Post by: Matt B on August 16, 2007, 05:08:31 PM
True?
Also just wondered how some of you got your. As a family we gave my mom one last year at Bridger. We have a family camp that has grown from three families to seven families. Not all related...anyway. She always packs a ton of stuff, I know because I usually load it. So last year someone was looking for something and I said see if mom has it. She has "everything" and she had what we were looking for. So I said ok you have a name now. We started calling her "many things".
Post by: RichW on August 16, 2007, 05:20:11 PM
Quote from: "Matt B"
So we as a family have been attending some rondys for about 10 years or more combined. Yet none of use have mountain man names. What I have seen and been told is....that you have to do something memorable to get one. Usually you have a dumb moment. Then it has to be given at council fire.
True?
Since I have never been to a "council fire" it must be false. Dumb moment? OH YEAH! That one's almost always true :lol sign
Post by: Two Steps on August 16, 2007, 05:26:34 PM
Two Steps got hung on me the first time back in the 80s at a Rondy hosted by the Carlsbad Mountain Men. I had just put some rawhide soles on a pair of sideseams :shock:
It got stuck fer good over in the Mimbres at a Moon of the Crow Rondy...my knee blew out and again...that's about all the steps I could take :laffing
Al
Post by: Pichou on August 16, 2007, 07:52:00 PM
Post by: Firewalker on August 16, 2007, 09:54:24 PM
Close to 30 years ago I was at the Bloody Lake Rendevous with Jack, Howdy Howdy, Tallwater, Big John, Duke, Del, Curt and several others. Some of us had these chairs somebody thought of building using two 12 inch boards and sliding one into the other to make a sort of "L" shaped reclining chair. Well I still have mine, they are fine for stting still watching the fire. But get a few beers in you and then try to get up. Thats a whole new situation. I kind of fell forward into the fire on my knees and then managed to straighten up and walk across the fire, which was not very big and this all happend very quickly. My buckskin knees now black and my moccasins very warm. It was around 30 degrees out that night. I then turned to everyone and said" I bet you can't do that." And proceeded to the outhouse. Tallwater gave me the nickname.
Firewalker
Post by: oomcurt on August 17, 2007, 01:31:49 AM
Post by: Fletcher on August 17, 2007, 09:41:59 AM
It seems that most of the 'mountain man' names I know about come form events and are given by 'friends', commonly at a 'Council Fire'. Some folk also take on 'personna' and use a historical or fictitious name to fit the character and time. This seems very common with the reinactment enthusiasts.
I believe that all to be a good thing. All that promotes the spirit and history of the pioneer days, especially as it pertains to muzzleloaders, is the best way to preserve history. In the three trips I have been able to take my family to D.C., we spent 3 to 4 months on 'detail' and they got to see all 50 states in a sort of living history that we worked out ourselves.
I believe my sons are better off in the long run for it with a knowledge and respect for this country that few seem to get isolated in their school systems or the daily news.
I got my name at our first Boy Scout Rondy where we all worked together to pick a 'name' a 'totem' and a personna for each boy and adult. Then we worked on making clothing, camping gear, and a throwing knife for each boy. We prepared for three months for this 4 day weekend. It was probably the most rewading Rondy I have ever been to because it showed me how much young people can get invloved and learn. So many of them had no clue about the mountain men before that time, yet every one of them has told me more than once they often think of it and still refer to themselves by their mountain man name in the company of others from that group. Kind of touching.
I was known as an Archery Counselor before that event and I made up several sets of 'primitive arrows' for it. I also borrowed 4 3-D targets from my gun club for our little event course and the boys loved it.
One of the boys said I should be known as 'The Arrow Maker' and one of the adults said that skill would be called a 'fletcher' - so that worked. "Fletcher the Arrow Maker"
Of course that is kind of long and at every Rondy since, all those I have met have come to know me as "Fletch"
It has long been known that a true mountain man does not like to waste syllables :lol:
Post by: Minnesota Mike on August 17, 2007, 10:31:03 AM
On the other hand sometimes a nickname can follow you from one group to another. My Dad's handle is "Stoneface" and has been for many years. Goes back to when a college buddy and I had gone to folks place for dinner. After several gut-busting jokes and such circled that table, Chris asked Dad "Mr. H that was funny, why aren't you laughing?" Completely straightfaced he replied "I am" This was the first time Chris had met my Dad, so the event was rather memorable. After that we all started calling him Stoneface.
