hobbs49

There probably isn't a good place to post this so I thought I'd post the question here. The question originally came from a spectator and was asked of me probably 15 years ago. I didn't have a good answer then and I don't have one now.

Why do male dancers wear bells when they dance?

Looking back at my almost 40 years in and around the circle, I can say with certainty that at every dance I've been to, the male dancers have worn either bells or deer toes on their legs.

I will also offer what I heard someone near me say regarding bells. I don't know if it's true or not. But his take was that it was a warrior's taunt. The wearing of bells or other noise makers was basically a warrior telling his enemy, "Here I am, you can hear me, but you can't beat me!"

Very willing to hear other interpretations....

_wuliechsin_

Well I cannot really say, I haven't heard that interpretaion before. But I can tell you this, bells help me stay on beat. If truth be told, I really cannot dance without bells. Because I would look silly, because I would be off beat. For me the bells are like my Soul connecting to Mother Earth. After all, isn't the drum the heartbeat of Mother Earth? Then the bells should be your Soul trying to connect with her. I hope this helps.

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crazywolf

Boozhoo niji,

I too am intersted on hearing other peoples take on this subject. I never really asked the question, but I overheard someone else ask, and this was the answer I heard. It must apply to a traditional dancer because it doesnt seem to apply to grass or fancy styles. When a warrior is wounded, he ties a bell onto the place of his wound. I did not hear why or what reason.

As for me dancing without bells, I guess I could do it. I do not rely on hearing the bells when i dance to keep the beat. I usually do not hear my own bell anyway. They sound outwards, not upwards, and I am more intuned to hear the other dancers' bells. I guess I would look pretty silly dancing fancy without the regalia. I almost rely on it, for a sense of balance, and weight. I am used to wearing 20 pounds of stuff and then going all out. I have tried dancing without regalia before, and I about fell over. I spin, but I overspin because there are no bustles to hold me back, I jump higher without things tied around my calves and holding my leg muscles back.

Strangly, wearing a choker, roach tied around the chit, and a neckbustle helps me to sing a little bit too. I dont know if its the stuff tied on pulling against my throat, or just the feeling of being there that helps, but i have been told by my friends that I sing louder dressed out, and in the circle than I do at my house or at 49. You know what they say.... clothes make the man, maybe that is true in more ways than one.

Derek

wacip_sni

As a dancer this is what I heard;

A long time ago the orgin of the modern powwow comes from Men's Warrior Society(Grass Dance/Omaha etc..). One thing they did was go around the camp and pick young men too join them and they would earn their place through their deeds.

One time this Society did go around the camp circle and selected young men. Before they went off, prayers were offered and medicine was given too them for protection. One young man refused the medicine/protection and insisted on wanting to be wounded.

This young man continued too insist on wanting to be wounded so the medicine man told him that where ever he was wounded that he would tie a bell on his body. At that time we already had contact with the white man.

The young man was wounded on the ankle in battle and upon his return the bell was tied on his ankle. The various societies used to sponsor victory dances upon their return and the society members would dance out what happened in battle.

People liked the sound that the bell made that was tied to this young mans ankle. So that's why we were bells on our ankles.

There is an explanation for everything, ask and you will know. I'm just sharing what was told too me, thank you for reading/listening.

One thing I've always thought was, it's a good thing that young man didn't wounded somewhere else on his body? Think about. Hahahahahah!

wacip_sni

The orgin of the modern pow wow comes from the old time Men's Warrior Societies. A long time ago such a Society would go around the camp circle and select new young members.

As new members they would have to prove themselves worthy of being a member through their deeds. Before they left they were given protection and prayers for their safety. One time this young man refused the protection and said he wanted to be wounded.

It was explained to him the purpose of the medicine/protection but he still refused it. So the medicine man told him that wherever he was wounded that he would tie a bell on his body at the location of his wound. We already had contact with the whiteman and that is where the bell came from.

Upon their return the various Societies would sponsor a victory dance. During the victory dance they would dance out their deeds. This young man was wounded on the ankle and that is location where the medicine man tied the bell.

People liked the sound that the bell made and it spread from there. There is a reason for everything we wear when we dance. An example is the head roach, which was a war throphy taken from a certian tribe and worn during a victory dance a long time ago (1875).

I've always thought it was good that this young man was wounded on the ankle and not some other location on his body? hahahahahaha Think about it!

Wakalapi

I was told that Gen. McLaughlin ordered that Sioux men wear bells on their ankles so they would be heard at night, in case they wanted to sneak up and assassinate him. So then it became a dance tradition.

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