Heads | Prepare for display Harness spirits Compel to serve |
W
hen I captured this image, it caused me to think of shrunken heads. So I did a little post capture research. It turns out that the practice of shrinking heads was formerly the forte of the Jivaroan tribes of South America. The act of producing shrunken heads originally had religious significance; the heads were believed to conquer and destroy the spirit of slain enemies, preventing their souls from continuing into the afterlife where they could be a nuisance.
Surprisingly the outside world created an external demand for shrunken heads in the nineteenth century, and thus a new purpose emerged – economic development. The murder rate increased dramatically in an effort to supply collectors and tourists. During the 1930s heads were prepared to order and sold for approximately $25.00. This was halted when the Peruvian and Ecuadorian governments outlawed shrunken head trade.
Currently, replica shrunken heads are manufactured as curios for tourists. These are made from leather fashioned to resemble the originals. The presence or absence of nasal hair is evidence as to whether a shrunken head is authentic or a replica. I was not able to get close enough to check the noses of the heads in today's image.