While on my first ship in the Navy as a young division officer, I had to learn everyone's name twice in the gunnery department - Their real name and nickname. Seems like the ship's gunner only knew them by their nicknames and I had to know who he meant when talking about Short Charge, Budda, Pops, Fang, Runt, etc.
Considering how some people get nicknames, maybe one should be happy to just be called Matt or Rich - means you ain't done anything THAT stupid . . . yet.
r/
MM
Post by: Matt B on August 18, 2007, 11:16:51 PM
I thought like Fletcher there had been a thread on this, but who knows. It's been talking about it again.
Post by: Loyalist Dave on August 19, 2007, 09:19:40 AM
LD
Post by: Bigsmoke on August 19, 2007, 10:45:27 AM
Anyway, one day a group of us were sitting around looking at a video of me test firing a 4 bore rifle with a 400 grain charge. One fellow said something like we ought to call you Lots of Smoke. After a bit of discussion it changed into Bigsmoke and that its been ever since.
Thats my story, and I'm sticking to it, more or less.
Post by: Captchee on August 19, 2007, 11:40:12 AM
However others have not and are names given by friends . These consist of names like
Falsears : he wears hearing aids
Daisy Toe thumb : Many years ago he lost a thumb in an farm accident and they replaced it with one of his big toes
Bear sign. DJ big dog is named bear .
Sharp knife Bear signs son . Is a you fella who is starting to get into flint knapping and blade making .
Some folks name changes often .
Mine however has been the same for a long, long time
While im know as captchee to most my mountain name is Charlie two feathers .
For one reason my mark has always been two crossed feathers.
But one year at a shoot a small bird landed in front of a target just as I fired . When the smoke cleared two small feathers cam floating down on the wind.
Hence Charlie two feathers
Post by: Pichou on August 20, 2007, 11:47:52 AM
Matt B, MN Mike, are you guys related? You look like twins :P
Post by: Minnesota Mike on August 20, 2007, 12:28:17 PM
r/
MM
Post by: Fletcher on August 20, 2007, 02:52:58 PM
I heard that is a Tsalagi name for a man of fierce countenance but tender of heart. It is fitting for a strong warrior but kind and gentle friend, husband and father.
It is my story and I'm stickin' to it unless Captchee tells y'all different!!!
Post by: Captchee on August 20, 2007, 05:08:44 PM
Captchee comes from back when I was in the military . See I liked cheetos ., in fact I like them a lot . So much so my men would bring them for me to keep me in good humor.
Well one day I was filling out some reports and OER’s to get sent up to brigade .
Well I had been eating cheetos and one thing lead to another and there were yellow finger prints on one of the papers I guess . I would know how they got there BUT .
So a few days later the brigade commander ,, a 1 Star mind you front and centered my lowly captains hind end out in front of the brigade formation stating from now on I should be called captain cheeto .
Well that got shortened to Captchee.
So there you have it , no mysterious Indian name LOL just a plain old cheeto lover :shake
Post by: Matt B on August 20, 2007, 05:41:58 PM
Mike and I are no relation, we just have good taste in avatars.
Reminds me of when my crew cheif buddy and I put on colored zinc oxide sunscreen during the star of Desert storm. Then we got a medevac call. I do my medic thing and get them to the hospital. I wondered why all the docs were giving me strange looks. Then I wiped the sweet of my brow. Off came several color on my flight gloves............
We had several laughs over that one.
Post by: Two Steps on August 21, 2007, 07:02:41 AM
Quote
Off came several color on my flight gloves............
Hmmm...coulda been the start of a camp name there...
Al
Post by: Groundhog on August 21, 2007, 08:14:49 AM
or so I was told Since a few people have stated I even look like a groundhog. Bothers me a bit (scratch)
I kan live with that... Guess I have ta'
LOL
Post by: Captchee on August 21, 2007, 08:29:13 AM
funniest thing i ever seen .
We had been drinking some . Now where we lived you couldn’t by alcohol not even bear or wine . So we would drive to this little store down the road where it was legal for them to sell it .
We then had a favorite spot that we would drive out to .
