Among the Head-Hunters of Formosa

s-"Mother-right" and Age-grade Sys

but the four which most forcibly impress the visitor or student of aboriginal custo

a

of view of the tribes-peo

b

ed than is usual, even among prim

c

ing property in common-which exi

d

kingly impress one who goes among them after having spent some time in China or Japan,

1

s in various parts of the world; it is the combination of these, welde

ibe will realize how closely this custom is interwoven with the fabric of their whole social organization. It regulates the social and political standing of the men of the tribe; it is directly connected with marriage-no head, no wife;

xamples of this kind, we shall be less severe on a Dyak who cuts off a man's head solely that he may carry this[111] trophy to his bride; for if he did otherwise he would be repulsed by all." The same charity for which Deniker pleads in judgment of the Dyak may well be extended to the Formosan aborigine, who never thus seeks private vengeance, whatever his provocation, on on

among the Bunun and the Paiwan to a lesser extent at the present time than among the Taiyal. Among

these boys are the sons of famous head-hunters and that their hands have been laid upon heads decapitated by their fathers; or that they have carried these heads in net-bags upon their backs. This, by tribal code, entitles them to the successful head-hunter's tattoo-mark. Incidentally, it must be understood that whil

going on such an expedition an omen is always consulted-usually a bird-omen, of which I shall speak more fully under the head of Religion-and it depends upon the favourable or unfavourable indication of the omen as to whether the expedition is undertaken forthwith or is postponed. T

weave into clothing. Except for the studious tending of the fires in their respective huts-for if these were allowed to go out, it would be considered a most evil omen-they do little until they hear

e dance that follows the feast, in which both men and women participate, the Formosan aborigines forming an exception to the rule laid down by Deniker that Malay men do not dance. As in feasting and dancing, so do the women also take part in the drinking of wine-made by themselves from millet-and in the smoking of tobacco. Among the[114] Taiyal, as among most of the ot

en decorated with bits of metal-bartered from the Chinese-in imitation of

th, it continued to flourish and to spread, in spite of what in Europe and in America would be called lack of cultivation. Now smoking is universal among all the tribes of the main island of Formosa. Among the Yami alone-of Botel Tobago-it is, up to the pr

TRIBE

F IN A TAI

1

often the last addition to a pile of others-and food and millet-wine are placed in front of it, food being sometimes inserted into its mouth. The chief (often a woman), or high-priestess, of the village offers to the

t in bringing about other victories, and thus addin

all the tribes. Among one tribe-the Paiwan-it is believed that the spirits of ancestors dwel

as head-hunters. A statement to this effect is made in the Encyclop?dia Britannica (see article under the head of "Formosa"). This, however, I believe to be a mistake; as did also George Taylor, for many years light-house keeper at South Cape (Garanbi), under the Chinese regime; one who probably knew the aborigines more intimately than any white man since the time

mbers of the Paiwan people. Whether these "great boats" were Chinese junks or Spanish ships from the Philippines, I do not know. At any rate, among the Paiwan, the killing of strangers-except those with fair hair and blue eyes (which would ind

(the Paiwan) took refuge in a "secret place among the hills," but they were betrayed by the crowing of a cock, which revealed their hiding-place

and gentle people dwell in chickens"-it is not possible to give too great credence to Paiwan tradition, or to their own explanation of their custom;

s, such as Paiwan, Piyuma, and Ami, that the raising of chickens, for

, from those of the other tribes is that once every five years on these festive days the Paiwan play a game called Mavayaiya. This game consists of a contest between several warriors, each trying to impale on a bamboo lance a bundle-now made of bark-which is tossed into the air, the one who catches it on the point of his lance being considered the victor. Tradition among them assert

follow. The old people of the Piyuma tribe explain that in the "good days of old," when their tribe was a large and powerful one, a prisoner, captured from some other tribe, was always sacrificed on these festal occasions, but now they-like the Paiwan, with their Mavayaiya-have to be satisfied with an inferior substitute. It seems that one of the reasons why a monkey is considered so particularly inferior a substitute for a man is that the form

