You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The psychological significance of decapitating a foe, as practiced by the primitives of Indonesia and Further India, is the subject of this study. Anthropological material shows that the prize is appreciated as an exquisite masculine symbol which promotes the fertility of the fields and protects the proud owner against evil ghosts. In some tribes the head represents the spirit of the dead enemy, a fearful watchdog dangerous to everyone except its beloved master.
An intimate personal relationship exists between the conqueror and his victim (usually a male he had not known before the slaughter) which is evidenced by certain special rituals in the preservation of the trophy. Whereas some carry the heads in the fork of a branch, or store them in privies, in other tribes a man sleeps with a newly seized head for five days during which he must strictly avoid all contact with women.
The relation between the victor and the remains of his foe is extremely friendly, almost tender. This identification is a confirmation of Freud's conclusion in Totem and Taboo that the son of the primal horde identifies with the father after killing him. The significance of the head-trophy as a phallic symbol of power and honor (Marie Bonaparte) gives evidence that its powerful function is comparable to that of the superego (Fenichel). The author suggests that the unexpected affection for the killed victim is the psychodynamic counterpart of the mourning of a son for his beloved father.