#Jivaroans

[peacemore-springs]

Harnessing The Spirit via Shrinking Heads

Certainly! The practice of creating tsantsa, or shrunken heads, is a fascinating and complex tradition among the Jivaroan peoples of Ecuador and Peru, particularly the Shuar tribe.

Purpose and Beliefs

The primary purpose of shrinking heads was to harness the spirit of the deceased enemy. The Jivaroans believed that by doing so, they could prevent the spirit from seeking revenge and instead, use its power to protect the tribe and bring good fortune.

Process

Decapitation: The head of the enemy was removed.

Skinning: The skin was carefully peeled away from the skull.

Boiling: The skin was then boiled in a special mixture of herbs and water to shrink it.

Drying: After boiling, the head was dried using hot stones and sand, which further reduced its size.

Shaping: The head was shaped and sewn to maintain its form, with the eyes and mouth sewn shut to trap the spirit inside.

Cultural Significance

Tsantsas were not just trophies of war but held deep spiritual significance. They were used in rituals and ceremonies to honour the warrior who captured the head and to invoke the power of the spirit contained within. The process was believed to harness the spirit of that enemy and compel him to serve the shrinker.

Modern Perspective

Today, the practice of creating tsantsas and compelling enemies to serve their shrinkers has largely ceased. The Jivaroan peoples have moved away from these traditions. However, tsantsas remain a significant part of cultural heritage and learning.

In Summation

Do you have knowledge of such sacrificial practices being adopted or created by other gangs of peoples living in other parts of the world?

If so.... research and write about it. The incremental nature of such an experience could very well encourage catharsis and help cleanse your body, mind, and spirit of any unwanted defilements you may or may not be carrying round with you.

[dontswallow]

Shrunken head (tsantsa) of a 12 year old boy. Descriptions say he's the son of a chief but Jivaroan peoples don't have chiefs. Heads are only taken during wars of extermination

[sins-of-the-sea]

//More and more I am so happy I am spending more time double-checking if something is appropriate for a first-gen Haitian conwoman taken from the Gold Coast in the 1600s. So much is being improved on Abena that she is starting to generally lose the "voodoo bullshitting witch" vibe in favor or "West African bullshitting witch" tribe instead. Take note that the "bullshitting" element is still paramount--Abena is mostly making shit up when she goes on all out with the confidence tricks. It's based on WHAT she'd be bullshitting on that is important considering the time period and her life experiences as an Akan woman forced to live in Spanish-era Haiti, as opposed to the more popular French-era.

For example: the practice of shrinking heads is more specifically an Amazon thing (so South America). So attributing this practice to any part of Africa, unless it is documented, would be really inappropriate as well as incorrect. Sure, headhunting is a thing practiced everywhere, but the actual practice of shrinking heads to the size of apples and displaying them on string is done by certain indigenous tribes of South America, particularly the Jivaroan and their subgroups.

So that is one thing to remove from Abena. As much as those tiny skulls are fake, they're intended to invoke the imagery of shrunken heads. I'm not seeing shrunken heads being used at all by real life voodoo, fake or no. More than likely folks conflate shrunken heads with voodoo the same way they may conflate jinn with India, or kimonos with China. Cultural mishmashing via ignorance and not understanding how cultural influences and cultural history actually works.

Either way, Abena would be from a time where syncretism hasn't taken a real solid hold of Haiti as it would by the time of the French; Abena can very definitely tell you what parts of her life was Akan, what is European, and what is natively Haitian/Caribbean. So there is no way to justify using shrunken head imagery unless Akan religion makes use of them (which I am finding no evidence of). So they gotta go.

[greywindys]

Remember when Jamie posted that picture of Murdocs grandfather? Some people thought he looked Asian but I thought he looked a bit Peruvian, I know in TA it was his mom but he could have Peruvian on his fathers side too? It’s got me thinking even more that the writers or people on the team may have read TA at some point and decided to add bits and pieces into canon *coughs now give us 2doc coughs*

Yes!! I remember that! Now that I’m looking at it again, I see what you mean! I feel like someone posted the source of the photo, but I could be thinking of another photo. In any case, I wish we knew where the photo came from! I have some thoughts...

