How did some native Americans use the flute for courting?

Answer 1

The Flute (sometimes called a "buckskin flute" or "love flute") was used by men of many of the Plains tribes to indicate to a young woman that they were interested in her. Courtship was always governed by very strict rules; privacy was almost unknown and it would be shameful for a young man to approach a young woman directly.

Instead he would carve himself a flute, often with horse, duck or elk symbols included, and sit outside her family's tipi in the evenings and play soft tunes. Everyone in the village would then know about his love for the girl, but she must not look at him or speak to him until her father gave permission.

The horse symbols on the flute represented fine horses that the young man would present to the girl's father - if he consented to the marriage. This was a compensation payment, since it was the women who did most of the day-to-day work. The elk and duck symbolised love magic, supposed to influence the girl and her father.

The young man would continue to play his flute each evening until the girl's father said "Enough, stop" (meaning there was no point in continuing), or until he said "Yes", meaning the marriage could take place. The young man then offered a number of fine horses and if the father accepted them, the couple were considered to be married from that point.

Love flutes were made with a separate block of wood over the sound-hole, held on with deerskin straps (hence the term "buckskin flute").

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