“The Tell-Tale Plop”: How to Scalp a Man by Mark Hatmaker

So, we’ve all heard that scalps were often taken as trophies following battle-kills by both Indigenous Tribes and Anglo-adopters of this fearsome way.

At times scalps were used as decorations to add fearsome aspect to war lances or as saddle adornments or used as “markers” to collect bounties and a few other sundry uses “decorative” and transactional.

What is seldom asked is, “Exactly how does one go about scalping a human?”

In cinematic representations it is often a time-shortened quick one-handed affair.

But…the actuality was often far different.

A more labor-intensive thing that demonstrates stopping to take a man’s scalp demands a bit more time, a bit more effort, and a lot more inclination that crosses the border into the unimaginable.

How to Scalp

ONE--Fell your victim.

TWO--Grip the hair on top of their head with the left hand [assuming you are right-handed.]

THREE—Make two semi-circular incisions around the skull with your knife—treat the skull as if you are tracing an equator and you are some grisly skull-circumnavigating Magellan.

FOUR—These two semi-circular incisions are made, in the words of the day “with and against the sun.”

[“With the sun” being clockwise and “Against the sun” well, guess.]

FIVE—Then edge your knife tip up under your “equator” to create some separation between flesh and bone giving you flaps of flesh to grip.

SIX—Stand on your victim’s shoulders with both feet.

SEVEN—Grip the scalp in two hands and pull until it comes loose with a “characteristic plop.”

[This plopping sound is remarked upon often, just two sources of this horrendous soundtrack being Nolie Mumey’s Life of Jim Baker 1818-1898, Richard F. Burton’s The City of the Saints [1861.]

Keep this bit of trivia in mind, there were quite a few scalps taken from the still living who survived.

Try to wrap your minds around the sensations during your scalping, following your scalping and that life-time of cranial scarring if you survived the infection that followed.

For more on alternate takes on scalping including Red-Scalping & Hand-Scalping see the following two essays.

Have a gander at the following resources, perhaps even consider joining our Subscription Service and Becoming Part of the Black Box Brotherhood.

Resources for Livin’ the Warrior Life

The Black Box Warehouse

https://www.extremeselfprotection.com/

The Indigenous Ability Blog

https://indigenousability.blogspot.com/

The Rough ‘n’ Tumble Raconteur Podcast

https://anchor.fm/mark-hatmaker

Comments

Apache Running by Mark Hatmaker

Of the many Native American tribes of the southwest United States and Mexico the various bands of Apache carry a reputation for fierceness, resourcefulness, and an almost superhuman stamina. The name “Apache” is perhaps a misnomer as it refers to several different tribes that are loosely and collectively referred to as Apache, which is actually a variant of a Zuni word Apachu that this pueblo tribe applied to the collective bands. Apachu in Zuni translates roughly to “enemy” which is a telling detail that shines a light on the warrior nature of these collective tribes. Among the various Apache tribes you will find the Kiowa, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Chiricahua (or “Cherry-Cows” as early Texas settlers called them), and the Lipan. These bands sustained themselves by conducting raids on the various settled pueblo tribes, Mexican villages, and the encroaching American settlers. These American settlers were often immig...

A Conversation with Neil Melanson by Mark Hatmaker

Here is a chat I had with a good man with a good mind, Neil Melanson. If you are unfamiliar with Neil’s exemplary work he has coached at Xtreme Couture, Alliance MMA, and a HC with the Blackzilians. He is now at gym Genesis Training Academy and Coach of the Filthy Few MMA team. -DVDs out are: Head Hunter, Catchwrestling, and Ground Marshal guard basics -book Mastering Triangle Chokes -black belt under Karo Parisyan in the Hayastan Grappling System First things first, Brother Neil, thanks for taking the time to have this chat. Allow me to get another thing out of the way, your book Mastering Triangle Chokes , top-notch. This is high-speed, low-drag stuff all the way. Often there is chaff to be culled through, but you have a linear approach that appeals to the pragmatic streak in me. Excellent work. Thanks a lot man. You are a real articulate and detailed coach so that means a lot coming from you. Your approach to grappling appeals to my expansiv...

Walk Like a Warrior by Mark Hatmaker

In reading contemporary historical accounts written by soldiers (cavalry and dragoon), settlers, scouts, pioneers, and other citizens of the American frontier 1680s-1880s, I find mention that Native Americans (“Indians” or “Savages” in the accounts) did not walk like “white men.” Their gait, stride, and foot placement is described often in poetic terms as “light” or “light-footed,” “fleet”, “gliding”, and often times “springy” or “spring-like.” These terms while descriptive of the effect do little to tell us the how or why of the gait. We can find clues in accounts given by trackers in any of the myriad “Indian Wars” or skirmishes that riddled the continent in the first few centuries of the settling of the nation. The obvious telltale barefoot or soft impression of a moccasin is often a giveaway that you have a Native American track but this is less so in the moccasined foot as more and more Anglo backwoodsmen adopted this footwear. But there are a few accounts that mention ...

Indigenous Ability

Search This Blog