Well this one day after knocking back a few Tall Bears “ Hamms for those who don’t know a tall bear “
We had been signing alittle bit and when Chip proceeded to go into how he could whip anything around . Now mind you chip was a pretty big Pierce.
Anyway on of the guys I forget who said he bet chip couldn’t whip a ground hog .
So chip proceeded to prove him wrong . He found this hole and stuck his hand down in there to prove he could do it .
All of a sudden that ground hog grabbed onto his hand and wouldn’t let go .LMAO chip was screaming , flopping around on the ground , crying for his moma LMAO I tell ya it was classic.
So we named him ground hog .
LMAO we even got the dance announcer at an intertribal to announce the ground hog dance one time just for chip LMAO . He didn’t think it to funny though when we all fell down and started rolling around the ground screaming LMAO . You know sometimes I wonder how we ever lived long enough to grow up
LOL
Post by: RichW on August 21, 2007, 09:02:13 AM
Did I mention, Pomme de Terre = potato, as in, enough dirt to grow a...
Well you know, I guess I carried that "they didn't have Maytag" concept too far when I was a teen :)
Post by: Fletcher on August 21, 2007, 09:27:08 AM
Thought I would give it a shot
Love ya buddy!!
Post by: Wyoming Mike on August 21, 2007, 11:22:25 AM
A friend back when was called six fingers because he lost most of a forearm in a farm accident. Man, could that guy load and fire fast with just the one hand.
Another is called Rabbit to this day because he used to be death on the local bunny population.
Misfire got his name at a shoot where he was having a heck of a time getting his gun to go off.
Rooster got his name in his younger days from his habit of getting drunk and doing the chicken dance around the fire.
Leadbutt got his name from selling lead at shoots and rendezvous and his general laid back attitude.
Names come in all flavors and can come from most anything, usually something embarassing but not always.
Post by: Pichou on August 21, 2007, 01:45:06 PM
Quote from: "Captchee"
Captchee comes from back when I was in the military . See I liked cheetos ., ...
http://www.mediazine.net/view/family_gu ... os_cheetah (http://www.mediazine.net/view/family_guy_cheetos_cheetah)
(http://bestsmileys.com/lol/4.gif)
Post by: Pichou on August 21, 2007, 01:57:14 PM
Quote from: "RichW"
:rotf :rotf :rotf :rotf :) :)
(http://bestsmileys.com/textinbubble3/9.gif)(http://bestsmileys.com/cleaning/4.gif)(http://bestsmileys.com/cleaning/12.gif)
:rotf :rotf :rotf :rotf
Post by: Captchee on August 21, 2007, 02:34:18 PM
Quote from: "Pichou"
Quote from: "Captchee"Captchee comes from back when I was in the military . See I liked cheetos ., ...
http://www.mediazine.net/view/family_gu ... os_cheetah (http://www.mediazine.net/view/family_guy_cheetos_cheetah)
(http://bestsmileys.com/lol/4.gif)
yep no one cooler then chester .
i even been known to lay around the house dressed like that listening to RUSH
Post by: RichW on August 21, 2007, 02:39:49 PM
Oh well, I still don't wash my hunting shirt.
Post by: Groundhog on August 21, 2007, 04:58:56 PM
Post by: Pichou on August 21, 2007, 06:32:41 PM
Quote from: "RichW"
:Doh! Somebody's having fun with animation, eh?
(http://bestsmileys.com/textinbubble2/7.gif)
Post by: Groundhog on August 21, 2007, 06:54:03 PM
I thought Captchee was an indian name now I be all let down n all ...
Got me a friend named "Hawkeye" and back in the day he sure could shoot... one fella named
"One-Hand" ... back in the 70's he filled a cheap wall hanger shotgun up with powder and capped it... gun blew up in his hand and caused alot of damage to one of his paws...
So sometimes a real bad incident can give ya a name... scratch. LOL
Post by: Big John on February 10, 2008, 05:42:45 PM
Post by: woodman on February 11, 2008, 11:40:17 AM
A very creative feller that used to be the life of the council fire back then named her
"4 men crossing a desert"
Woodman
Post by: DSbur on February 12, 2008, 08:00:00 PM
I've been called alternately 'Lonewolf' (in my younger days attended events sans family/girlfriend/etc) and 'Broken Knuckles' (more as a threat to me as my shooting was pretty accurate in my youth and the elders wanted to break my knuckles to tune me down a little...).
