Alot of the sports teams with Indian based mascots (Flordia Seminoles, Atlanta Braves, etc) have a cheer called the warchant, or sometimes called the “tomahawk chop”. My question is, what was it that started this cheer at the sporting events? My father says that it originally came from an old movie, possibly a western. Can anyone verify this and tell me what movie it did actually come from? Thanks!
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your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
I know this doesn’t answer the question, but it might narrow down the search. The war chant originated with the Florida State Seminoles. It was picked up by the Braves after Deon Sanders (who played for the Seminoles) joined the team briefly in the mid 90’s. The “tomahawk chop” isn’t the chant but the arm motion that frequently goes with it.
Sounds like a bit of self promotion by the Seminoles there- 'less you mean the 1890s. You can hear the classic ‘war chant’ and variations thereof in a few Bugs Bunny cartoons from the forties and fifties. Same with spaghetti westerns of yesteryear. Also remember playing it in H.S. band circa 1980- our teams were the Montville Indians. This doesn’t help the OP out at all, but let’s not kid ourselves into thinking this is a product of the 90’s sports scene.
I think the Unpronounceable one means the specific chant that the Seminoles and Braves use. I know the variations, I ran around yelling Woo Woo Woo Woo when I was a kid just like they did in those old movies - as did every one else. NiteShade should learn to read; the chant didn’t originate in the 90’s, Deon played for the Braves in the 90’s - which is when they stole it from the Seminoles (no, I am not a Florida State fan - WAR EAGLE)
I have never heard this particular cadence in any other “Indian” chant. My guess is some student white eye made it up a long time ago. This is what FSU’s web site says:
The War Chant
Florida State’s “war chant” might have begun with a random occurrence that took place during a 1984 contest with the Auburn Tigers, but most Seminole historians might remember it to be a tradition that holds over thirty years in it’s evolution. With the popular Seminole cheer of the 1960’s, “massacre,” led by members of the Marching Chiefs chanting its melody, so was the first stage of the current popular Seminole cry. In a sense, “massacre,” was the long version of FSU’s current “war chant”.
During a very exciting game with Auburn in 1984, the Marching Chiefs began to perform the cheer. Some students behind the band joined in and continued the “war chant” portion after the band had ceased. The result, which was not very melodic at the time, sounded more like chants by American Indians in Western movies. Most say it came from the fraternity section, but many spirited Seminole fans added the “chopping” motion, a repetitious bend at the elbow, to symbolize a tomahawk swinging down.
The chant continued largely among the student body during the 1985 season, and by the 1986 season was a stadiumwide activity. Of course, the Marching Chiefs refined the chant, plus put its own special brand of accompaniment to the “war chant”, and the result exists today.
By the time the Atlanta Braves started with it, the chant and the arm motion generally were associated with Florida State’s rising football program. The Kansas City Chiefs first heard it when the Northwest Missouri State band, directed by 1969 FSU graduate Al Sergel, performed the chant while the players were warming up for a game against San Diego. Such a powerful cheer, FSU’s “war chant” can be linked to Atlanta’s and Kansas City’s resurgence in their own respective leagues.
-Beeblebrox
“If there’s anything more important than my ego around, I want it caught and shot now.”
Anyone have a link to warchant.mp3? It would help to know if we are talking about two different chants.
Just read over my last post and realized maybe I can’t read either. I can’t keep names straight and some how “rhythm devil” seemed imposibly hard to read (Hooked on phonics worked for me!"). Anyhow, here’s a link to what I think is the chant, but I am at work and don’t want the boss to know I am making a complete waste of my time so I havn’t checked it out personally
http://seminoles.fansonly.com/trads/fsu-trads-sounds.html
Sorry it’s in text form but I can’t figure how to post a link here because I’s a moron.
-Beeblebrox
“In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were REAL men, women were REAL women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were REAL small furry creatures from Aplha Centauri.”
Hey look at that - it is a link. Learn something every day.
Couldn’t get your link to work (no fault in the link, but the file wouldn’t play). But did find this on fightsongs.com. Sounds to me awfully familiar to the standard B. Bunny/ Western/ F-Troop “these are Indians” type music. Maybe someone wrote a specific arrangement of the ditty at FSU, but the theme certainly isn’t original to them. (Barring the chant has real roots in the Seminole culture and redneck Floridians picked it up from there, leading to Hollywood incorporating it into their films.) Still would be interesting to hear a real answer.
Rhythmdvl