yal. Many of the honours which were formerly paid to the successful Paiwan head-hunter are now paid to the successful h

rous savages"-they have returned to the use of bows and arrows such as were used by their ancestors before guns were introduced among them. The bow is simple, usually made of wood of the catalpa tree, the bow-string being

apanese arrows are; also that in shooting the arrow, this is always placed on the lef

of head-hunting, and those customs which a

NG WOMAN IN FRONT OF THE

rather "Irish" remark holds true not only as regards the Taiyal, but as regards other tribes as well. One often sees the queen, or woman-chief, of a tribal group borne on [121]the shoulders of her subjects, as she goes about the village, so that her sacred feet may not touch the ground. So clos

their children to live until they themselves are thirty-seven years of age.[59] This curious statement was made by one of the old Dutch chroniclers of the seventeenth century, and has been repeated, doubtless in good faith-on the strength of the Dutch records-by more modern writers. Of this custom, however, I saw no trace in any of the tribes during my residence among them. On the contrary, I saw many young mothers-of various[122] tribes-nursing and tending their babies with greatest devotion. It is true that with them, as with many primitive peoples, twins ar

strict age-grade, or system of rank regulated according to age, seems to exist a

use. So strictly is the age-grade[123] system observed among the Piyuma that there are two club-houses: one for boys from twelve to fifteen years of age; the other for young men over fifteen. In both bachelor-houses-that of the boys and that of the young men-the strictest discipline prevails. A certain number of youths are assigned the duty of keepi

a) that living apart makes the young men more courageous and intrepid, especially as the bachelor-houses are usually decorated with skulls of slain enemies of the tribe, or tribal group; and (b) that it makes for c

imilar to Indonesian[124] buildings, often ten feet above ground. Entrance t

calls a custom of the Hawaians and other Polynesians-that is, on fe

n and women of the same age are accorded equal privileges, greatest deference always being paid to the oldest. In some respects, the Ami

ereditary, the choice usually falling upon a priestess whose ministrations have been especially successful either in driving away the rain-d

deal out daily supplies of millet to the women of the different families comprising the tribal group. It

e "hunting stage" of civilization as regards the men; yet the women scratch the ground with a short-handled primitive hoe, and thus raise millet and sweet potatoes, besides digging away the rankest of the weeds from about the roots of the tobacco plants. Whether being concerned with the raising and storing of the staples of life-millet and sweet potatoes-and with the gathering and curing of the tobacco-leaves and the making of wine-life's luxuries-has given women the ascendancy which they undoubtedly possess is a question. Personally I should be inclined

so inhabited by a people evidently of Indonesian extraction, the same state of affairs seems to exist as regards the relation of the sexes. In Formosa this certainly is not due to contact wit

hey are almost always settled either by the queen, or chief-priestess alone, or by a "palaver" or meeting of remonstrance on the part of all the elderly[127] women of the group. Theft within the group seems unknown among any of the tribes; this also applies to those who are accepted as guests of the tribal group.

ty ever seems to arise. It is understood that each man who is physically able will take part in the hunting, and thus contribute his share toward keeping the group supplied with meat. Equally it is understood that every woman not ill or aged will take part in the cultivation, harvesting, and storing of food-stuffs. Millet and sweet potatoes are k

n recently introduced by the Japanese. Among those who have never come into contact with the J

or near the coast, and who have been for some time in contact with the Chinese and Japanese-still count by "hands": that is, one hand equals five; two hands, ten, etc.

that of[129] other Malay and Oceanic peoples, and most of all with that of the Chinese and Japanese. One of the latter, a government official in Formosa, with whom I was thrown into contact in connection with my expeditions into savage territory, pitied the seban (savages) for not havi

and Japanese-adultery is punished with death, an unfaithful husband suffering the