Gourds and Their Uses essays

Gourds and Their Uses essays Gourds have been useful to civilization for years. The gourd, a family member of squash, cucumbers and pumpkins, have been used for centuries even including B.C.. Natives found the gourd most useful for ritual, and everyday uses. There are many different kinds of gourds that have been used for different purposes, and many different places where wild gourds can be found. Just the color of a gourd can determine the power it has in a religious purpose, and the shape also can determine what purposes the gourd will serve. A gourd, also called a Cucurbitaceae because of its family, is most popular for the use of everyday uses. For example, gourds have been used for storage, canteens, utensils, and even ornaments. When the gourd is painted, waxed, and carved it is known as the sacred or sprit keeper, according to ancient beliefs. In the past when gourds where first founded in the wild, the Woodlands Indian Nations used gourds for daily routines. Later into the years, the early settlers discovered the true value of gourds such as using them for Used as floats by the Africans, gourds have helped people from traveling to surviving. When used as utensils, the gourd would be cut precisely with a arrangement of sharp tips at the end to stab the item they were trying to kill or eat. The tips were usually jagged, because the supplies these people had to cut the gourd were insufficient. The thinner the gourd, the easier the shell is to break while carving. On the other hand, the thicker the gourd, the harder it is to carve, which also causes breaking. Gourds have also been used for spiritual reasons. The common name for these gourds are called Spirit Herd Gourds, and are carved and painted with the symbols of sacred horses. Inspired by the Cherokee heritage, these gourds represent their guardians and ancient spirits. When black horses are painted on the gourd, this represents the ...