The Dani people’s finger-chopping rite, in which even infants have their fingers eaten, is thought to fend off evil spirits and represent the anguish of loss.
For most of us, grieving involves emotional suffering, but for the women of the Dani tribe, it also means physical pain.
Female members of a rural Indonesian community ritualistically get the tops of their fingers removed after a loved one passes away in order to fend off ghosts.
Finger-cutting is thought to keep the agitated spirit of the deceased at bay and to symbolize the grief of loss; some newborns’ mothers even bite off their fingers.
Ikipalin, their peculiar tradition of amputating fingers, was outlawed by the Indonesian government a few years ago; yet, because many elder female tribal members can be recognized by their hands, it is thought that this practice still goes on covertly today.
The 250,000-member tribe is located deep within Papua New Guinea’s highlands, and American explorer Richard Archbold claimed to have seen them in 1938 when flying over the region.
Here, Newsbitgh takes a closer look at the tribe, who also mummify their deceased and wear elaborate penile sheaths.
Amputation with a stone blade
It is unknown when the practice originally began or why ladies rather than males are the targets.
Yet, it is a typical ritual that occurs during the grieving process and is typically carried out by another close relative.
The top of a finger is frequently amputated using a stone blade. Amputations can also be performed without using any tools, though.
In these situations, people weaken the knuckles by chewing on them before cutting off circulation with a piece of rope wrapped around the finger.
Another method is to bind up the joints to block the flow of blood to the area.
As a result, the muscles and nerves in the area die from a lack of oxygen, and the dead portion of the finger falls off.
Following the removal of the finger, the open wound is cauterized to halt bleeding, and the detached portion is either burned or interred in a meaningful place.
Gnawing on infants’ fingers
Although it has been reported that mothers have bit the tips off of their newborns’ fingers as part of another ritual, it is typically older women who have their fingers chopped.
It was believed that if a mother bit her infant’s fingers, the child would be unique from the others and live longer.
Putting on “penis sheaths” to conceal their male anatomy
Photographer Teh Han Lin visited Papau New Guinea in 2016 and spent four days interacting with and documenting the Dani people.
His private images display tribesmen donning a ‘koteka,’ or penis sheath, a customary article of attire.
It was once believed that wearing a koteka, which is often crafted from dried-out gourd, was a sign of sexual prowess. The Dani, however, merely use it to conceal themselves.
Early in the 1970s, the Indonesian government initiated “Operasi Koteka,” sometimes known as Operation Penis Sheath, in an effort to modernize the Dani by promoting the wearing of shorts.
But despite the failure of the plot, they continue to wear the striking attire.
Mummies of ferocious warriors
Markus Roth, a German explorer, previously paid the tribe a visit two years ago. He claimed that in addition to cutting off their fingers, they also mummified their best warriors.
He said: “One of the amazing things [I saw] was the mummy of Kurulu, which is said to be at least 370 years old.
“It is of a particularly successful and feared warrior, preserved in the men’s house in the village and shown to visitors with a great deal of pride.
“I was told the warrior was adorned with one necklace for each enemy killed and the Danis commonly preserve their most successful warriors.”
