_Practice of Scalping amongst the Scythians--Scandinavian
Mythology._--In Vol. ii., p. 12., I desired to be informed whether this
practice has prevailed amongst any people besides the American Indians.
As you have established no rule against an inquirer's replying to his
own Query, (though, unfortunately for other inquirers, self-imposed by
some of your correspondents) I shall avail myself of your permission,
and refer those who are interested in the subject to Herodotus,
_Melpomene 64_, where they will find that the practice of scalping
prevailed amongst the Scythians. This coincidence of manners serves
greatly to corroborate the hypothesis that America was peopled
originally from the northern parts of the old continent. He has recorded
also their horrid custom of drinking the blood of their enemies, and
making drinking vessels of their skulls, reminding us of the war-song of
the savage of Louisiana:--
"I shall devour their (my enemies') hearts, dry their flesh,
drink their blood; I shall tear off their scalps, and make cups
of their skulls." (Bossu's _Travels_.) "Those," says this
traveller through Louisiana, "who think the Tartars have chiefly
furnished America with inhabitants, seem to have hit the true
opinion; you cannot believe how great the resemblance of the
Indian manners is to those of the ancient Scythians; it is found
in their religious ceremonies, their customs, and in their food.
Hornius is full of characteristics that may satisfy your
curiosity in this respect, and I desire you to read him."--Vol.
i. p. 400.
But the subject of the "Origines Americanæ" is not what I now beg to
propose for consideration; it is the tradition-falsifying assertion of
Mr. Grenville Pigott, in his _Manual of Scandinavian Mythology_ (as
quoted by D'Israeli in the _Amenities of English Literature_, vol. i. p.
51, 52.), that the custom with which the Scandinavians were long
reproached, of drinking out of the skulls of their enemies, has no other
foundation than a blunder of Olaus Wormius, who, translating a passage
in the death-song of Regner Lodbrog,--
"Soon shall we drink out of the curved trees of the head,"
turned the trees of the head into a skull, and the skull into a hollow
cup; whilst the Scald merely alluded to the branching horns, growing as
trees from the heads of aninals, that is, the curved horns which formed
their drinking cups.