The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-24
HEADS as TROPHIES,
sAMoANs oI9AslTATs THsia FOES
SLAIN ~ BATTLE.

1 ~AseE Euru0tp8 Inelr GreW60m(
Prises AS Tokens Of Victory They
Are Returned to the Women Of thu
vanduishsd Faction.
| Head hunting, although about the only
English words for the thing, is decided
misnomer when applied to the Samoan
procedure. Tho Samoans arc not at all
head hunters In tho same sense as the
Dyaks Of the Malay seas, who set outrou
expeditions Of which the distinct aim Is Ia
gather heads and carefully dry the heads
they have taken by suspending them In
smoke until sufficiently preserved to orna.
ment the family rooftree.
The Samoans take heads only incidental.
~, merely to serve temporary end as q
measure Of victory After the heads have
served this purpose they are never dried
and hung up for ornament but may be
had on application by tho next Of kin of
the former owners It Is very anciont
custom of the 6anoans, II one may repose
confidence In the tellers Of stories, but as
the custom Is not found among the other
Polynesians Of the Pacific there seems rea-
son to believe that 1t has sprung up among
the Samoans since tho period of their great
NAcPSASioh Ola VI COuUuFlcS ago
BE that as 1t may, the custom certainly
antedates tho first coming Of the white
men, for, living in ignorance of metals,
tho islanders fashioned peculiar type Of
club which their experience proved pos
scssed distinct advantages for purposes of
docapitation. The heading clubs had a
thin but deep blade and were made Of very
dense wood, which would take an edge
and not easily chip through the common
accidents Of its use for this particular oper-
alton. An essential feature Of the tyne
was sharp and rather long hook or spine
recurring from the tip Of the blade along
its back. This was designed for carrying
the severed head and gave this class Of
clubs the name info oti" the tooth Of
death'D.
Since white men brought FORCES to the
islands the specialized club has been re.
placed by long handled knife or hanger
very much like the familiar machete, with
tho addition Of the hook at the end, which
is an essential. The old name still clings
to the steel heading knives, which between
wars serve as dancing favors or toys for
the official maid and tho official beau, who
are part Of the social state In every So.
moan village. At the dances and the fire.
quent parades and professions of Samoan
life village maids and village handles take
a conspicuous part in Juggling these long
and dangerous looking implements of a
special purpose in war.
Samoan battles scarce,v dosarv. c,oss;a-
cation as a hazardous risk Tbev arc
fought for the most part at rather long
range and with uncertain aim Not many
=
killed. If too MANY on any one side ara
found to be getting hurt, that side scamp-
ers away out of danger, Whenever nossi.
bio tho vanquisbed try to remove their
dead from the field. The wounded NAV
be left behind with perfect contldence
They will DO in no danger of violence at
the hands of tho copdilerors ant tbe
slain represent different osnect of hattie
1t Is no shame to Samoan flgbting man
to run away. but the victor will lose Nil
his pride in victory unless he has n good
tale of heads to show for n No Samoan
would attempt decan,tation of Iising
and obiccting person. but az soon as n op.
pears that tho enemy is wagering In battie
and ia likely to retreat then 4 frr,ous ot.
tack is made both to turn tbe SIGNS ~
wayerina into rout and 80 to annov tbo
fugitive army that # will he nrcvontoJ
from CARRYING away its dead AZ COON 40
the yictors find themselves securelv est,h,
lished OH the field of battle tbcv limit for
the enemys dead and promptly chon their
heads off.
The severed heads arc carried .bout tbe
camp with ostentatious norodo and finally
lai1 before tho leader ~ tho NAV na,ty,
which has taken them After serving no
the visible proof of victory which tbev can
do In n hirh degree inssmucL aa everv
head ia perfeotly we'll known nv nil who
see 1t, the severed heads hayo no further
use. AS soon ms night has fallen n streon
of women from the c.,nn of the yano,,isb.
cd begins to arriye,andF their errand ia to
reclaim the heads of the ela,n Thev are
cordially received and entertained for So-
moan warfare is only skin deem After nil
They have no difficulty in securInu tho
heads which they have come after, and.
unmolested, they set out for the camp of
their party, carrying the heads In cocoanut
baskets, The heads arc assorted out To
the bodies with which tbey were formerly
associated, and both are buried in some
convenient SPOT which after tho return
of peace will be marked nv n cajrn NJ rock
decorated with emntv BOTTLES turnnd hot.
toms up.
There ia A. law Of tho Samoan eovern-
mept providing dire nenaltics unon those
who chon heeda in wnr Tho Somo,n
government ia very doci,o undor tho
prompting of the white officials in An,a mr.
of others whom IL desires tn enco,,rage
The parliament Of native chiefs will mass
any law suggested to IL and will assign