Question

What was the original purpose of war dances (3 things)

Answer 1

War dances were predominantly ceremonial, used for spiritual and psychological preparation, were theatrical in nature to display military strength or reenact events, and served ritualistic purposes for healing and mourning within communities.

Step-by-step explanation:

The original purpose of war dances can be understood through various cultural and historical lenses. Primarily, war dances served these three purposes:

1. Ceremonial: Many cultures used war dances as a part of rituals or ceremonies to invoke spiritual favor, to prepare warriors psychologically and spiritually for battle, or to celebrate victories.
2. Theatrical: In some instances, such as with the Aztec military practices, war dances were highly theatrical, serving as a way to display military prowess or to reenact significant historical or mythical events.
3. Ritualistic Healing and Mourning: For some native peoples like those in eastern North America, war dances were performed in times of social stress, such as outbreaks of disease, to exorcise these perceived spiritual afflictions and to mourn losses through the act of war dances, which could involve seeking captives.

These dances not only held significant cultural and religious meaning but also played a role in the social and political dynamics of the communities that performed them.