BADGES AND COSTUMES. 191 



tells us that the natives of the Congo region make their 

 necklaces, bracelets, &c., of iron and brass rings, lion s 

 teeth, beads, shells, seeds of plants; we may suspect that 

 the lion s teeth stand to the beads and shells in much the 

 same relation that diamonds do to paste. 



And then from cases in which the ornament is an actual 

 trophy or representation of a trophy, we pass to cases in 

 which it avowedly stands in place of a trophy. Describing 

 practices of the Chibchas, Acosta says that certain of their 

 strongest and bravest men had &quot; their lips, noses, and ears 

 pierced, and from them hung strings of gold quills, the 

 number of which corresponded with that of the enemies 

 they had killed in battle: &quot; the probability being that these 

 golden ornaments, originally representations of actual tro 

 phies, had lost resemblance to them. 



Thus originating, adornments of these kinds become 

 distinctive of the warrior-class; and there result interdicts 

 on the use of them by inferiors. Such interdicts have oc 

 curred in various places. Among the Chibchas, &quot; paint 

 ings, decorations and jewels on dresses, and ornaments, were 

 forbidden to the common people.&quot; So, too, in Peru, &quot; none 

 of the common people could use gold or silver, except by 

 special privilege.&quot; And without multiplying evidence 

 from nearer regions, it will suffice to add that in mediaeval 

 France, jewellery and plate were marks of distinction not 

 allowed to those below a certain rank. 



Of course -decorations beginning as actual trophies, 

 passing into representations of trophies made of precious 

 materials, and, while losing their resemblance to trophies, 

 coming to be marks of honour given to brave warriors by 

 their militant rulers (as in Imperial Rome, where armlets 

 were thus awarded) inevitably pass from relative uniform 

 ity to relative multiformity. As society complicates there 

 result orders of many kinds stars, crosses, medals, and the 

 like. These it is observable are most if not all of them of 

 military origin. And then where a militant organization 



