War-titles are important distinctions bestowed in almost every part of
the world, for military achievements; but, to preserve their
distinctive value, are usually conferred only on a small portion of
the warriors. Among the Creeks war-names are, however, so common that
at present one is conferred upon every young man of the people.
According to the old reports, a Creek warrior of the eighteenth
century could obtain a war-title only after taking one or several
scalps, but the traditions current among the modern Creeks are silent
on this point. In earlier days many warriors had several, even four or
five of these titles (tassikáya inhotchífka), and when participants of
a war party were present in numbers at the taking of a scalp, each of
them obtained a war-title according to the report of the fight made by
the pakā′dsha on his return home. The war-titles were not always,
though most frequently, conferred upon the warriors during the busk,
or within the square.
Chief Chicote informs me, that the names in question were distributed
by the "beloved men" or ist'-atsákalgi while sitting in their cabins
or arbors on two opposite sides of the square. The ist'-atsákalgi
called out young men from the side opposite to them, and imparted one
of the five titles to be mentioned below, according to their free
choice, and simultaneously intrusted each with some office connected
with the busk. These offices consisted either in sweeping the area or
in carrying water, in building and keeping up the fire in the centre,
in setting up the medicine-pots or in helping to prepare black drink.
War-titles and busk-offices were formerly given also to such who had
never joined a war party. The use of the other name, which every man
had obtained during childhood, was prohibited within the square.
To the five war-titles below, the totem of the gens was often added,
so that, for instance, one of the yahólalgi, who offered the black
drink, could be called ítcho yahóla hádsho, or y. míko, y. fíksiko,
etc. It is said, that anciently some titles were limited to certain
clans only. The idea that advancement by degree was connected with
these titles is an erroneous inference from our own military
institutions. Although regarded as war-names at the present time, they
seem to have been mere busk-titles from the beginning, and are such
even now. In connection with ítcho _deer_, a gens name, they are as
follows:
ítcho tassikáya _deer warrior_.
ítcho hádsho tassikáya _deer crazy_ (foolish, mad, drunken)
_warrior_.
ítcho fíksiko tassikáya _deer heartless warrior_.
ítcho yahóla tassikáya _deer hallooing warrior_.
ítcho ima′`la tassikáya _deer (leading?) warrior_.
Other war-titles were: holá'hta tustĕnúggi, míko tustĕnúggi,
híniha, híniha `láko. Inholá'hti, plur. inholáχtagi figures in
war-titles, but stands in no connection with the busk. The appellation
of immíkagi comprehends all the men of _that_ gens from which the míko
in the town ceremonies, not the míko as a political office-holder, is
selected. The pronoun im-, in-, i- in all these names (ihinihálgi,
intastĕnaχálgi, etc.), signifies that they "belong to the míko"
of the tribal ceremonies.
War-titles should be clearly distinguished from war-names and other
names. Any of the nine appellations contained in the item above, and
any name composed with one of them, is a war-title; all others, as
_Old Red Shoe_, are simply names or war-names. Women and boys never
had but one name, and whenever a warrior had, by successive campaigns,
five or six honorific titles conferred upon him, he became generally
known by one or two of these only.
These names and war-titles are highly important for the study of Creek
ethnography, and have been already referred to in the chapter on
_gentes_. A brief list of war-names of influential men is contained in
Major C. Swan's Report, as follows:[99]
[Footnote 99: 1791--Schoolcraft, Indians, V, 263.]
"Hallowing King (Kawíta); White Lieutenant (Okfuski); Mad Dog
(Tukabatchi míko); Opilth míko (Big Talahássi); Dog Warrior (Náktche);
Old Red Shoe (Alibamu and Koassáti). To these may be added the "dog
king," Tamhuídshi, of the Hitchiti, mentioned in the prooemium of the
legend, and "a war-leader, the son of the dog-king of the Huphale
town."[100] The Cha'hta war-titles frequently end in -ábi, -ápi:
_killer_; cf. the Creek term póyäs, tipóyäs _I kill_."
[Footnote 100: Adair, History, p. 278.]
The Creeks often conferred war-titles on white men of note, and made
Milfort, who became a relative of the chief McGillivray by marriage,
the chief warrior of the nation. The ceremonies performed on that
occasion are described at length by himself.[101]
[Footnote 101: Milfort, Mémoire, p. 41 sqq., 220 sqq. The
council of the nation, assembled at Tukabatchi, conferred this
charge on him in May 1780.]
We give a few instances of historical and recent Creek war-names and
war-titles:--
Abiχkúdshi míko, Hútalg'-imá`la, Kawíta tustĕnúggi, all
members of the Creek "House of Kings."
Ássi yahóla "the black drink hallooer;" Osceola, chief.
Híniha `láko hupáyi "great híniha charmer," a Creek leader in
the battle at Átasi and other engagements.