Taiwan Austronesians

yuanzhumin · 17th October 2007, 01:53 PM

The tribesmen call themselves Tawu, but their official name remains Yami.
They are in fact related to the Batan people of the Northern Philippines from where they came long time ago. They had very close contacts with the rest of their people in todays Philippines till the 16th cent., when a war pushed them to cut their ties with the main part of the ethnic group. They remained isolated till the 20th cent. The Orchid Island is close to Taiwan and was joined to Taiwan through the aleas of history. It became Japanese in 1895, at the time Taiwan itself became a Japanese colony, till 1945. The Japanese becoming masters of the Orchid Island for fifty years, they decided to make it a kind of natural human reserve open only to Japanese ethnologists and few officials. It is still a remote place.

So, in fact, the Yami had no contacts with the Formosan aboriginal people, and have not much to see with them, except for the fact they are all Austronesians. The Yami have an oceanic culture, when the other Austronesian people in Taiwan are turned towards the land and the mountains. The Yami didn't go headhunting, while this was a very important custom for the Taiwanese tribes. The Yami didn't drink alcohol, which was also very important for the other tribes... Many big differences. The Austronesian in Taiwan initiated the migration towards the Philippines and then the whole Pacific, till Polynesia. But the Yami of Orchid Island came from the Batan Islands later and most probably didn't go anywhere else than their island.

The silver helmet is made with silver obtained from trade, usually coins that are worked, (another difference with the Austronesian groups on Taiwan itself as these ones were using the coins as ornaments but without transforming them). The purpose of the helmet is not for fighting. It is to show the wealth, yes, but mostly it has a religious, magic power. It is worn for all the big ceremonies and even considered as having its own spirit. Sometimes, it was left outside in the middle of the fishes caught and driying in the sun, just to insure another abundant catch the next time. When the men prayed on the beach for more catches, at the opening season of the flying fish, they were waving their silver helmet toward the ocean to invite the fishes to get caught.

fearn · 18th October 2007, 12:50 AM

Thanks Yuanzhumin!

I understand that they also divide their silver helmets periodically, so that when one gets too big, they make two out of it?

KuKulzA28 · 24th March 2010, 06:24 PM

[bumping this in case anyone is interested due to recent discussion of Yami peoples]

migueldiaz · 24th March 2010, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuKulzA28

[bumping this in case anyone is interested due to recent discussion of Yami peoples]

didn't see this thread before ... thanks!

yuanzhumin · 25th March 2010, 01:31 AM

I wrote in a post before on the same thread : “ hanging dagger called takkurus, that is a largely symbolic weapon, always carried by men when going outdoors as an ornament and to "fight"/repel the evil spirits. I think I displayed one of mine in a previous thread.:

And I was wrong : I didn’t display any Yami short daggers in detail here before. In previous threads, a drawing was shown (http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000858.html), and some daggers could be seen from far, behind windows, on the pictures of the exhibition dedicated to the Yami at the Shisanhang Museum (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=yami ). But never in detail.

Thank you Kukulza for giving me this opportunity to correct myself on this thread, also to add more on this subject and do a follow up with the more recent thread about the current Yami exhibition in Taipei.

So here is a nice example that I acquired recently and that is not yet on my website.
The blade of the dagger shown here is 25,5 cm long and 5 cm wide, and is absolutely exceptional when considering these dimensions. This takkurus blade is nearly twice longer and twice wider than the other traditional hanging daggers. For the rest, it is exactly the same shape as the others. Only the sheath of this one is not carved when, usually, the others are (see also the graphic posted before on this same thread). Nevertheless, the handle is carved with lines symbolizing the waves and the ocean. For more example at usual sizes, you can go to my website : www.formosatribal.com

Here are some explanations (see also the graphic with many Taiwan knives) about the Yami knives coming from ‘Material Culture of the Formosan Aborigines’, a reference book by Chen Chi-Lu,;
‘The Yami of Botel Tobago have two kinds of swords. The long sword is characterized by its slightly upwards turned tip. The blade measures about 30 cm [12 inches] long and 2.5 cm [1 inch] wide. There is no guard on the Yami sword. The handle and the sheath are similar to that of other groups, but normally simple and plain (Figure 54: C). Another kind of sword used by the Yami is the hanging dagger which is called takkurus. The takkurus is a very meagre blade that measures about 15 cm [6 inches] long and 2.5 cm [1 inch] wide. But it is ill matched with a large sheath made of hard wood. The sheath is an axe-blade shape (wide in both ends and narrow in the central portion) with a pointed end. Both surfaces of the sheath are engraved with designs. Besides geometric designs, quite often the figures of magamaog, a legendary culture hero of the tribe, are seen (Figure 52: D). This dagger is not for practical use. It is always carried by men outdoors as an ornament and as a means of exorcising evil spirits."

