Dajak Handle human bone

Dajak · 11th June 2006, 08:13 AM

Hi Vandoo The hair is goat hair I noticed in studying these handle s that the most oldest mandau s have goathair in their handles and have somethimes brayded carry band made from hair but don t forget there always exceptions
the hair looks like it come from the nevel panther

Thake a look at the oldman jimpul that was posted earlyer on this forum that date easy back to before 1850

here some other talisman stuff

katana · 11th June 2006, 12:30 PM

It is my understanding that headhunters sew the mouth and eyelids closed (on the dis-membered heads) to prevent the spirit of the vanquished foe, from 'haunting' them, .......effectively they capture the soul.
My question is this, do you think the human bone came from an ancestor? or from a past enemy? I would assume either way the talisman properties of this would be to empower it with the spirit of the bone's 'owner'. But, the fear of an enemy's spirit suggests the possibility that this came from an ancestor?

A VERY INTERESTING DYJAK

ariel · 11th June 2006, 02:25 PM

I am not 100% certain this bone is human: too much carving has obscured the silhouette. It does resemble superficially the Humerus (shoulder bone), but I would not bet my house (or even $100) on it.
Recently, somebody sold a Naga Dao with a 100% real human Femur (Thigh bone) for a handle.
Call it Eurocentric (

) squeamishness or anything else equally PC and offensive at the same time, but I would never, ever bring a thing like that into my house! Human remnants need to be buried, not re-used. Let the headhunters do what they want, but I shall stay out of it.

Henk · 11th June 2006, 02:28 PM

It is not completely my field, but for the tsantsa the sewn eyes and mouth was indeed to keep the spirit in the hunted head to prevent haunting the hunters.

The believe of the Dayak was that the spirit of the hunted enemy should feel welcome in his new village and helped to increase the power of his new tribe.

Dajak · 11th June 2006, 08:05 PM

It was like this the head was taken give you the power from the man too the more heads the more power and the best warrior

Ariel this is something off their culture and the head is from around 1850 that also can be seeing in many museums

In south Amerika are people that take the skin off and schrunk the haed called the Jivaro s

VANDOO · 12th June 2006, 12:21 AM

TAKE A LOOK AT EBAY AUCTION #6284865742 IT IS A POSTCARD OF TWO SHRUNKEN MEN WHICH ARE IN A MUSEUM. THEY ARE NO LONGER ON DISPLAY AS THERE WAS SOME CONTROVERSY AS TO WHO MADE THEM AND WHEN. I BOUGHT THE CARD FOR A FRIEND OF MINE WHO LIKES SUCH STUFF AND HAD NEVER BOUGHT ON EBAY. IT WAS DONE IN THE SAME WAY AS THE JIVARO SHRINK THEIR ENEMYS HEADS WHICH WAS ONLY DONE IN SOUTH AMERICA TO MY KNOWLEGE.

HEADHUNTING HAS BEEN A CUSTOM IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD AND PERHAPS WAS DONE IN EUROPE DURING PRIMATIVE TIMES. THERE WAS EVEN SEVERAL MOVIES AND A SUCESSFUL TV SHOW THAT RAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS HIGHLANDER

MOST KEPT THE SKULL BONE AND HAD DIFFERENT CEREMONYS TO APPEASE THE SPIRITS. IN TIBET THE MONKS USE THE BONES OF THE OLDER MONKS FOR MANY THINGS AND OFTEN MADE A DRINKING CUP FROM THE TOP OF THE SKULL. I SUPPOSE IT WAS SYMBOLIC OF DRINKING OF THE KNOWLEGE OF THE OLDER MONK AND A WAY OF REMEMBERING AND HONORING THEIR TEACHINGS. THE DAYAKS OFTEN HAD A SPECIAL SKULL TREE OUTSIDE OF THE VILLAGE WHERE THEY WERE PLACED AND CEREMONYS PREFORMED UNTIL IT THEY WERE APPEASED AND COULD THEN BE SAFELY WELCOMED INTO THE VILLAGE AND HUNG IN A PLACE OF HONOR IN THE LONGHOUSE. THEIR SPIRITS THEN HELPED THE VILLAGE AND GAVE THEM POWER AND PRESTIGE. AT LEAST THAT IS HOW I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE, OF COURSE I AM NOT A DAYAK AND DIDN'T LIVE IN THOSE TIMES SO DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.

