MURDER FOR A HOBBY.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 143, 29 July 1926, Page 1

MURDER FOR A HOBBY.

DANCE MAD. An astonishing account of the little known head-hunting tribes inhabiting the Dutch island of Nias, off the coast of Sumatra, is furnished by Dr A. Pon sel, a returned explorer. The decoration of the projecting roof-beams of the bamboo houses in th« villages, stays Dr PonscJ. consists- partly of hanging human skulls, decapitatehuman heads playing a great part in all the festivals, despite the efforts of both the Dutch Government and mis sionaries. Heads fall when a chieftain assumes a higher title, when a new village or a new house is built, at the death of the chieftain or any influential man, on occasions of illness—in short, on every possible occasion. The motive for the cutting off of beads at funerals is explained by the statement that the spirit of the dead man seeks to disturb his successor in his new possessions. This can be prevented only by the spirit of a person killed especially for the purpose, and if the dead man was particularly powerful the locfeil priest decides that the number of heads mus be greater than ordinary. Out of Pig Troughs. A man planning to give an especially gorgeous festival invites other warriors to go head-hunting with him. He feeds them plentifully with rice and pork, but furnishes no plates. They must eat out of a pig trough as a delicate intimation that if thov uomo home without heads at their girdles they are no better than pigs. The hunters, moreover, take a sort of oath, saying to their host, ‘ 1 if we bring home no heads for you, take our own’and those of our wives and children” — : a very literal embodiment of the old saying, “on my head be it!” The victim, however, is sometimes ransomed at the last minute—this being often done in the case of funerals. At every opportunity the people dance, but most of all at funerals, which are continued for four days and three nights. Drums and gongs arc beaten immediately after death, am l the dirge of the dead begins, while, ii: the evening, the neighbours visit the house and express their sympathy by howling. The dance proceeds all night long while the descendants of the dead sing his praises and beat their breasts continuously wilh wooden staves. At Dawn. y All this is done to keep the evil spirits far away. Pigs are killed and the guests are fed towards morning, and when daylight comes the silk-covered coffinboard is brought out, the images of ancestors placed in it/ and the friends of the dead, bearing veils hung on their spears, stand at the head of the coffin to keep evil spirits away. The able-bodied lighting men of the village, armed to the teeth, now enter the house and appraise the value of the goods it contains in order to estimate the number of pigs which ought to lx killed according to the rank of the departed. The body, arrayed in festive gar ments, is then borne forth to the gravon its bier, the women trying to hold it back to show how dear* to them the dead man was.