Indian headdress made of feathers (roach) - man-made product of unimaginable beauty, especially revered by the Indians.
Often, the Indians wore them in solemn occasions. However, their headdress was considered not just an ornament, it was revered as a talisman, reflected social status, emphasized the respect of the elders, since their wearing required their approval.
Initially, the use of feathers in a headdress was symbolic - each feather symbolized the accomplishment of a military feat or a successful maneuver during a hunt, it was an alternative to modern military distinctions - medals and orders. The use of feathers from various birds was also symbolic.
The headdress of eagle feathers was considered a true military paraphernalia. The eagle for them personified courage, strength, nobility, was associated with the Great Spirit of the Universe, symbolized the fruitful rays of light, was considered the most courageous sacred bird. In this case, the headdress of the Indians from the feathers of the eagle was endowed with almost magical power. It was believed that in it the warrior was not afraid of any bullets or arrows.
An entwining of owls and crows into the headdress indicated the peace-loving nature of the holder. He was worn during the days of festivities and religious ceremonies.
In addition, there were certain traditions for the manufacture of such attributes.
Parts were mined in a special way - it was forbidden to kill a bird from an onion and a rifle, which made the warrior demonstrate his skill and ingenuity.
Surprisingly, the feathers in the headdress could tell about the course of the battle, in which the warrior participated. By the location of the pen, they learned about the circumstances of the injury: the cropped feather symbolized the injury during the battle, and a feather lowered by the end informed everyone that the soldier had been able to strike the enemy before the injury. The pen could tell whether a warrior killed his enemy or not, whether he won the scalp, got trophies - the uniform of the enemy, a weapon, a horse.
