I MAY BE SOMEWHAT OF A PURIST IN REGARD TO HEADHUNTER IN ITS PURE ETHINOGRAPHIC SENSE. BIG WORDS FOR SUCH A GORY SUBJECT
TRIBES WHO TOOK HEADS FOR REASONS HAVING TO DO WITH THEIR 1.TRIBAL BELIEFS,
2. TO PROVE THEMSELVES WORTHY AS A WARRIOR AND PROTECTOR OF THEIR VILLAGE AND FAMILY AND TO OBTAIN A WIFE.
3. FOR THE SPIRITUAL PROTECTION AND WELL BEING OF THE VILLAGE
4. TO AVENGE TRIBAL MEMBERS OR ANCESTORS WHO HAD LOST THEIR HEAD TO THEIR ENEMYS. THIS WAS SORT OF A SPIRITUAL BALANCING OF THE BOOKS AS THE VILLAGE LOST SPIRITUAL POWER WHEN THEY LOST A MEMBER TO ANOTHER TRIBE AND GAINED IT BACK WHEN THEY TOOK A HEAD FROM THAT TRIBE. A TRIBE WITH MORE HEADS TAKEN WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE STRONGER PROTECTION FROM EVIL SPIRITS AS WELL AS THE ENEMY.
THESE TRIBES I REFER TO AS HEADHUNTERS AS IT FITS INTO THEIR BELIEF SYSTEM AND THOUGH IN A WAY IT IS A COMPETICIAN OR SPORT IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN THAT TO THE SOCIETIES INVOLVED.
HEADS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FOR MANY REASONS FOR PUBLIC EXHIBITION AS IN RICKS PAINTING WHERE IT IS PLACED ON DISPLAY AS A WARNING TO EVERYONE THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO OPPOSE US. SUCH DISPLAYS DO NOT COUNT AS HEADHUNTING AND NEITHER DOES THE FREQUENT USE OF THE GUILLOTINE DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. AS TO BEHEADINGS BY TERRORISTS IT IS AN ACT OF BARBARISM SHOWING THEY DO NOT CARE WHAT CIVILIZED PEOPLE THINK AND WILL DO AS THEY PLEASE. THEY HOPE IT WILL SCARE EVERYONE AND THEY WILL GAIN POWER FROM SUCH ACTS AND IF IT WORKS THEN THEY CAN DO EVEN MORE HORRIBLE THINGS WHEN THEY WISH. THE BEHEADINGS DURING WW2 WERE SEEN AS EXECUTIONS BY THE JAPENESE AND IF OTHER TROUPS DID IT WAS EITHER EXECUTION OR RETALIATION. EVEN THE RECENT DAYAK VERSUS IMMIGRATES HEAD TAKEING WAS MORE OF A TERROR TACTIC AND NOT A RETURN BY THE DAYAKS TO THEIR OLD TRIBAL BELIEFS AND WAYS. SO I CONSIDER NONE OF THESE ACTIONS TO BE HEADHUNTING.
HEADHUNTING WAS A COMMON PRACTICE BECAUSE EARLY ON MAN FIGURED OUT THE CENTER OF A MANS SPIRIT WAS IN HIS HEAD AND THAT WAS NO DOUBT THE STRONGEST SPIRITUAL PART OF A BODY AND IF THE OBJECT WAS TO CONTROL THIS SPIRIT FOR THE GOOD OF THE TRIBE THEY WOULD KEEP THE STRONGEST PART. SOMETIMES FEET OR HANDS WERE CUT OFF, PERHAPS THRU SOME SUPERSTITION THAT IF THIS WAS DONE THE SPIRIT COULD NOT CAUSE THE BODY TO FOLLOW AND SEEK REVENGE BY BRINGING BAD LUCK OR SICKNESS ON THE VILLAGE. BESIDES THE SKULL IS DEFINITELY THE MOST FACINATING BONE IN THE BODY.
TRIBES WHO HEADHUNTED BY TRADITION AND BELIEF WERE MANY
1. THE NAGA AND WILD TRIBES IN INDIA AND SURROUNDING REGIONS
2. QUITE A FEW TRIBES IN THE PHILIPPINES AND I SUSPECT AS IT WAS SO COMMON THERE IT IS LIKELY THE MORO'S ANCESTORS PRACTICED IT EVEN IF THE MOROS LATER DISCARDED THE PAGAN BELIEFS AND JUST ENJOYED BEHEADING AN ENEMY AS A FORM OF EXECUTION.
3. TAIWAN ABORIGINALS
4. SOLOMON ISLANDS
5. MANY ISLANDS IN WHAT IS NOW INDONESIA OR MALAYSIA THIS INCLUDES BORNEO
6. SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN SOUTH AMERICA AND NO DOUBT SOME TRIBES IN NORTH AMERICA AS WELL IF YOU COULD GO FAR ENOUGH BACK BEFORE THE EUROPEANS CAME.
7. THE MAORI OF NEW ZEALAND
8. SOME TRIBES IN NEW GUINEA
MANY OF THESE PEOPLES HAVE LOST THE BELIEFS THAT MADE THIS PRACTICE SO IMPORTANT IN THE PAST. THE REASONS ARE MANY INVASION AND SUBJIGATION BY A CULTURE OUTSIDE THEIR OWN BEING ONE. MUSEUMS OR COLLECTORS COMING INTO THE AREA AND OFFERING GREAT RICHES FOR HEADS. MANY MAORI WERE KILLED NOT FOR TRIBAL REASONS BUT BECAUSE THEIR NICELY TATOOED HEAD DRIED AND SMOKED PROPERLY COULD BE TRADED FOR A GUN OR SEVERAL STEEL AXES TO THE FORIGENERS. THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN SOUTH AMERICA WITH SHRUNKEN HEADS. THERE WERE EVEN MEDICAL MEN WHO TOOK THE HEADS OF THOSE WHO DIED OF THYPHOID AND OTHER MALIDIES AND SHRUNK THEIR HEADS FOR SALE AND THERE WERE EVEN SOME EXAMPLES WHERE THEY SHRUNK THE ENTIRE BODY.
THE ORIGINAL HEADHUNTING PRACTICE PROBABLY AROSE FROM A QUEST BY TRIBAL MAN TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM THE SPIRITUAL WORLD OF THOSE WHO HAD ALREADY DIED AS WELL AS OTHER SPIRITS AND UNKNOWN THINGS. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY OLD INSTINCTIVE FEELING IN MAN AS IT CROPPED UP IN MANY PLACES AND DIFFERENT RACES FOR MUCH THE SAME REASONS AND BELIEFS.
PARDON MY RAMBELINGS BUT THATS MY SPIN ON IT. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR PROJECT