings were open to any warrior of fifteen years of age or more. The society did not invite members to join it, but the warriors came of their own violition to request admission.

Each Wold warrior carried a lance, with two of the lances decorated with eagle feathers from one end to the other, similar to Plains war flags.

THE COYOTE, OR FOX SOLDIERS, SOCIETY

With about 150 members, this society derived its name from its members emulation of the Kit Fox or coyote, in their powers of endurance, cunning, activeness and alertness.

Having prepared their medicine, these warriors would feel light and able to outstriptheir fellow tribesmen in endurance.

All members of the society dressed alike. A black painted crescent shaped piece of hide was worn about the neck suspended by a string.

Warriors always wore two eagle feathers struck vertically in their scalplock, their bodies and upper parts of their arms and legs were painted yellow, while the lower arms and legs were painted black.

Two warriors carried a black spear in the shape of a bow. Several kinds of feathers hung from the bow-lance, and a lance head was fastened to one end to make it a versatile weapon.

All other warriors carried straight spears.

CHEYENNE RED SHIELD, BUFFALO WARRIOR SOCIETY

 

This society numbered between 100-200 warriors. Originally all members wore their hair long. The buffalo headdress with the attached horns and the carrying of the shield with the tail was what led to the name “Bufalo Warriors”.

Every member carried a red painted buffalo hide shield. Round “like the sun” it was made from the buffalo’s hips with the tail left attached.

In battle, some warriors had medicine objects attached to the shield which had been dictated by visions.

Whenever the warrior swung it in a circle before the enemy it was believed that the enemy’s arrows would hit neither man nor the shield.

Every member carried a red painted buffalo hide shield. Round “like the sun” it was made from the buffalo’s hips with the tail left attached.

In battle, some warriors had medicine objects attached to the shield which had been dictated by visions.

Whenever the warrior swung it in a circle before the enemy it was believed that the enemy’s arrows would hit neither man nor the shield.

Every warrior of the society carried the red shield and a lance. The red shield lance was about eight feet long, straight, with a stone or trade steel point, and was painted entirely in red.

The warriors dressed alike with a buffalo horn headdress. If the warrior had counted coups the horns were painted bright red. The warriors bodies were painted either red and white stripes, or white all over.

At this time there are enough mounted Cheyenne releases for the next 12 months.

There are at least another 5 not previewed in this announcement.

I will consider some warriors on foot in the future.