The Snake Warriors Summary

Neil Whitehead, in The Snake Warriors, analysed Carib warfare, using historical texts to understand the changes in Carib war culture and society between 1500-1820. He described Carib military tactics prior to European contact and discussed the social and ideological context in which they were deployed. He also analyzed the effect European contact had on the war culture and ideology in Carib society, and how this change also contributed to the historical census of the Mesoamerican group.
The ritual and spiritual nature of Carib cannibalism was one of the first points Whitehead remarked upon. Particularly during his description of the Tiger Spirit, who would take possession of the warrior and enabled him to kill without remorse. The only way to relinquish the spirit was to
The Dutch offered the Carib economic opportunities, namely, by using them as middlemen in trade with interior Amerindian groups which helped increase the Caribs social status. Reciprocally, the Dutch employed the Caribs as slave hunters, due to their already honed skills as raiders and armed warriors. Therefore, the Caribs now had monetary gain tied to their ability to raid and pillage effectively, and this led to increased violence towards other Amerindian groups.
Moreover, Whitehead compared Carib war culture before and after interaction with Europeans, emphasizing that “[it should not] be forgotten that it was the usual fate of any female and child captives to be fully integrated into Carib society. Only under European influence which encouraged the sale of such captives” (160). Whitehead explained that Carib warfare was inherently limited in nature, and argued that their society promoted a separation between the civil and warrior worlds. However, these distinctions began to blur, according to Whitehead, when deeper associations with Europeans