"Captain John Smith's Indian "Maskarado
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2261990 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Margaret Williamson Huber (Department of Sociology and Anthropology University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg Virginia), Margaret Huber (University of Mary Washington, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 184-204 |
| Publication date | 2014-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Anthropology & Humanism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1548-1409 • E-ISSN: 1559-9167 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/anhu.12057 |
| OpenAlex | W1683164457 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 30 |
A frequently overlooked bit of seventeenth-century Powhatan Indian ethnography is Capt. John Smith's enigmatic description of a women's transvestite dance that he witnessed on a visit to the Powhatan principal town, Werowocomoco, in 1608. While he took this to be an impromptu entertainment for his benefit, this paper argues that it was the conclusion of extensive harvest celebrations, and that it ushered in a new year. After Smith's description to contemporaryEnglish culture, this paper offers an analysis of the ritual in Powhatan terms, confirming earlier work relating to Powhatan notions of gender and the significance of women as well as the central importance of Werowocomoco politically and cosmically
Art · Art history · Dance · Entertainment · Ethnography · Impromptu · Literature · Sociology · Visual arts · Anthropology · History · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Philippine History and Culture · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
Early Anthropology in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
Popular Culture in Seventeenth-Century England
Rethinking Anthropology
The Tradition of Female Transvestism in Early Modern Europe
Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma
Art and Power
Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough
The Powhatan Indians of Virginia
Powhatan's Werowocomoco
Seasonal Variations of the Eskimo
Captive Selves, Captivating Others
Men as Women, Women as Men
The Historie of Travell into Virginia Britania (1612)
The Jamestown Voyages under the First Charter, 1606-1609
Powhatan's World and Colonial Virginia
Guardians of Tradition and Handmaidens to Change
Trade and Acculturation at Jamestown, 1607-1609
Cherokee Women
The Complete Works of Captain John Smith (1580-1631)
Did Pocahontas save Captain John Smith
Negotiators of Change
Powhatan Indian Women
Rough Music
Powhatan Hair
Pocahontas and Captain John Smith
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |