Head Hunter Weapons

[trenchwarfare]

The reason I list the Kampilan, is that I have a reference that attributes it's origin, to the Sea Dayaks. Who were notorious headhunters. In fact, I read that they would hire themselves out to the Maylays, as mercenaries. "Will fight for heads!" And that's all that they wanted. My research has revealed, that almost every culture, has been headhunters, at one time, or another. If not heads, some other body part(s). A question, are there any headhunter groups, that used the Talibon?

[spiral]

The kukri & the kora have also taken lots of heads for many different reasons over the years.

Spiral

[Jim McDougall]

An interesting topic, and truly a formidable task Trenchwarfare! All the more so because discussion and research on this subject can easily lead to misperceptions and inadvertantly inflammatory comments on specific ethnic groups.
As was once well said by Alan Maisey, we must be cautious in examining cultural and traditional practices of certain ethnic and tribal groups, as we cannot guage such practices by our standards. I once read a book, I cannot recall the title now, but it was to the effect of headhunting in the Solomon Islands. The title itself was frankly bone chilling, but intriguing and as an always curious student of anthropology, I was compelled to go through it.

Naturally sensational accounts using the headhunter term abound in adventure narratives of the 20's and 30's, and I am pretty sure that our local sage on Oceanic and native tribes of various Pacific and other archipelagos, Vandoo, can present some great examples with his very discerning perspective revealing actual vs. sensational veneer.

Lets proceed with caution, and I look forward to a great discussion!!!!

All best regards,
Jim

[Emanuel]

I have an article on headhunting in Montenegro, "Head-Hunting in the Balkans", Durham M. Edith, Man Vol23 (1923):19-21, if anyone is interested. Apparently a late-19th early 20th centuries practice in some parts of Montenegro, of young men bringing back Ottoman and other heads as trophies. There are anecdotes of women going into "enemy" camps by night to recuperate the heads of loved ones. Hunting was carried out with "khanjars", no pictures are given, but I'm assuming this refers to yataghan and karakulaks.
An interesting read.

Emanuel

[trenchwarfare]

Yes Emanuel, would be very interested. I have found numerous accounts of the collecting of heads, throughout the balkan region. Especially during WWII. On a website, I saw a picture of the head or a Colonel on a table. There was also a picture of a man, being decapitated with a big wood saw! Looked like the same Colonel. Even photos of childrens heads. It is rumored that the practice was revived, during the "Ethnic Cleansing" of the 1990's. I know it was revived big time, During WWII in the Pacific. This could have led many US personnel to follow suit, especially, if he saw the locals doing it. Very morid, but fasinating subject. The search goes on

[fearn]

I have to agree with Jim about the care and caution part.

One question is where to draw the line: Scalps, for instance? How about modern terrorists?

I have a certain (probably romantic) sympathy with the tropical tribesmen who needed to kill a man in another tribe in order to become a man themselves. In a hostile environment, this type of reciprocal headhunting limited the population, allowing them to live sustainably (whether they intended it or not). Conversely, I don't want to see any more videos of hostages getting beheaded, and I'm uninterested in collecting Iraqi swords that are capable of the deed. Where to draw the line is the hard part.

Best,

F

[Rick]

Just for fun ?
Jean Leon Gerome .

http://www.painting-in-oil.com/enlarge-id-9265.html