Among the Head-Hunters of FormosaMcGovern, Janet B. Montgomery
History
Among the Head-Hunters of Formosa
McGovern, Janet B. Montgomery
Ethnology -- Taiwan; Headhunters
Feasting and drinking follow the ceremony proper--or at least that part
of the ceremony just described. The concluding portion of the ceremony
consists in the drinking by bride and groom together from a skull.
This skull is preferably one which has been taken from an enemy by the
bridegroom himself, and among the Taiyal this is usually the case even
to-day. The Bunun and Paiwan often content themselves with drinking
from skulls taken by the father, or grandfather, of the groom; while
the other tribes, especially the Ami and Piyuma, have so far departed
from the ways of their fathers that a monkey’s skull, or occasionally a
deer’s skull, is now often substituted--for which effeminacy they are
held in great contempt by the Taiyal.
The newly married couple, among most of the aboriginal tribes of
Formosa, do not live with the parents of either bride or groom, their
custom in this respect also being more in accord with that of the
Occident than with that of most parts of the Orient.
After marriage they “set up housekeeping” for themselves, in a bamboo
or stone hut, according to the tribe.[81] As a matter of fact, among
the Taiyal, the newly married couple seem often to retire into the
forest or jungle for several days after the marriage ceremony,[82] and
only upon their return from this sylvan honeymoon does the bridegroom
build the hut, while the bride has her face tattooed by the priestesses
with the insignia of matronhood--a design which extends from lip to
ear, and which will be described at greater length under the head of
TATTOOING. The Taiyal women, alone, have their faces tattooed at
puberty and at marriage. Among the other tribes the state of matronhood
seems to be designated by the wearing of a turban, or head-cloth.
The Piyuma tribe presents the only exception to the rule that after
marriage young people are expected to set up house-keeping on their own
account. In this tribe, which is matrilocal, as well as matripotestal,
the bridegroom transfers himself and all his belongings to the home of
the bride, and is thenceforth known as a member of her family.[83]
Among none of the tribes did I find evidence of exogamy--in the usually
accepted sense of that word. The regulations restricting the marriage
of near relatives are, however, rigid. Marriage of first cousins is
forbidden; or rather it is “frowned upon,” as regards the marriage
of cousins on either side of the family. But among the Ami, Piyuma,
Tsarisen, and Paiwan tribes marriage with the first cousin on the
mother’s side is absolutely forbidden. Among the other tribes it is
marriage with the first cousin on the father’s side that is strictly
tabu. Nor does it ever seem to occur to the young people even to
attempt to defy these tribal tabus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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