Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-10-07
ASIATlC TRIBE HUNTS HEADS
TO INSURE A GOOD HARVEST
Was Believe Seed Grain Must Be
Charmed and Conjured
With Skulls.

Ralph +. Henderson. Harvard
graduate who has spent the past eight
months travelling In southern Asia, has
just completed trip through the
British "unadminlstered territory" OF
northeastern Burma and into the Chi
nese province of Yunnan, neither OF
which have been thoroughly explored
by white men.
Among the Wild tribes encountered
on this trip were the head hunting
Was. Hitherto little has been definite
~ known concerning the life and Gus
toms of this tribe. rs most Of those
who intruded upon Wa territory failed
to return The Was do not hunt heads
primarily from cannlbalistlc motives,
but rather because Of their belief that
their crops will fail unless some fresh
human skulls are imported every year.
Under this impression they organize
head-hunting expeditions every spring.
and II Is small consolation to the I'M
fortunate traveller who falls Into their
hands that II Is only his skull that Is
wanted.
Writing OF the wild Was. Mr. Hen
derson says:
1.-THE Was are especially keen on
hunting heads during February. March
and April-just before the planting
season. From the Wa angle Of looking
ut II the business isn't the madness
we take IL to be. II Is convention
and quite as reasonable as afternoon
tea Every decently religious Wa
knows that unless the seed grain Is
properly charmed and conjured with
a human head the crop raised from
II will be a failure And who wants to
starve? In fact, II worst comes to
worst and there are no heads forth
coming from raids on neIghbors the
Was prefer 10 take the head OF some
feeble person In the village rather than
run the risk OF scant crops and conse-
quent empty stomachs.
'In February, March and April, then.
the wild Wa men go hunting. OF
course. any head that offers Itself to
ue Eunttltu IL uS kutnC
and II behooves the mar working
alone cutting jungle or the woman hoe
Ing alone In the field to be cautious
when the Was are afoot. A common
artltice Is 10 barricade some jungle
highway and lie in ambush, some just
behind the barricade some on either
side. to rush down on the TANKS of any
party caught In the trap.
Heads of men. women and children
over twelve years old are acceptable.
Heads marked with smallpox. for su-
perstitious reasons. are not desired.
4 successful foray Is one which yields
one or more corpses. Immediately the
heads are cut off and put In bags.
Then back home go the rejoicing Was,
not neglectlng TO take the bodies along
for the larier and raising a tremen-
dous whooping and hullabaloo along
the way. Al home there is ceremony
to perform. The wife or mother of the
man who made the kill takes the
wall over II formally. She must wash
the blood from the dead face and wall
an International song as she does so.
She must work herself into a senti-
mental frenzy. which feat under the
circumstances IL usually easy OF per-
Torrance. II her wailing lacks the
ring of genulneness her husband helps
TO supply that which is lacking by
heating her.
This song. strangely enough, be-
seeches the aid of the spirit Of the
head and addresses II as mighty
ruler Ii Is this spirit which is 10 pro-
mote the growth Of the crops. and II
must be treated with great reverence.
heard this song once.
After the head has been washed
and walled over. raw egg IL put into
the dead mouth TO feed the spirit
Then the head Is thrust up on pole.
A basket of seed paddy (rice) is put
under 1t and left for few days"