11th June 2006, 08:13 AM	#1
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi Vandoo The hair is goat hair I noticed in studying these handle s that the most oldest mandau s have goathair in their handles and have somethimes brayded carry band made from hair but don t forget there always exceptions the hair looks like it come from the nevel panther Thake a look at the oldman jimpul that was posted earlyer on this forum that date easy back to before 1850 here some other talisman stuff Attached Images Last edited by Dajak; 11th June 2006 at 08:24 AM.

11th June 2006, 12:30 PM	#2
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	It is my understanding that headhunters sew the mouth and eyelids closed (on the dis-membered heads) to prevent the spirit of the vanquished foe, from 'haunting' them, .......effectively they capture the soul. My question is this, do you think the human bone came from an ancestor? or from a past enemy? I would assume either way the talisman properties of this would be to empower it with the spirit of the bone's 'owner'. But, the fear of an enemy's spirit suggests the possibility that this came from an ancestor? A VERY INTERESTING DYJAK

11th June 2006, 02:25 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I am not 100% certain this bone is human: too much carving has obscured the silhouette. It does resemble superficially the Humerus (shoulder bone), but I would not bet my house (or even $100) on it. Recently, somebody sold a Naga Dao with a 100% real human Femur (Thigh bone) for a handle. Call it Eurocentric ( ) squeamishness or anything else equally PC and offensive at the same time, but I would never, ever bring a thing like that into my house! Human remnants need to be buried, not re-used. Let the headhunters do what they want, but I shall stay out of it.

11th June 2006, 02:28 PM	#4
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	It is not completely my field, but for the tsantsa the sewn eyes and mouth was indeed to keep the spirit in the hunted head to prevent haunting the hunters. The believe of the Dayak was that the spirit of the hunted enemy should feel welcome in his new village and helped to increase the power of his new tribe.

11th June 2006, 08:05 PM	#5
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	It was like this the head was taken give you the power from the man too the more heads the more power and the best warrior Ariel this is something off their culture and the head is from around 1850 that also can be seeing in many museums In south Amerika are people that take the skin off and schrunk the haed called the Jivaro s

12th June 2006, 12:21 AM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	TAKE A LOOK AT EBAY AUCTION #6284865742 IT IS A POSTCARD OF TWO SHRUNKEN MEN WHICH ARE IN A MUSEUM. THEY ARE NO LONGER ON DISPLAY AS THERE WAS SOME CONTROVERSY AS TO WHO MADE THEM AND WHEN. I BOUGHT THE CARD FOR A FRIEND OF MINE WHO LIKES SUCH STUFF AND HAD NEVER BOUGHT ON EBAY. IT WAS DONE IN THE SAME WAY AS THE JIVARO SHRINK THEIR ENEMYS HEADS WHICH WAS ONLY DONE IN SOUTH AMERICA TO MY KNOWLEGE. HEADHUNTING HAS BEEN A CUSTOM IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD AND PERHAPS WAS DONE IN EUROPE DURING PRIMATIVE TIMES. THERE WAS EVEN SEVERAL MOVIES AND A SUCESSFUL TV SHOW THAT RAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS HIGHLANDER MOST KEPT THE SKULL BONE AND HAD DIFFERENT CEREMONYS TO APPEASE THE SPIRITS. IN TIBET THE MONKS USE THE BONES OF THE OLDER MONKS FOR MANY THINGS AND OFTEN MADE A DRINKING CUP FROM THE TOP OF THE SKULL. I SUPPOSE IT WAS SYMBOLIC OF DRINKING OF THE KNOWLEGE OF THE OLDER MONK AND A WAY OF REMEMBERING AND HONORING THEIR TEACHINGS. THE DAYAKS OFTEN HAD A SPECIAL SKULL TREE OUTSIDE OF THE VILLAGE WHERE THEY WERE PLACED AND CEREMONYS PREFORMED UNTIL IT THEY WERE APPEASED AND COULD THEN BE SAFELY WELCOMED INTO THE VILLAGE AND HUNG IN A PLACE OF HONOR IN THE LONGHOUSE. THEIR SPIRITS THEN HELPED THE VILLAGE AND GAVE THEM POWER AND PRESTIGE. AT LEAST THAT IS HOW I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE, OF COURSE I AM NOT A DAYAK AND DIDN'T LIVE IN THOSE TIMES SO DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.