1. Jamie didn’t specify whether it was a pic of Murdoc's paternal or maternal grandfather, so for all we know, that person could be his mother’s father.

2. I’ve never considered Murdoc having Asain heritage, but I think that’s very cool!

3. There are a lot of coincidences that support the Latino hc and it’s pretty spooky, but also cool! This ask inspired me to scroll through Jamie’s instagram again, and remember the picture of a shrunken head that Jamie labeled, “Niccals”? Well, to provide some history on shrunken heads, per Wikipedia (lol): The practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest. Jivaroan peoples which include the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes from Ecuador and Peru are known to have shrunken human heads.

Sooo yeah! Astute observation, anon. Was it intentional on the part of Gorillaz? Idk! I don’t know how much we rely on them to give us any more information about Murdoc’s family, but it would make me happy. I’d also be thrilled if he was Latino (Peruvian or otherwise, whether it was inspired by my fic or not), but I’m also realistic and aware that the chances of that are slim. 

[katestomb]

Shruken heads perched on spears decorate the underworld

SHRUNKEN HEAD

A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes.Headhunting has occurred in many regions of the world, but the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest. Jivaroan peoples, which includes the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes from Ecuador and Peru.

- Read more

[pucaart]

i'll never not be confused as to why the shrunken head on the bus in The Prisoner of Azkaban is Jamaican??? it's deeply bizarere. shrunken heads come from the Jivaroan people in Peru and Ecuador!!

i mean like HP never handled non-english cultures especially well, and non-european cultures even less so them going "ehhhh it's one of those dark skinned people who live in tribes" makes sense with the general worldbuilding ethos of HP but STILL like that is a bizarre oversight. did no one on the production of that movie ever look up what a shrunken head actually is?????? Also it was ADDED into the movie it wasn't part of the books. WHO GREENLIT THIS? MULTIPLE PEOPLE had to have read the script and designed the character and cast it and put the prop together and animate it and did no one in that production line ever go "hey wait why are we making this weird racist shrunken head in the first place and also why is it not even from the same cultural ballpark as the one where shrunken heads actually came from"

[golden-age-of-wireless]

JIVAROAN CULTURE, MODERN ECUADOR AND PERU - SHRUNKEN HEAD (TSANTSA)

[joscusu03]

Real Human Skulls For Sale

Written for laymen as well as academics, Overmodeled Skulls will appeal to anyone with an interest in anthropology, ethnology, tribal art, Real Human Skulls For Sale , and the material culture of indigenous peoples. Since ancient times, skulls have been covered with clay, putty, and plaster to restore to them the appearance of a living human face. These revered artifacts were then used as part of ancestor veneration and in funerary rituals. The examples discussed in this book originate from Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, the Near East and the Holy Land, South America, and North America. Written by Dr. James L. Castner.

Shrunken heads are ceremonial artifacts that were created by the Jivaroan Indian cultures of Ecuador and Peru. They are Human Skull Museum heads that have been reduced to the size of a closed fist, using a process that is not found in any other region of the world. This book contains beautiful, full-page portraits of more than 40 shrunken heads, and discusses the Shuar (Jívaro) culture. Written by Dr. James L. Castner

This hard-to-find book features a plethora of beautiful photos of ossuaries across Europe.

Summary by the author: From today's point of view piles of bones and skulls seem macabre, but not so long ago they were part of Human Skulls For Sale life all across the then Roman Catholic Europe: From the middle-ages up to the 19th century, ossuaries have been an important part of the burial culture. But not only that: The collection of human bones was also connected to various religious practices – from praying for the "poor souls", magical exercises seeking help from the dead and more to mundane acts like playing soccer with human skulls. If you have ever wondered what our ancestors thought while building structures made of human remains, Eternal Rest welcomes you to this world, rich in stories, meaning, and hope.

[historyupdates-blog]

Jivaro Heads better known as Tzantza, this was an indigenous practice done by the Jivaroan people in Ecuador and Peru

[withinthedarkness-blog]

Between Eastern Ecuador and Northern Peru, lies a community known as the jivaroan tribe. These crazed man-hunters would ritually have raiding parties in which they’d kill the men and women, and take younger women as their brides. Once the heads have been collected by their victims, they’re shrunken by cutting open the back of the head and removing the skull and jaw bone. Then, the head is boiled and later mixed with hot gravel and sand, shrinking the head to the size of a large orange. The head is sewn along the lips and eye lids, which are later blackened with charcoal. • Some say shrinking the head of an enemy was believed to harness the spirit of that enemy and compel him to serve the shrinker. • It is believed that coating the skin in ash keeps the muisak (avenging soul) from seeping out.

[blacksoulsclothing]

A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes. Headhunting has occurred in many regions of the world, but the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest. Jivaroan peoples which includes the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes from Ecuador and Peru are known to have shrunken human heads. Shuar people call a shrunken head a tsantsa, also transliterated tzantza. Many tribe leaders would show off their heads to scare enemies. #blacksouls #blackaesthetic #knowledgeiskey #appareldesign #tattoomodels #tattooclothing #independentclothing #altstyle #tattooclothingline #tattoowear #informationispower #alternativeclothing #blackwear #deathart #inspirationdaily #tattoofashion #tattooapparel #tattooinspired #clothinglabel #alternativelook #originalclothing #soulsofblack #clothinglines #tattoobrand #clothingshop #ritualoficial #apparelclothing #photography #celebrationoflife #shrunkenheads (at The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCjfmqUgPRi/?igshid=714yhvv2f8tj

[tharakoekenbiergraduation]

Toxic Flowers

Rain forests offer some of the most amazing environments on earth. These forests, characterized by heavy rainfall and thick vegetation, provide an abundance and variety in both plant and animal life. Almost every year, scientists discover new animal and plant species in rain forests like the Amazon. The creatures living in the rain forest must deal with fierce competition from all the other living plants and animals surrounding them. Most plants and animals living in the rain forest evolved deadly adaptations to survive. As home to some of the most poisonous plants in the world, plant poisons -- dispersed in multiple ways -- often cause varying reactions in their victims. 

Stinging Brush

Stinging brush, also known as the suicide plant (Dendrocnide moroides) is a deadly plant native to the rain forests of northeast Australia. From a distance, stinging brush does not appear different from a regular berry bush. The wide leaves of the stinging brush reflect deep green colors, and its berries, offer up a bright purple, not unlike many other bushes. But on closer inspection, you may note a thin covering of translucent hairs on this plant's leaves and stems. Filled with a powerful toxin, these hairs cause immense pain to any creature that touches them. Researchers note that in some cases, the pain caused by the hairs of the stinging brush can last for months or even years. Stories tell of small animals and even people dying after encountering stringing brush.

The stinging brush's toxic hairs evolved to keep predators away. Many kinds of small animals that would normally eat the stinging brush's leaves, such as caterpillars, birds and beetles, could die if they ingested the toxic hairs. But for every living entity in the rain forest, it is almost impossible to not have a predator higher up on the food chain. Though most creatures wisely avoid the stinging brush, a few animals, like the marsupial pademelon and caterpillars of the pink underwing moth, have a natural immunity to the plant's potent toxin and readily feast on its berries and leaves. 

Strychnine Tree

As a lethal poison usually used to kill rats and other pests, strychnine became the prime agent to dispose of rats during the Bubonic Plague in Europe. But few people know that comes from a rain forest tree. The strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica) is a thin-branched tree native to the rain forests of southeast Asia and Australia. This tree has green leaves, orange berries and smooth, light brown bark. Despite its normal appearance, it is one of the most toxic trees in the world.

Much of the tree’s poison ends up in the seeds of its berries. As a neurotoxin, the tree’s poison affects the central nervous system. Most animals die upon ingesting the strychnine tree's berries. The bark and flowers of the strychnine tree are also highly toxic. But animals like fruit bats and native rain forest beetles safely eat the fruit, leaves and flowers of this otherwise poisonous tree. 

Curare Vine

Native to the rain forests of Central and South America, the curare vine spreads as a thick, flowering creeper growing up the trunks of tall trees. Loaded with deadly compounds known as alkaloids, when insects and creatures eat the small, white flowers, they cause paralysis through extreme muscle relaxation. Indigenous people living in Central and South American rain forests still apply the poison to the tips of their hunting arrows, as they have for generations. When struck by these arrows, animals often collapse within seconds, depending on the animal’s weight and the depth of the arrow’s tip. Like most poisonous rain forest plants, the curare vine still attracts its own predators. Some caterpillars and beetles are immune to the curare vine's poison.

Poisonous rain forests plants hide their toxins in all sorts of places, from their bark to their seeds, delivering the poison in a host of ways. But most rain forest dwellers avoid these plants, except for the many creatures that evolved specific immunities to their poisons. 

Cannonball Tree (Couroupita guianensis)

In some jungles of Central and South America, a huge tree bears a fruit that could easily kill a human. The fruit isn’t poisonous, though. In fact, it’s perfectly edible and even has a variety of medicinal properties. The fruit is only dangerous when you combine it with gravity.

Cannonball tree has fruits that hang off the side of the trunk. Their size and weight make it easy to understand how this plant got its name! The heavy fruits disperse themselves by falling to the ground and breaking open which exposes the seeds inside. The outer shell is incredibly tough and thick, so a fruit needs to hit the ground with enough force to crack open. This is what makes the tree so dangerous. If you’re unlucky enough to be right under a cannonball tree when a fruit falls on your head, you’ll be out like a light.

This tree is in the same family as the Brazil nut tree (Lecythidaceae). Brazil nuts trees have a very similar fruit, with similar dangers facing those who harvest the nuts from these trees. People who work with Brazil nuts and the cannonball tree like to wear hardhats when out in the forest, as to not get knocked out from the very plants they work with. 

Gympie-Gympie, or the Suicide Plant (Dendrocnide moroides)

If a plant has the common name “suicide plant,” you should probably stay as far away as possible. It’s in the same plant family as stinging nettle, Urticaceae. This plant is basically the bigger, badder sibling of stinging nettle. The aptly named suicide plant defends itself in the exact same way as nettles do. It’s covered in tiny hollow hairs that, when touched, pierce the skin. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s actually able to inject a toxin underneath the skin. It’s hairs work very similar to how a hypodermic needle works.

After contact with the plant, the pain that ensues is apparently one of the most excruciating experiences one can endure. Instant stinging and burning are the first two symptoms and become more intense as time goes on. The pain of a sting can last for hours, or even days. One man allegedly had to be tied to a hospital bed for three weeks due to the pain!

One of the worst things about this formidable plant is that the hairs are so fine and light that they often become airborne. Floating, stinging hairs can come into contact with the skin even if you’re standing far away. Worse yet, they can be inhaled and can really damage your throat and lungs. Researchers who study Gympie-Gympie opt to wear respirators and special rubber gloves to study it. 

Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)

Castor bean is a common roadside plant that’s widespread throughout the tropics these days, but it’s originally from Eastern Africa. The weedy shrub can grow to be up to 12 meters (39 feet) tall and covers riverbanks and roadsides throughout its range.

A common product extracted from the seeds of this plant is castor oil. The liquid is used in food production as a preservative, as well as in medicine for a variety of benefits. Castor oil is derived from the seed of the castor bean plant, which ironically also contains one of the most deadly poisons known to man.

The toxin hidden inside castor bean seeds, called ricin, is notoriously dangerous. You may recognize the poison’s name from its infamous use in the TV series Breaking Bad. In the real world, this poison was successfully used in the assassination of a Bulgarian journalist.

It goes without saying that one should avoid eating castor bean. Any part of the plant can potentially contain ricin, so consumption of the stem, leaves, and of course the fruit, is a no-go. Castor bean is a common ornamental plant. If you have curious children or pets, it’s best to keep this plant out of your garden, as just one seed is enough to kill a small child. 

Strychnos

Strychnos is a plant found in the Amazon rain forest with oval leaves, green flowers that have an unpleasant smell and red fruit about the size of an apple. The plant is best known for its use in creating poisonous arrows that kill a victim through contact with blood and asphyxiation. The plant's resin has also been used in hand-to-hand combat, by coating fingernails so that a scratch on an opponent has the possibility of being lethal. If poisoned, a victim will experience muscle spasms, rapidly changing blood pressure and suffocation. The plant has been used in medicine as an anesthetic. 

Angel's Trumpet

Angel’s trumpets are a flower found and grown across the world, with some species originating in the Amazon rain forest. The rain forest varieties are known for being used by shamans, or medicine men. The flowers are capable of producing lucid dreams that shamans use to predict disease and misfortune, such as in with the Jivaroan-speaking people of the western Amazon. The plant's poison comes from the alkaloids found in the flower, and in large amounts can be deadly to a human.

Oleander (Nerium oleander) 

This is a very popular flowering shrub in the sub-tropics and tropics. It commonly has flowers in the pink to purple range, but can also be found in white and yellow. Oleander was known to the ancient Romans. It is commonly cultivated in parks and gardens, despite the fact that all parts of it are deadly toxic. It contains two toxins that cause vomiting, dizziness, stomach cramps, convulsions, and may cause death. Chewing on any part of this plant can lead to a very bad day. Even the smoke from burning Oleander is highly toxic. 

Sand-Box Tree (Hura crepitans L) 

This tree can grow up to 75 feet tall. The bark is covered with lots of short spines. Inconspicuous reddish-brown blossoms. The woody fruit resemble small pumpkins and explode with a loud bang when ripe making them dangerous to handle. Like many members of the Rubber family, this tree contains skin-irritating caustic latex sap.

Getting the latex into the eye can cause cornea damages or blindmess. It is slso poisonous when ingested. The parts of this plant are poisonous also for fish and insects and therefore traditionally used as fish poison. 

Monkshood 

Another unassuming plant – until you learn that the nickname for monkshood is actually “wolfsbane”. That’s owing to its once common use by farmers as a very effective wolf extermination tool. (Not to be left out, fowl are also fatally affected by the related hensbane.) The monkshood has the distinction of evidently being the bane of many creatures: its nicknames include womensbane and leopard’s bane, though it is also known as blue rocket and devil’s helmet. It is technically part of the aconitum genus, of which there are more than 250 species.

Angel’s trumpet 

What could be sweeter than the sound of an angel’s trumpet? Perhaps the moaning agony of a trip that won’t end. Related to petunias, tomatoes and potatoes, the angel’s trumpet (datura stramonium) is a highly effective hallucinogen, but should not be consumed for recreational purposes as it can also be lethal. According to wikipedia: “The active ingredients are atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine which are classified as deliriants, or anticholinergics. Due to the elevated risk of overdose in uninformed users, many hospitalizations, and some deaths, are reported from recreational use.” This common plant also goes by many other names, including jimson weed, stink weed, loco weed, and devil’s snare.

Nightshade 

Also known as the devil’s cherry, black cherry, great morel and belladonna, the nightshade is toxic from tip to top. Containing atropine, a deadly alkaloid, those who ingest even a small amount of the plant will soon notice they have lost their voice. Respiratory trouble and convulsions follow. The plant is problematic because its cherries are so sweet and children are frequently attracted to the wild fruit. Strangely, horses, birds, sheep, goats and pigs seem to be immune to the effects of nightshade. Nightshade poisoning is treatable with an emetic if treatment is sought swiftly. 

[thatsnotcanonpodcasts]

Tsansa

It’s that time again word-wonderers! Welcome to today’s episode of An Assemblage of Grandiose and Bombastic Grandoliquents. Keep your head on straight, because today’s word is ‘tsansa’. 

Tsansa is a human head shrunk as a war trophy specifically by the Jivaro people of Equador. You might be thinking - ‘what?!’ -  but allow me to explain. Though headhunting has occurred in several other regions of the world, this practice of head shrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon Rainforest, and the only known tribes to have shrunken human heads are those of the Jivaroan tribes. The practice of preparing shrunken heads was first due to religious beliefs - as shrinking the head of the enemy was believed to harness their spirit and compel him to serve the shrinker and prevent the soul from avenging his death. In the shrinking head tradition, it is believed that coating the skin in ash keeps the ‘muisak’ or avenging soul from seeping out. 

Bizarrely, Westerners created an economic demand for shrunken heads, and there was an awful increase in the rate of killings in an effort to supply tourists and collectors. The terms ‘headhunting’ and ‘headhunting parties’ evolved from this practice. 

Tsantsa itself is borrowed from the Spanish ‘tsantsa’, which itself is borrowed from the Shuar language - that of the Ecuadorian indigenous peoples - as tzantza. Interestingly, ‘shuar’ literally translates as ‘people’. Shuar is one of twelve indigenous languages still spoken in Ecuador today. The Shuar language is considered part of the Jivaroan language tree, and embodies one of the most well-known tribal groups in the Amazonian jungle region. 

Not to be confused with tsantsa, tsentsak is another Shuar word meaning invisible pathogenic projectiles or magical darts utilized in indigenous practices for the purposes of sorcery and healing. Tsentsak are believed to possess their own agency and volition as living spirits that constantly desire to kill and consume human flesh.  A shaman must learn to control their darts lest they escape and cause unintended harm. Simple!

Isn’t language wonderful?

Written by Taylor Davidson, Read by Zane C Weber

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[hammeroftim]

This would be the last time Green Lantern ever tried to save the Jivaroan tribe.

[zackorama-blog]

Shrunken Head

A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes. Headhunting has occurred in many regions of the world, but the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest, and the only tribes known to have shrunken human heads are of the Jivaroan tribes. These include the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes, found in Ecuador and Peru. The Shuar call a shrunken head a tsantsa, also transliterated tzantza. Process The process of creating a shrunken head begins with removing the skull from the head. An incision is made on the back of the neck and all the skin and flesh is removed from the cranium. Red seeds are placed underneath the eyelids and the eyelids are sewn shut. The mouth is held together with three palm pins. Fat from the flesh of the head is removed. Then a wooden ball is placed under the flesh in order to keep the form. The flesh is then boiled in water that has been saturated with a number of herbs containing tannins. The head is then dried with hot rocks and sand, while molding it to retain its human features. The skin is then rubbed down with charcoal ash. Decorative beads may be added to the head. In the head shrinking tradition, it is believed that coating the skin in ash keeps the muisak, or avenging soul, from seeping out. Shrunken heads are known for their mandibular prognathism, facial distortion and shrinkage of the lateral sides of the forehead; these are artifacts of the shrinking process. Among the Shuar and Achuar, the reduction of the heads was followed by a series of feasts centered on important rituals. Significance The practice of preparing shrunken heads originally had religious significance; shrinking the head of an enemy was believed to harness the spirit of that enemy and compel him to serve the shrinker. It was said to prevent the soul from avenging his death. Shuar believed in the existence of three fundamental spirits: Wakani – innate to humans thus surviving their death. Arutam ��� literally "vision" or "power", protects humans from a violent death. Muisak – vengeful spirit, which surfaces when a person carrying an arutam spirit is murdered. To block a Muisak from using its powers, they severed their enemies' heads and shrank them. The process also served as a way of warning their enemies. Despite these precautions, the owner of the trophy did not keep it for long. Many heads were later used in religious ceremonies and feasts that celebrated the victories of the tribe. Accounts vary as to whether the heads would be discarded or stored.