Post by: wwpete52 on August 19, 2008, 02:07:42 AM
Post by: greyhunter on August 19, 2008, 08:20:15 AM
Post by: Pichou on August 19, 2008, 09:11:46 AM
Quote from: "wwpete52"
You guys are going to get mad at me for saying this but in my opinion the "mountain man" name thing is kind of hokey. I have a mountain man name. I got it about 20 years ago. Today I don't even tell anyone what it is. Did a lot of the real mountain men have "names" like that? That's just my stinking opinion. I know it ain't worth much.
They aren't really mountain man names. They are modern rondyvoo names. About as authentic as the stuff you can buy at rondyvoo. Hippie pouches, sugar sack hats, rock candy on a stick, plastic beads and bamboo flutes.
Post by: Two Steps on August 19, 2008, 10:49:01 AM
Quote
They aren't really mountain man names. They are modern rondyvoo names. About as authentic as the stuff you can buy at rondyvoo. Hippie pouches, sugar sack hats, rock candy on a stick, plastic beads and bamboo flutes.
Hmm...Don't think I made that Voo...Made a lot of others though...and met some fine folks who were having a large time. Many of them had/have camp names. Most of these names were bestowed on them by their friends..very often based on something they would just as soon put behind them :shock: You can figure out why, I'm sure :rt th
Al
Post by: oomcurt on August 19, 2008, 06:50:54 PM
There are Rondevous..and then there are rondevous...
I guess a lot depends on who is having the voo, what the parameters are for those who wish to attend, and so forth. One thing I do know, this thing with rock candy and all that...imo, those are more of an outing than a voo. Now, don't get me wrong....on the opposite side of the coin one has those juried events...to me, those are something I avoid, but, I also don't really get much out of going to a voo where almost anything goes as far as being historically accurate. Now, I guess I am being a bit fussy here over one item I really cannot understand why/how most voos permit it. That is where one sees people in revolutionary garb as well as having the fairer sex show up in fairly fancy dresses. Now come on...no way is that "period correct" imo. For one, I don't ever recall hearing of any white woman making it to a rondevous until about 1836 or 1838, and those were missionary people.
Anyhow...getting back to names...most folks I know who have a "handle" got it from someone who gave it to them, and, as was said..not entirely complementary. That....is part of the fun of it. I guess from what I have heard, there may be instances where some nick name is a bit hokey, especially if the owner of it picked it up himself. Did the mountain men have nick names? I dunno..My guess is some did, some didn't. The thing to remember here is...way back then...a man's business was his own business...one just did not pry into it or ask to many questions. So...he might come up with a name out of the blue, so to speak. Didn't make any difference to those folks back then...you called him by the name he told you.
Post by: wwpete52 on August 20, 2008, 01:31:43 AM
Post by: rollingb on August 20, 2008, 01:32:46 AM
Post by: Wyoming Mike on August 20, 2008, 08:50:09 AM
1. "Thunderbolt"
2. "Black" Harris - can't remember the first name
3. "Old Pino"
4. "Cadet"
5. "Peg Leg" Smith - can't remember the first name
6. "Big Chief"
7. "Tall Crane"
8. "Cut Nose"
9. "Cut Hand"
10. "Cut Face"
11. "Broken Hand" Tom Fitzpatrick
12. "Bald Head"
13. "Medicene Calf"
14. "White Headed Eagle"
15. "Black Beard" Joe Walker - maybe?
16. "Ol' Solitare Bill Willeams - maybe?
17. "Ol' Gabe" Jim Bridger
18. "Kit" Christopher Carson
Post by: Pichou on August 20, 2008, 10:55:11 AM
BTW, Cut Nose is a real common Indian name. Men often lost their noses in fights. In some tribes, that was also how a man punished his wife for adultery. Not very P.C. huh?
Post by: Two Steps on August 20, 2008, 11:25:40 AM
Quote
But some rondy folk start thinking there is something mystical and sacred about being named for something like peeing on yourself.
