Shuar Tribe

Yesterday I read the incredible history about the shuar tribe. The religious practices of these tribes are associated with magical belief. For the Shuar tribe the shrunken head is more than a battle trophy. They belief that shrunken the head of an enemy will conquer and destroy the spirit of the enemy and the killer acquiered the strenght of his victim.Preparation for shrinking requiered several hours. A slit is made in the back of the head,the skull removed and the skin is scraped. The eyes and lips are sew. Then it is cooked in herbal solution for about two hours until shrunk to about 1/3 normal size. After is cooled the cavity is filled with hot stones and sand to complete the process. The head is hung a fire overnight and then it is polished with ash and made ready for the Tsanta Rituals.