Valentine's Gift and 19th-Century Taiwanese Head-Hunters (and a 160-year-old-letter)

In searching a map of Taiwan that matches the story timeline (1864) I settled on this one taken in Tainan in February. For the reason that Tamsui Ting ended in 1876.

"The ritual, highlighted as part of the Archive Awareness Campaign, is revealed in a letter to Kew written in 1864 by Kew gardener Richard Oldham, who explains why he cannot explore the Taiwanese mountains near Tamsui. "

While researching Tea-thief Robert Fortune who spent only a day in Tamsui in 1854 (a day of enough impact to write about in my forthcoming co-authored " 臺灣茶的故事  The Story of Taiwan Tea") I came across this bizarre article from the UK about Richard Oldham in Tamsui in 1864 linking western valentine's gift and 19th-century head-hunters in north Taiwan.

I forwarded to my co-author Dr Cheng Hong-Ming - he responded

 "I am not sure by 1864, there were still headhunters near Tamsui".

I see his point and not sure either. 1903 Davison's report of northern fierce and active Atayal headhunter is irrelevant to1864 Tamsui's account.

Severed head was Valentine's gift

"While most couples celebrate Valentine's Day with flowers, chocolates and candlelit dinners, archivists have unearthed evidence that a less savoury romantic gesture was practised historically - bestowing a severed head on a loved one.

This left-field approach to love-making, practised by 19th-century Taiwanese aborigines, was discovered in the 150-year-old letters of botanical explorers.

Taking someone's head after killing them was a ritualistic part of life in the culture until the 1930s and suitors would present severed heads to potential partners to woo them or to brides to celebrate their marriage, according to archive material in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

The ritual, highlighted as part of the Archive Awareness Campaign, is revealed in a letter to Kew written in 1864 by Kew gardener Richard Oldham, who explains why he cannot explore the Taiwanese mountains near Tamsui.

He wrote: "As the spring is the season at which the young savages marry, it is yet unsafe to go as they always fight either with other savages, or other Chinamen in order to get heads with which to celebrate their marriages, and it is possible they might take a particular liking for the heads of foreigners. It will perhaps be safer to go in the summer."

In 1903, author, explorer and consul James Davidson recorded that a northern tribe called the Atayals were the most active head-hunters and used severed heads to gain favour with unmarried women."