A woman with a child of Atayal using a machine to make clothes, 1900

The Atayal (泰雅), also known as the Tayal and the Tayan, are one tribe of the Taiwanese aborigines. The meaning of Atayal is “genuine person” or “brave man.” Image File history File links Atayal_Clothes_Making. ... Image File history File links Atayal_Clothes_Making. ... A Rukai village Chief visiting the Department of Anthropology in Tokyo Imperial University during the Japanese rule. ...

Folklore

According to stories told by their elders, the first Atayal ancestors were one man and one woman whom lived together for a very long time and loved each other very much. But the boy was shy and wouldn't dare approach her. Whereupon, the girl came up with an idea. She left her home and found some coal with which to blacken her face so she could pose as a different girl.

After several days, she crept back into their home and the boy mistook her for another girl and they lived happily ever after. Not long after, the couple bore children, fulfilling their mission of procreating the next generation. The Atayal custom of face tattooing may come from the girl blackening her face in the story. The Atayal custom of facial tattoing requires that girls first learn to be accomplished weavers and cultivators before they may have their faces 'adorned'. Male tattooing is relatively simple, with just two bands down the forehead and chin.

Origins

The exact origins of where the Atayal Tribe came from are a mystery still, though some anthropologists believe they migrated from Malaysia or Indonesia. The tribe that inhabits these lands are considered to be Atayal Proper, and a few consider themselves Atayal Sedeq. There are around 3,000 Atayal tribes in Taiwan and 5,000 tribes worldwide. The first record of Atayal inhabitance is found near the upper reaches of the Chosui River. However, during the late 17th century they crossed the Central Mountain Ranges into the wilderness of the east. They then settled in the Liwu river valley. Seventy-nine Atayal villages can be found here. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Lifestyle

The Atayal Tribe was a fairly advanced culture. They originally lived by fishing, hunting, gathering, and growing crops on burned-off mountain fields. The tribe also practiced crafts such as weaving, net knotting, and woodworking. They also had traditional musical instruments and dances. Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish. ... A hunter on horseback shoots at deer or elk with a bow. ... Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and many other desired products by the cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... Mount McKinley in Alaska has the largest visible base-to-summit elevation differences anywhere For other uses, see Mountain (disambiguation). ...

The Atayal were known as great warriors. When they defeated an invader, they would remove the head of the enemy to display. (See Headhunting) They were known to be fierce fighters as observed in the case of the Wushe Incident in which the Atayal fought the Japanese. // A headhunter was a person who killed another and then took the others head. ... The Wushe Incident (Japanese: 霧社事件 Musha Jiken) was the biggest and the last rebellion against Japanese colonial forces in Taiwan, resulting in the massacre of the Taiwanese aborigine group, Atayal in 1930. ...

Traditional dress

The Atayal were good weavers as well and we can find symbolic patterns and design on Atayal traditional dress. The features are mainly of geometric style, and the colors are bright and dazzling. Most of the designs are argyles and horizontal lines. In Atayal culture, horizontal lines represent the rainbow bride which leads the dead to where the ancestors' spirit live. Argyles, on the other hand, represent ancestors' eyes protecting the Atayal. The favorite color of this culture is red, because it represents “blood” and “power.” Genera Many:see text The Weavers are small passerine birds related to the finches. ... Geometry (from the Greek words Ge = earth and metro = measure) is the branch of mathematics first introduced by Theaetetus dealing with spatial relationships. ... Argyle is a criss-crossed diamond knitting pattern. ... Horizontal is an orientation relating to, or in parallel with the horizon, and thus perpendicular to the vertical. ... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath. ...

The Atayal tribe was also known for using facial tattooing and teeth filing as rituals of initiation. The practice of tattooing their faces has attracted much attention; in the past a man had to take the head of an enemy, showing his valor as a hunter to protect and provide for his people and the women had to be able to weave cloth to show their coming-of-age and maturity before they could tattoo their faces. And they ate chicken and pork and had large parties with Paris Hilton

Atayal in modern times

The Atayal tribe in Taiwan resides in a village along the Nanhsi River called Wulai. Wulai is located inside the Taroko National Park of Taiwan and is roughly forty miles from Taipei. [1] Tunnel of Nine Turns, Taroko National Park Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園) is one of the six national parks of the Republic of China (Taiwan). ... City nickname: the City of Azaleas Capital District Xinyi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 16 of 25 271. ...

There are currently around 90,000 members of the Atayal tribe. Many Atayal are bilingual, but the Atayal language still remains in active use. The Atayal language is spoken by the Atayal people on Taiwan. ...

Famous Atayal people include singing star Landy Wen. Landy Wen (Chinese: 温岚; pinyin: ; born 17 July 1979) is a popular Taiwanese singer. ...