Question on scalloped Eastern Woodland Bows

[Brian Hoffer]

Just curious if the scallops on the side serve a purpose or are just for looks?  Anyone know?

[Carson (CMB)]

They are for winning over the chief's daughter     Seriously though, I have wondered that too.  Hopefully someone can enlighten us, maybe Rich (halfeye) knows. 

[Parnell]

No formal evidence, but I've made a couple.  Just finished one that resembles the Mohawk design from the Encyclopedia by Hamm & Allely.  That design has alternating scallops on the back of both sides.

I'll argue that they could potentially "trap" the back of the bow when using hickory which I think improves hickory's design along with some serious heat treatment.

The side scallop stuff and even belly scallops - gotta be strictly ornamental, I'd say.

[lostarrow]

+1.    If anything ,the side scallops add unneccesary weight. but they do look gooooooood!

[DuBois]

I ran across a post from 2008 I think that was talking about how this could have been related to spiritual/religious beliefs and that maybe the scallops represented the spinal column of the desired prey in a type of wishful worship. It was real interesting but I can't recal the exact post name. I think Carson probably nailed it though 

[JackCrafty]

I've seen one scalloped bow where the tip of each scallop was pierced on order to tie ornaments onto the bow.  (I think it was feathers in this case).  That's probably how it got started.  I'll try to find the reference.

[robby]

I made one years ago and tied scalp locks to each scallop. Each of the scalp locks were made from different colored hair. I gave it to a friend that I grew up with who is half Cayuga, half Onondaga. He in turn gave it to family living on a reservation. He called me about two weeks later and in a very serious tone indicated that the false face carved above the upper nock was a very big No-No!! I said with a little agitation, look, no offense meant, I don't want a bunch of people protesting out side my house tell them......... at which point he started laughing and said they like the bow and will use it, but its probably better not to use false face in the future. He's the same guy that calls me and asks if I would like some Bald Eagle feathers, says, oh yeah I forgot, white men can't possess them, then bursts unto a hearty laugh. Funny how some things turn around in life.
Robby

[lostarrow]

Did he tell you why, Robby? Those two tribes are close to where I am.I believe there is a museum example of a hickory bow attributed to the Algonquins (basically the next tribe north) that has a face carved on the top nock. The Six Nations around here use effigies on their ceremonial bowls(I'm told, in rememberance of the Ancestors).  I'm fascinated by  cultures and their beliefs and practices.I'm not positive ,but aren't the Onandoga and Cayuga part of the Six Nations?

[robby]

Lostarrow, Yes those two tribes are part of the five nations and later with the addition of the Tuscarora, six nations. Many cultures carve effigies unique to themselves and even unique to sects within themselves. Falseface society is one of those sub-sects within the Iroquois and practiced by all the nations. His relatives may have indeed been upset with the use of that effigy by me, as they are very traditional, my friend isn't so much, and the give and take between us is of good nature. It is my understanding the bow was 'cleansed' and used by them in ceremony. All that aside, it is a great project bow and not without some challenges unique to that style. Just be respectful.
Robby

[Brian Hoffer]

Thanks for all the info guys!

[Tom Leemans]

Great, now I'm hungry for scallops, and scalloped potatoes...

[half eye]

Hey Fellas,
      Cant speak for any of the First People, I did check with some of the Odawa Elders and Leaders and believe us "whites" got the whole wrong angle on these bows and most of their decoration as well. There are a lot of considerations that go into any weapon, garment, etc. decoration. We want to know "how come?" but it is not that simple. For example; a war club that is decorated with carved Northern pike. I asked the Odawa if they could tell me the significance of that sign. God bless them for their extrodinary patientce in humoring an old man. First they refer to the various people involved with a weapon as "the carrier", or "the maker" and shape, size and decoration may belong to either of those people. Furthermore, the pike decoration could also been a reference to the area that the carrier or maker were from.
       The next thing is the Midewiin. Some within a band adhered to the beliefs while others may not. This leaves open the possibility that weapons could be made differently or decorated differently depending on this aspect. There is a whole lifetime of teaching involved with Midewiin and somthing that white people are NOT made privy to.
       DuBois made mention of a post regarding the scallops on Odawa bows. The ones that were scalloped were done so to resemble the backbone of an animal. They could also be plain because of the differences stated abouve. It can not be stressed enough that personal First People items are exactly that....personal to that individual as to shape, color, decoration and markings. You might be better served to think of some of the scalloped bows belonging to general types and that types are identifyable to certain Tribes/Bands.
        I dont believe that first people bow makers looked at the craft as making items to a certain model like English war bows. Likewise I do not believe that they used anything but the finest materials available and that the bows were made for a specific purpose. Lastly I believe they were free to make changes in the norm because of actions, visions, religous, or even whim.
       Not everything on Earth needs to be based on absolute performance. An engraved Holland and Holland dosen't shoot any better than a plain one, so how come them white guys carved on a gun? How come they stamp their name on it? why was them bows all carved funny like that? well ya got to ask the man that carried or made it.....Besides a general overall "look" so that everyone who saw ya knew who and what you were.....besides that everything else is a guess on our part.
rich

[JonW]

Right On!

[bubby]

great answer Rich, Bub

[lostarrow]

Good point ,Rich! I'm a firm believer in the fact that people are people,whether yesterday or 10,000 years ago. Whether they live in the suburbs of a big NA city or the mountains of Papua New Guinea . If we see something we like, we replicate it  ,or change it to something more suited to our own taste or purpose.  So the reference to a particular style being attributed to any one tribe is no more than that. A reference.  Most of what we know is based on a few museum examples at best. So to say that a style belonged to a tribe would be a bold statement indeed ,when it may just be the style of a bowyer or two ,for a period of time.  Think of why we adorn the bows we make . It looks cool! We like to have nice things.  We try to impress our buddies. Does anyone on here use snake skins on their bow for religious purposes? Does it make the bow more effective to use Cocobolo overlays? We personalize our "stuff". We make it our own. We leave our mark.