Ku - in the military affairs of the Indians of the Great Plains, touching the body of an enemy with a hand or any object, which was a way to gain military glory and confirm your own military prowess.
Content
Reasons for the concept
War for peoples in the early stages of socio-economic development has always been a very important matter. Competition for resources - both real (food, living space), and mythological (favor of the gods, control over sacred places) - often caused conflicts resolved with weapons in their hands. The Indians of the Great Plains often fought among themselves and military abilities (along with hunting) were the most important characteristic of a man. It is for this reason that in such cultures various ways of objectively defining military prowess, courage and, accordingly, glory appear. This can be, for example, various complex methods of killing the enemy or a demonstrative refusal to defend, that is, giving the enemy a handicap.
Indians Rituals of Valor
For the Indians of the Great Plains, the main way to display military valor was to touch the enemy. For this, limbs (hand) or various special items (the so-called “stick for ku” or “wand for ku”) could be used. Ku, as a rule, was done on an already dead enemy, but the most glorious thing was to touch an enemy still alive without the intention of harming him. However, it is obvious that to touch even the defeated enemy, putting down the weapon in the midst of the battle is a brave act (removing the “stick for ku” from the belt, removing the weapon is even more brave). The methods of murder were not regulated, that is, the enemy could be killed with long-range ( bow and arrow , spear , gun or rifle ) weapons. However, those who did not use long-range weapons enjoyed much greater honor and respect. The most glorious warriors generally went into battle armed with only a knife (whip) and a “stick for ku."
Counting Rules
In order to avoid the temptation to save oneself by committing ku to long-dead enemies, the rules of three ( Cheyenne ) or four ( arapaho ) ku were introduced. Touching the body of a dead enemy, the warrior shouted “I am the first”, “I am the second”, etc. After “I am the third (fourth)”, touching this body no longer gave ku. When the battle was over, all the warriors gathered and each called their ku. This made it possible to establish a clear hierarchy of courage, military valor and glory (disputes, however, often arose, resolving with the help of oaths). Ku could be counted not only on a warrior, but also on a woman and a child. Dangerous animals (for example, grizzly bears ) could also act as enemies.
Literature
- Stukalin Yu. Encyclopedia of military art of the Indians of the Wild West . - Moscow: “Yauza” and “Eksmo”, 2008. - 688 p. - ISBN 978-5-699-26209-0 .