“The Snake Warriors – Sons of the Tiger Teeth: a descriptive analysis of Carib warfare, ca. 1500-1820” by Neil Lancelot Whitehead Neil Whitehead, in his article The Snake Warriors analysed Carib warfare, uses historical texts’ to interpret Carib war culture and society anthropologically. He does this by first, describing Carib military tactics prior to European contact, discussing social and ideological context they were deployed, and also to analyze the effect European contact had on the military aspects of Carib society.
Whitehead placed great emphasis on discussing the ritualistic and spiritual nature of Carib cannibalism. Particularly when discussing the Tiger dance which was said to awaken the Tiger spirit of the warrior, and who upon taking possession of the warrior’s spirit, enabled him to kill and a tiger killed. The only way to relinquish this spirit was to was to allow this Tiger spirit to again, taste the blood of a dead enemy through the warrior. Whitehead argued that the role of cannibalism in Carib warrior society was not too stimulate aggression or to satisfy a desire for revenge, but was actually a means in which the Carib warrior could “distance himself from the trauma of killing” (153). This was the Carib’s psychological armour; as it meant to separate the world of The Tiger Sprit and of war, from that of the human domain and the world of village and kin. The act to meant to be elicit disgust; thus placing a clear boundary between the two worlds. Whitehead reasoned that pressure from the Spanish forced Carib villages to evolve some response to the rapidly changing conditions in the area. This allowed an alliance between the Caribs and Dutch to bloom, due to their agreeing interests in expelling the Spaniards from the Oronoco basin. The Dutch ended up influence Carib society greatly because of the chronic instability of Dutch control in the area which allowed master the complexities of Amerindian politics because they could not recourse to military measures against the native population. Whitehead described an interdependent relationship between both groups; the Dutch offered the Carib economic opportunities, allowing them to be the middlemen in trade with interior Amerindian groups, and in return they utilized the Caribs as slave hunters, due to their already honed skills as raiders and armed warriors. Consequently, the influx of European goods, and outflow of Amerindian captives resulted in political instability in the interior. Whitehead analysed the effect that contact with Europeans had on Carib war culture. …show more content…
He does this by first describing Carib war culture before contact with Europeans, emphasizing that the He wrote that “[it should not] be forgotten that it was the usual fate of any female and child captives to be fully integrated into Carib society. Only under European influence which encouraged the sale of such captives” (160). Carib warfare was inherently limited in nature, there being a definite separation between the civilians and the warrior, however when intercourse with Europeans began, these lines blurred; Whitehead states “The Tiger spirit has been released from his magic constraints to become a constant force in the consciousness of the Carib warrior” (160). Neil Whitehead also emphasised the difference in Carib and European definitions of war by juxtaposing the war practices of the Caribs before and after contact. With the Caribs firmly segregated the
Whitehead placed great emphasis on discussing the ritualistic and spiritual nature of Carib cannibalism. Particularly when discussing the Tiger dance which was said to awaken the Tiger spirit of the warrior, and who upon taking possession of the warrior’s spirit, enabled him to kill and a tiger killed. The only way to relinquish this spirit was to was to allow this Tiger spirit to again, taste the blood of a dead enemy through the warrior. Whitehead argued that the role of cannibalism in Carib warrior society was not too stimulate aggression or to satisfy a desire for revenge, but was actually a means in which the Carib warrior could “distance himself from the trauma of killing” (153). This was the Carib’s psychological armour; as it meant to separate the world of The Tiger Sprit and of war, from that of the human domain and the world of village and kin. The act to meant to be elicit disgust; thus placing a clear boundary between the two worlds. Whitehead reasoned that pressure from the Spanish forced Carib villages to evolve some response to the rapidly changing conditions in the area. This allowed an alliance between the Caribs and Dutch to bloom, due to their agreeing interests in expelling the Spaniards from the Oronoco basin. The Dutch ended up influence Carib society greatly because of the chronic instability of Dutch control in the area which allowed master the complexities of Amerindian politics because they could not recourse to military measures against the native population. Whitehead described an interdependent relationship between both groups; the Dutch offered the Carib economic opportunities, allowing them to be the middlemen in trade with interior Amerindian groups, and in return they utilized the Caribs as slave hunters, due to their already honed skills as raiders and armed warriors. Consequently, the influx of European goods, and outflow of Amerindian captives resulted in political instability in the interior. Whitehead analysed the effect that contact with Europeans had on Carib war culture. …show more content…
He does this by first describing Carib war culture before contact with Europeans, emphasizing that the He wrote that “[it should not] be forgotten that it was the usual fate of any female and child captives to be fully integrated into Carib society. Only under European influence which encouraged the sale of such captives” (160). Carib warfare was inherently limited in nature, there being a definite separation between the civilians and the warrior, however when intercourse with Europeans began, these lines blurred; Whitehead states “The Tiger spirit has been released from his magic constraints to become a constant force in the consciousness of the Carib warrior” (160). Neil Whitehead also emphasised the difference in Carib and European definitions of war by juxtaposing the war practices of the Caribs before and after contact. With the Caribs firmly segregated the