The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-30
HEAD-HuNTNe IN SAMOA.
How the Native warriors Measure
Their Victories.


How the Native warriors Measure
Their Victories.
Apia. Samoa, Jan. S.-Head- hunting, al
though about the only English word for
the thing. is a decided misnomer when
applied to the Samoan procedure. The
Samoans are not at all head-hunters in
the same sense as the Dyaks of the Malay
Seas. who set out on expeditions of which
the distinct aim is to gather heads, and
carefully dry the heads they have taken
by suspending them in smoke until suf
fciently preserved to ornament the family
rooftrec
The Samoans take heads only incident
ally. merely to serve temporary end as
measure of victory. After the heads
have served this purpose they are never
| dried or hung up for ornament. but may
be had on application by the next Of kin
of the former owners. II is a very an
cient custom OF the Samoans, If one may
repose confidence in the tellers of stories;
but as the custom is not to be found among
the other Polynesans of the Pacific there
seems reason to believe that 1t has sprung
up among the Samoans since the period
OF their great dispersion six or eight CEN
turtles ago. Be that it may, the Gus
tom certainly antedates the first coming
of the white men, for, living in ignorance
OF metals, the islanders fashioned 4 pc
culiar type OF club which their experience
proved possessed distinct advantages for
purposes of decapitation.
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 operation. An es-
sential feature of the type was a 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
"nifo oti," the tooth of death" Since
white men brought FORCES to the islands
the specialized club has been replaced by
long-handled knife or hanger very much
like the familiar machete. with the addi-
ton 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 the official beau. who are part OF
the social state in every Samoan village.
AT the dances and the frequent parades
and professions OF Samoan life villags
maids and village dandies take a conspicu-
Gus part in juggling these long and dan
gerous looking implements Of special
purpose in war.
Samoan battles scarcely deserve classifi-
cation as a hazardous risk. They are
fought for the most part at rather long
range and with uncertain aim. Not many
warriors are wounded and still fewer are
Killed. III too many on any one side are
found to be getting hurt that side scam
pers away out of danger. Whenever pos
sible the vanquished try to remove their
dead from the field. The wounded may be
left behind with perfect confidence They
will be in no danger of violence at the
hands OF the conquerors. But the slain
represent different aspect of battle. II is
no shame to Samoan fighting man to run
away. but the victor will lose all his pride
in victory unless he has good tale of
heads to show for it.
No Samoan would attempt decapitation
OF living and Directing person; but as
soon as it appears that the enemy is wa
vering in battle and is likely to re-
treat, then furious attack is made both
to turn the signs of wavering into rout
and so to annoy the fugitive army that it
will be prevented from carrying away its
dead. AS soon as the victors find them
selves securely established on the field of
battle they hunt for the enemy's dead and
promptly chop their heads of
The severed heads are carried about the
camp with ostentatious parade and finally
laid before the leader OF the war party
which has taken them. After serving as
the visible proof of victory which thew
Z
every head is perfectly well known by all
! who see 1t, the severed heads have no
further use. As soon as night has fallen
a stream OF women from the camp OF the
Yanquished begins to arrive and their
errand is 10 reclaim the heads of the
slain. They are cordially received and
entertained, for Samoan warfare is only
skin deep after all; they have no diff
Guilty in securing the 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
are assorted out TO the bodies with which
they were formerly associated. and both
are buried in some convenient spot which.
after the return OF peace. will be marked
by cairn of rock decorated with empty
bottles turned bottom up.
There is one thing as to which the
Samoan is set TO the last edge of obstinacy.
That is the Samoan custom. That is never
open to argument, debate. or alteration
Samoan fashion is good enough for all
Samoans. II it is absurd they will grant
the absurdity, but they will continue the
practice. When a Samoan can bolster I'D
Samoan custom by chapter and verse
from the Bible it is idle to think that he
can be moved from his position. The dues-
ton was put to one of the best of Sa-
means whether she approved of the GUS
tom OF decapitation. The woman could
speak English well. She had travelled
widely, and in the course of her~tra .els
had spent considerable periods in Australia
and the United States. She was happily
married. and seemed to bear much affec-
ton toward her good tempered giant of
husband. With all this. her only answer
was that it was the custom of Samoa. and
that what was good enough for Goliath
and John the Baptist was surely good
enough for the SamOans.