Evening star., 1933-03-31
us. SAVANT TELLS
OF HEAD HUNTERS
Stirling Explains How ANA
zon River Got Name Be-
fore University Club.

How did the Amazon River get its
name?
This was one Of the many things ex-
planned last nights by M. w. Stirling.
chief OF the Bureau of American
Ethnology, in lecture entitled. "a
Journey Among the Head Hunters of the
Amazon" at the University Club.
Portuguese adventures. once pushing
into section of Eastern Ecuador
Isolated from civilized contacts by the
andes Mountains to the west and
Wnirnng river rapids along the water
ways tnat are the only entrance from
sne eaSt. found tribes of rowing. dark
sklnned people, warlike, but, because of
their long, flowing black hair, feminine
In appearance.
rlndlng them powerful fighters, but
SIN believing they were women, they
returned with stories of the "Amazons'
living on river that soon bore
that name.
The "Amazons" actually were the
Jlvaro Indians, whom Mr.. Stirling re-
csnty visited, and photographs of
M Mlllon were flashed on stereopticon
A WarIike Nature.
Warfare Is the central feature of
,ne JlVaro cultural pattern" Mr.. Stir
Ing said. Though peaceable enough
IoMxTd the visitor who is kind to them
Efaefs in blood revenge and their
lfySneas spirit concepts make it nat
uaaL TO- the 80 or more tribes with a
common language to be continually
pattnng with each other
- a nan is killed. Only the life of
nm Nf hi 60, 41xr
avSnge 1t. Even if a death be from
SICKNESS or natural causes 1t is be-
ileVsa due to the spirit of some foe
ol the witch powers of hostile medi-
cine man or 'wishinu'.
Inc tribes organize to avenge the
ueatn. After days of prayer, fasting
ana song. a courier is dispatched to
INFORM the enemy they are to be at
lacked. Violation of this courtesy is
Lapoo, although it is considered fair
ior the enemy to kill the courier If he
- isa,: noI subtle enough to get away after
oeiiVerlng his message.
Prepare for Attack.
The enemy to be attacked-usually
Q uinal family of about 20 or 80
Narrlols-nfaEc5 a barricade of logs
outslus Its bamboo house. Pits with
snarp- Spikes OF hard chonta wood
seq up at the bc..sc.n ere camouflaged
Sth leaves and s-s-.slg traps set ON
the paths TO tlsir a53dc and the attack
awaited. Eo3s c-l2:ned near the house
howl the fatal hoar--usually IN the
scmi-darknc55 CT Gswn.
THE attackers attempt to hew their
way through the legs and bamboo,
while the defenders pclt them with
rocks and fire muzzle-loading shotguns
through chinks. The guns they obtain
occasionally frcnn itinerant traders.
"Once inside, the only weapon that
1t is honorable to use IS the lance
snd greater valor and cleverness is
shown if the eneEaT is statbod in the
back. If the avengers are successful |
they top off their victory by Staying |
enemy children and old people and |
carrying nnarriageable women off with |
them to keep house, cook and tend
their meager gardens of bananas and |
manioc plants.
4 Heads Are Shrunken.
/ "The heads of the enemy are severed, |
the skins removed, and treated so thai
they shrink to about the size of small
cranges-molded all the while to retain
the features of their late owners. These
heads are taken back to the victors'
settlement, where they are placed on |
laIlCeS ana lIlcauIaIlOllS mace TO kees0 |
the spirit of the slain foe bottled up
In the head-the home of the spirit, |
according to the Indian belief. Shrink |
ing is believed to lessen the chances
Of that spirit for escape"
: Then very soon what survivors re-
main of the defeated tribe reorganize |
and attack the vctors," Mr.. Stirling |
said.
The soul c; the slain warrior is be-
1ieved to take the form of a jaguar
cub, which takes about two years to |
mature. Hence the body of warrior |
is placed in coffin made of followed |
out log and left on a platform in |
jungle-but for two years food is |
brought and left beside it. After that, |
the Jivaros believe the soul can take |
care of itself.
The principal food OF the Indians is |
a combination food and drink made |
of manioc root that is called masato. |
Prepared by Jivaro wives, 10-gallon |
earthenware jars are kept in each |
house-often permitted to ferment SO
that it becomes Intoxicating.
Mr.. Stirling pointed out that after
the Indians believe the spirit of a slain
foe is forever imprisoned in head
they often trade it to white men as a
souvenir. The trade became so lucra-
tive that in Central America heads are
duplicated by an artificial process ana
sold
Mr.. Stirling was introduced by Albert
Stephan.