I actually think the answer is both, but my friends and I had a fairly involved discussion on this topic last night, and I'd like to hear some other people weigh in!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>History> Did war drums function as a way to intimidate the enemy, or to energize the sideQuestion: Did war drums function as a way to intimidate the enemy, or to energize the side doing the drumming!? I actually think the answer is both, but my friends and I had a fairly involved discussion on this topic last night, and I'd like to hear some other people weigh in!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It's definitly both!. I am in African Drumming, and my teacher tells us that using drums is almost like using the telephone!. You are calling to the other side letting them know you are here and that you want to fight!. I'm sure the warriors would get pumped up because of the sound as well!.Www@QuestionHome@Com anthropologically speaking; both!. People drumming form a collective experience unite through trance!. If they were facing an enemy it bonded them before battle and kind of worked them up!. In other ritual it created the trance and rythmn to lead onto dance or singing or re-enactments of anything that was important!. I am drumming at Stonehenge next month for the Summer Solstice and it is an amazingly energizing activity!. It goes on all night yet you dont feel tired, quite the opposite in fact!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I would say it did both of those as well as pass down the message to the troops on the side drumming to begin their charge!. This was also why bugles and whistles were also used later!. Napoleonic style warfare called for massive charges toward the enemy line which required for everyone to move at once so a General or commanding officer needed to be able to relay the message to a group of hundreds of men at the exact same time!. It also worked to keep the cadence of soldiers marching en masse!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Everyone here is right!.!.!.but you have to remember the Napoleonic style of warfare called for skirmish lines---and the skirmish line had to follow the beat of the "drum" so they can stay coordinated!. One poster is particularly on the mark when he said it was a form of communication!. Interestingly, some armies adopted a bugle or horn----using the horn signal calls and line changes (which were done using drums as well)!. Warfare communications adapted from horns to flags---to phone lines (later to wireless/satellite based communications)!. You are correct, however, the drums (and later on, horn sounds) were used to ostensibly intimidate the enemy (and to energize the team---or even the drummer)!. It was also used to signal who you were fighting against!. The Chinese used horn sounds religiously during World War 2 and the Korean War!. (The Brits used drums as well during the American Revolutionary War---as well as some tribes/factions, etc used drums to scare their enemies)!. You can see some elements of this at a college football or basketball game---just simply listen to the marching band play their team's fight songs!.!.!.!.!. Good question though!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Both is the correct answer, but maybe you could add as a form of communication!. Certainly the Napoleonic 'Pas de Charge' served as all three, it kept the soldiers' spirits high through their cheering 'Vive l'Empreur', it scared the enemy as a loud cheering seemingly endless mass of men approached them, and it kept time for the column so that they moved together!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I believe it is a little of both!. Probably the original plan was to energize the side of the drummer, but they may have figured out it intimidated the enemy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Both!. also for signalling and co-ordination!.Www@QuestionHome@Com I agree with you on a bit of both!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |