the last head hunters, konyak tribe warrior, nagaland, a photo by anthony pappone photographer on Flickr.
Tramite Flickr:
I photographed the last headhunters still alive, in this photographic travel I met some of these old warriors in the villages in the district of mon, in the region of Nagaland.
The Konyak tribes have traditionally had a strong warrior tradition and are mostly famous because they were still headhunting until the end of 1960.
As a trade mark honorarium a young warrior konyak would receive a tattoo of his face, when he bore to the king the head of an enemy while the tattoo on the chest is yet another typical traditional tattoo, which was a high social privilege and only the best and most brave warriors had wear tattooed.
in addition to having facial tattoos and tattoos on the body their symbols of warriors konyak are big pierced ears made of animal horns, war hats were made of hunted wild pigs horns, hornbill feathers and wild bear or goat hair.
Konyaks used a traditional basket specifically made to carry and bring back human heads from war. It was decorated with monkey skulls, wild pigs horns and sometimes hornbill beaks.
also wear a necklace with of bronze faces that means the number of heads that cut.
It was believed that by taking head of an enemy as a trophy, he took his power and soul.
This was a common practice until the Christianization put an end to their culture and their tradition.
The Konyak tribes resisted the Christianization and modernization longer than most of the other tribes.
