Headhunters Story Phenomenon in Rural Indonesia

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They hunt down the head of their enemies, but was able to live peacefully with strangers.

MARCO POLO, adventurers of Italy, could hardly believe what he saw in Perlak, in the north of Sumatra (Indonesia), in 1292. He saw people living in the mountains eating human flesh. Contrasts with the population living in cities Perlak, where people are more civilized, even after dealing with Islamic traders, they move from worshiping idols become followers of Muhammad's teachings. He wrote it in the account of the journey. He knew his record would be surprising, and perhaps not many people believed. Because of that, he gets sworn to convince readers.

Phenomenon story of Headhunters was written by Hendaru Tri Hanggoro, a correspondent Historia - The first online history magazine in Indonesian that presented popularly. As in his article, stated, after five months later, Marco Polo towards Pidie, other northern regions of Sumatra. In this place, he found a family eating whole body of a member of his own family who died due to illness. "I assure you that they even ate all the marrow in the bones of the man," wrote Marco Polo in “Para Kanibal dan Raja-Raja: Sumatera Utara Pada 1920-an” published in Sumatera Tempo Doeloe work of Anthony Reid.

Different from Marco Polo in Sumatra, in the manuscript history of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) Book 323 - Sejarah Dinasti Ming (1368-1643) Buku 323-, described a tribe of head hunters in Wu-long-and-li, inland Banjarmasin. The head hunter tribe called the Beaju-Be-oa-jiu in pronunciation Hokkien (Fujian) south-, a large tribe of Dayaks in the hinterland. They roam at night to cut and collect human heads. "The head is they take a run and decorated with gold. The traders are very afraid of them, "wrote WP Groeneveldt in the archipelago in Chinese records - Nusantara Dalam Catatan Tionghoa.

At that time, the story of headhunting in the interior of central and eastern archipelago has been widespread among explorers from around the world, similar to the tale of cannibalism. But interest in the archipelago never subsided. The ships of the important ports in Europe still sailed into the archipelago to trade. Slowly they crawl up the archipelago and its hinterland to meet with a human head hunter tribe.

March 1648, tribal war has been going on for days in Seram. The war involved the villagers in the coastal area and the mountain called Alifuru. Although not known for certain, VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Campaignie) reported many deaths. Victims of the coastal region was found without a head. Ambon Governor Robert Padtbrugge send one team to seek peace. In addition, he asked the team to examine indigenous people Alifuru head hunting.

The team returned to Ambon without result. War still raged. And they can not explain exactly why people hunt and collect Alifuru his head. "In the presence of the governor, the team reported the results of research on the beliefs of Alifuru. Though claimed to have worked well, they did not succeed to clearly explain because Alifuru people very occult. They can not understand it, "writes Gerrit J. Knaap in “The Saniri Tiga Air (Seram)”, Jurnal KITLV  Vol. 149 No. 2 (1993).

The team is only able to explain that hunting the indigenous enemy head is an indispensable part of life for people Alifuru rite unnoticed at first. For people Alifuru, head hunt the enemy has occupied an important position in social life and beliefs. Surprisingly, it was not their custom to do to strangers, both Western Europe and other parts of the archipelago. Their acceptance of foreigners is very good. In fact, they are willing to negotiate peace through the medium of VOCs, although it ultimately failed attempt.

Meanwhile, in Sulawesi, head hunting has been known to take place before the arrival of the Dutch. Bare'e Toraja people who live in Central Sulawesi always take the heads of their enemies in each battle, as long as possible. They must kill and cut off his head quickly so that the enemy did not longer suffer.

Enemy's head then taken to their village. The ceremony was performed. "The head is needed as the end of the war and ordination in the temple as a sign of a person has become a mature and courageous," wrote RE Downs in "Head-Hunting in Indonesia", Journal KITLV Vol. No. 111. 1 (1995).

Head hunting in Sulawesi has continued until the arrival of the Europeans. Alfred Russel Wallace, the famous British naturalist, who visited Manado on June 10, 1859, to get the story straight from the local population (Minahasa). The human head is used to decorate tombs and houses. "They're like a human head hunting tribe of Dayaks in Borneo ... When a chief dies, two new pieces of severed human heads used to decorate his grave ... human skull is the most preferred decoration for home chieftain," Wallace wrote in his notes , published in Indonesia Timur Tempo Doeloe 1544-1992 by George Miller.

Although Wallace's population live in the middle of the head hunters, Wallace did not feel threatened. In fact, he was actually impressed with the mental character of the Minahasa. "They also have the mental and moral character are unique," wrote Wallace. "Their attitude calm and smooth."

Indigenous hunting is not always maintained by the head of the tribes of the interior. In Borneo, for example, an agreement was made between the tribes to stop killing each other (habunu), cut off the heads (hakayau), and enslaving (hajipen). Agreement in 1894 with the name of the illustrious Peace Meeting - Rapat Damai Tumbang Anoi. Previously, some tribes in Borneo Headhunters famous as the enemy. A writer nationality Norway confirmed that image through his book published in 1881, The Head-Hunters of Borneo. In this book, Carl Bock wrote the tribes with mandau, spear, and shield, for a head hunting. After getting the head of the enemy, a person is entitled to get a tattoo symbol of manhood.

Borneo tribes have varied reasons for doing head hunting, like revenge, a sign of strength and pride, purification of the soul an enemy, or a form of self-defense. This is because the Borneo inhabited by various tribes so that each tribe has a different view of ngayau (head hunting). "I'm sure none of that analysis could explain exactly practices and meanings of head hunting ...," wrote Yekti Maunati in Identitas Dayak. "Among the Dayaks themselves there are various beliefs and mythology."

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