Quiz time on the term, "Indian summer"

[TANSTAAFL]

Today in the northeastern/central section of the US when there is an Indian summer, people are festive and happy for the winter break.

But at one time on the colonial frontier in that part of the country, Indian summers were viewed with a foreboding dread and horror.

Quiz question, why was that?

 

[Flint50]

It is my understanding that Indian Summer usually occurs in late fall, with summer like temps, followed by a terrible winter storm :: (kinda like we are having in Colorado Springs today)

 

[Slamfire]

The nice weather released the hostiles from their ordinary chores, of gettin' ready for winter. :shocking:

 

[guncobbler]

After the first frosts the native folks crops were in and they could go to market, warpath, fetch a mate. For the same reason the fall was called the campaign season. Good time to go to war or get elected. All the same stuff. The legislature is in session and no man's wife, horse (or sheep) are safe. Katy bar the door! GC

 

Today in the northeastern/central section of the US when there is an Indian summer, people are festive and happy for the winter break.

But at one time on the colonial frontier in that part of the country, Indian summers were viewed with a foreboding dread and horror.

Quiz question, why was that?

That is a first for hearing "Indian Summer" was in the spring of the year.
I was always told that "Indian Summer" , was in the fall of the year, where as previously mentioned that it occurs after a winter storm and warm temps return for a short period ,and thus signafying the time for the migrateing Indians to begin their journey soutward for the winter months and then return again in the spring.
Could be the journey was their dreaded horror..... :crackup:

Woody

 

[roundball]

Today in the northeastern/central section of the US when there is an Indian summer, people are festive and happy for the winter break.

But at one time on the colonial frontier in that part of the country, Indian summers were viewed with a foreboding dread and horror.

Quiz question, why was that?

Indian Summer - A period in mid or late autumn of abnormally warm weather, with generally clear skies and cool nights. In the midwest, these warm spells are preceeded by a frost and a seasonably cool period to qualify them for a true Indian Summer. It does not occur every year, and in some years there may two or three Indian Summers.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/Glossary/branick2c.html

 

[jaybeach]

Yeah - I always heard of Indian Summer in the fall, too.
BUT - to answer a possible reason for the foreboding and dread of an unseasonably warm period in winter, my two thoughts would be:
1. The trees might begin to bud and then get zapped by a frost or freeze, or
2. The ice might become unsafe for fishing, traveling or transporting. I know this was especially dangerous to the Inuit people of Canada who used the ice to get from one place to another without having to make long treks around large bodies of water.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Today in the northeastern/central section of the US when there is an Indian summer, people are festive and happy for the winter break.

But at one time on the colonial frontier in that part of the country, Indian summers were viewed with a foreboding dread and horror.

Quiz question, why was that?

That is a first for hearing "Indian Summer" was in the spring of the year.
I was always told that "Indian Summer" , was in the fall of the year, where as previously mentioned that it occurs after a winter storm and warm temps return for a short period ,and thus signafying the time for the migrateing Indians to begin their journey soutward for the winter months and then return again in the spring.
Could be the journey was their dreaded horror..... :crackup:

Woody

Where do you "hear" it is in the spring of the year?

 

[TANSTAAFL]

With the onset of late fall & early winter cold weather Indian raids on the White settlements would cease as the Indians returned to their villages to await spring. But, if during this time, the weather would turn warm for an extended period allowing Indian war parties to travel once again, the bloody raids would restart.

The Whites came to know that unseasonably warm weather in this time frame portended imminent Indian predations, and came to call such a warm weather break, "Indian Summer"

The early colonial Whites on the frontier had a rather different connotation of the term "Indian Summer" than modern folks do.

 

[Tumblernotch]

This is a time after the onset of Winter when the weather became warm and pleasant for a good number of days. The reason for the dread and horror was that it freed the Indians who normally hunkered down in their villages in Winter weather, to make attacks on isolated settlements and individual farms.
After spending much of the spring and summer holed up in forts, the settlers were at their homes gathering crops, slaughtering their hogs, etc. and when the warm weather came the war parties would suddenly appear as well, and the settlers were often caught defenseless and far from any help. As hard as Winter could be, at least they could feel safe from Indian attacks, since the tribes rarely left their villages to attack when it became cold and snowed. One reason for this was, it was very easy to track them back to their own villages when there was a snow on.
We enjoy Indian Summers now, but it was a terrible time for our ancestors.
:m2c:

 

LOL I have no idea where i read "spring" at...... gawd I must be loseing it....LOL.. after reading 100+ post on all the forums after being away for a day mu eyes must be decieveing me..... Where the heck are my glasses?

Sorry bout that.

Woody

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Bingo, you stated it much better than I.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

LOL I have no idea where i read "spring" at...... gawd I must be loseing it....LOL.. after reading 100+ post on all the forums after being away for a day mu eyes must be decieveing me..... Where the heck are my glasses?

Sorry bout that.

Woody

My glasses no longer help me, I type something, then think, who did that? My fingers often outrun my feeble brain as of late. :crackup: :crackup:

 

[Tumblernotch]

Well now, I wouldn't say that. I get all tongue tied even when I'm typin'. I know that if they were still here, my ancestors who settled in the Kanawha Valley could surely explain it better. They had a tough row to hoe with the Shawnees.
:redthumb:

 

[jaybeach]

"...when there is an Indian summer, people are festive and happy for the winter break."

That's where I read that you were speaking about spring - the "winter break" made me think it was quite a while after winter had begun.
You know - this should be a good lesson for all of us on this forum; one of the inherent dangers of "talking" through writing is that you can easily misunderstand what someone is really trying to communicate. When you're face to face, you can easily get something clarified, but when you have to wait to respond by letter (post) and then wait for a reply, sometimes things get really messed up.
Well, anyway, I learned the reason we call it Indian Summer now. I'll use that as a trivia question for some of my friends now - - thanks!

 

[Huntinfool]

Well now, I wouldn't say that. I get all tongue tied even when I'm typin'. I know that if they were still here, my ancestors who settled in the Kanawha Valley could surely explain it better. They had a tough row to hoe with the Shawnees.
:redthumb:

Hey Ranger my ancestors were on both sides of that fray the Shawnee and the White settlers. I guess that's why my Great Grandpaw married a Shawnee gal!

Chuck

 

[Stumpkiller]

It falls between "Territory Grabbing, Treaty Breaking, Double Talking, Gold Seeking, Land Despoiling Spring, Winter and Fall" that occur the rest of the year.

 

[Tumblernotch]

My GGGGG Grandpa Young just figured it was easier to kill 'em than to marry 'em. I guess my high cheekbones came from somewheres else. :crackup:

 

It falls between "Territory Grabbing, Treaty Breaking, Double Talking, Gold Seeking, Land Despoiling Spring, Winter and Fall" that occur the rest of the year.

thank you stumpy eace: i was about to make a post but thought after getting my post quitly removed from the meanest indian topic i thought better of it :thumbsup:

i guess there is always two sides to every story ::