25th March 2010, 01:31 AM	#5
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	I wrote in a post before on the same thread : “ hanging dagger called takkurus, that is a largely symbolic weapon, always carried by men when going outdoors as an ornament and to "fight"/repel the evil spirits. I think I displayed one of mine in a previous thread.: And I was wrong : I didn’t display any Yami short daggers in detail here before. In previous threads, a drawing was shown (http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000858.html), and some daggers could be seen from far, behind windows, on the pictures of the exhibition dedicated to the Yami at the Shisanhang Museum (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=yami ). But never in detail. Thank you Kukulza for giving me this opportunity to correct myself on this thread, also to add more on this subject and do a follow up with the more recent thread about the current Yami exhibition in Taipei. So here is a nice example that I acquired recently and that is not yet on my website. The blade of the dagger shown here is 25,5 cm long and 5 cm wide, and is absolutely exceptional when considering these dimensions. This takkurus blade is nearly twice longer and twice wider than the other traditional hanging daggers. For the rest, it is exactly the same shape as the others. Only the sheath of this one is not carved when, usually, the others are (see also the graphic posted before on this same thread). Nevertheless, the handle is carved with lines symbolizing the waves and the ocean. For more example at usual sizes, you can go to my website : www.formosatribal.com Here are some explanations (see also the graphic with many Taiwan knives) about the Yami knives coming from ‘Material Culture of the Formosan Aborigines’, a reference book by Chen Chi-Lu,; ‘The Yami of Botel Tobago have two kinds of swords. The long sword is characterized by its slightly upwards turned tip. The blade measures about 30 cm [12 inches] long and 2.5 cm [1 inch] wide. There is no guard on the Yami sword. The handle and the sheath are similar to that of other groups, but normally simple and plain (Figure 54: C). Another kind of sword used by the Yami is the hanging dagger which is called takkurus. The takkurus is a very meagre blade that measures about 15 cm [6 inches] long and 2.5 cm [1 inch] wide. But it is ill matched with a large sheath made of hard wood. The sheath is an axe-blade shape (wide in both ends and narrow in the central portion) with a pointed end. Both surfaces of the sheath are engraved with designs. Besides geometric designs, quite often the figures of magamaog, a legendary culture hero of the tribe, are seen (Figure 52: D). This dagger is not for practical use. It is always carried by men outdoors as an ornament and as a means of exorcising evil spirits." Attached Images

17th October 2007, 01:53 PM	#1
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	The tribesmen call themselves Tawu, but their official name remains Yami. They are in fact related to the Batan people of the Northern Philippines from where they came long time ago. They had very close contacts with the rest of their people in todays Philippines till the 16th cent., when a war pushed them to cut their ties with the main part of the ethnic group. They remained isolated till the 20th cent. The Orchid Island is close to Taiwan and was joined to Taiwan through the aleas of history. It became Japanese in 1895, at the time Taiwan itself became a Japanese colony, till 1945. The Japanese becoming masters of the Orchid Island for fifty years, they decided to make it a kind of natural human reserve open only to Japanese ethnologists and few officials. It is still a remote place. So, in fact, the Yami had no contacts with the Formosan aboriginal people, and have not much to see with them, except for the fact they are all Austronesians. The Yami have an oceanic culture, when the other Austronesian people in Taiwan are turned towards the land and the mountains. The Yami didn't go headhunting, while this was a very important custom for the Taiwanese tribes. The Yami didn't drink alcohol, which was also very important for the other tribes... Many big differences. The Austronesian in Taiwan initiated the migration towards the Philippines and then the whole Pacific, till Polynesia. But the Yami of Orchid Island came from the Batan Islands later and most probably didn't go anywhere else than their island. The silver helmet is made with silver obtained from trade, usually coins that are worked, (another difference with the Austronesian groups on Taiwan itself as these ones were using the coins as ornaments but without transforming them). The purpose of the helmet is not for fighting. It is to show the wealth, yes, but mostly it has a religious, magic power. It is worn for all the big ceremonies and even considered as having its own spirit. Sometimes, it was left outside in the middle of the fishes caught and driying in the sun, just to insure another abundant catch the next time. When the men prayed on the beach for more catches, at the opening season of the flying fish, they were waving their silver helmet toward the ocean to invite the fishes to get caught.

18th October 2007, 12:50 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Thanks Yuanzhumin! I understand that they also divide their silver helmets periodically, so that when one gets too big, they make two out of it?

24th March 2010, 06:24 PM	#3
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	[bumping this in case anyone is interested due to recent discussion of Yami peoples]