HEY!! They changed my name to Two Steps not long after that! Besides...it wasn't my fault...cold fingers...drop fronts... :rotf
Post by: Minnesota Mike on August 20, 2008, 11:52:40 AM
Will admit though that modern day nicknames do seem to have a strong touch of humor involved.
r/
MM
Post by: Uncle Russ on August 20, 2008, 12:17:27 PM
I took her to a Voos in Silver City.... Membres Mountain Men, and she spent a few days with me.
She did her "business" outside of camp, and wouldn't as much as "pee" on the ground around where other folks were present.....great behavior for a dog!
Well, wouldn't ya know that one of the folks stepped in her mess once, while out trying to shoot a Jackrabbit, and they ended up calling him Dog Man Do!
Yep, Some of those names come from some really interesting situations and, fair or not, or whether you like it or not, you are sometimes stuck with 'em.
Uncle Russ...
Post by: greyhunter on August 20, 2008, 03:12:27 PM
Post by: rollingb on August 21, 2008, 01:30:57 AM
Quote from: "Wyoming Mike"
Off the top of my head I can take a shot at it.
1. "Thunderbolt"
2. "Black" Harris - can't remember the first name
3. "Old Pino"
4. "Cadet"
5. "Peg Leg" Smith - can't remember the first name
6. "Big Chief"
7. "Tall Crane"
8. "Cut Nose"
9. "Cut Hand"
10. "Cut Face"
11. "Broken Hand" Tom Fitzpatrick
12. "Bald Head"
13. "Medicene Calf"
14. "White Headed Eagle"
15. "Black Beard" Joe Walker - maybe?
16. "Ol' Solitare Bill Willeams - maybe?
17. "Ol' Gabe" Jim Bridger
18. "Kit" Christopher Carson
Mike, you did pretty well,....
"Black",.... was Moses Harris's nickname
"Peg Leg",.... was Thomas Smith
"Broken Hand",.... Thomas Fitzpatrick
"Black Beard",.... was the nickname given to Ceran St. Vrain
"Ol' Solitare",..... Bill Williams
"Ol' Gabe",.... Jim Bridger
"Kit",.... Christopher Carson
You were correct on 6 out of the 7 you attempted to identify.
Anybody care to take'a stab at the other mountaineer's "nicknames"????
Post by: BEAVERMAN on August 21, 2008, 12:29:31 PM
Quote from: "greyhunter"
And I quote "Dontcha wanna have fun eennymore!" Brian Keith, The Mountain Men . Now lets hear an amen!
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Post by: Minnesota Mike on August 21, 2008, 02:57:32 PM
Quote from: "rollingb"
Anybody care to take'a stab at the other mountaineer's "nicknames"????
Well I tracked 'em all down . . . but got to say, I don't recognize a lot of the names.
(Not in order so someone else can keep chasin this tale . . .)
r/
MM
Benjamin Bonneville
Bill Williams
Ceran St. Vrain
Christopher Carson
Dick Wooten
Edward Rose
Jacques Fournaise
Jefferson Blackwell
Jim Beckwourth
Jim Bridger
John McGloughlin
Milton Sublette
Moses Harris
Peter Sarpy
Pierre Chouteau, Jr
Thomas Smith
Tom Fitzpatrick
William Sublette
Post by: KHickam on March 28, 2009, 08:58:45 AM
I think mostly it was because when he knew me I was an ate up BP shooter and that is how our friendship developed. Perhaps Big Smoke may enlighten you on Jay and why he called me "Dan'l"
Post by: wwpete52 on March 30, 2009, 02:31:29 AM
Post by: Three Hawks on March 31, 2009, 03:12:02 AM
Three Hawks
Post by: BEAVERMAN on March 31, 2009, 12:23:26 PM
Quote from: "Three Hawks"
I got lucky. I wear a necklace made out of three little tomahawk heads and at one Rondy twenty some years ago a kid came into camp with a message for the geezer wearing three hawks. One of my rendezvous buddy's name is "Buttercup," he sat in a patch of 'em and put a bright yellow stain on his nether end.
Three Hawks
His other name when he aint looking is Fossil!
Post by: wwpete52 on June 19, 2009, 07:21:59 PM
Post by: Three Hawks on June 26, 2009, 11:21:39 PM
Yes, it can be and often is as hokey as a Cub Scout Campfire experience, but from some of the ear to ear grins on some of the Cubs and WEBELOS at their first campouts, I think that's more of a feature than a bug.
Three Hawks