Party Activities... Shrunken Apple Heads
These are really gruesome and easy to make.
You will need:
* Apples
* Cloves
* A few grains of rice
* A cup of lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons salt
What to do:
1. Peel the apples and cover with lemon juice and salt to stop them from going brown.
2. Then with a peeler or spoon carve the face.
3. Place two cloves for eyes and use the rice as teeth.
4. Usually you would put the apples away somewhere dry and warm for about 1 to 2 weeks and watch them shrink but because we're in a hurry you can put them in an oven set at a very low temperature - and keep an eye on them!
The apple heads are shrinking as the apples lose water in the drying process. However, the process of shrinking human heads is much more gruesome!
Although there were many headhunting cultures throughout the world, only one group was known for ancient practice of shrinking human heads (tsantsa). They were called the Jivaro clan who lived deep in the Ecuadorian, and neighbouring Peruvian Amazon. The shrunken heads were used as trophies since it was thought the wearers harnessed the power of their hapless victims.
The shrinking process (not for the squeamish!)
After the head was severed, they peeled the skin off the face, turned it inside out and scraped it. Believing that violent death unleashed a soul bent on revenge, they carefully sewed up the lips and eyelids to trap and paralyse the spirit.
The skull and brain were sacrificed to the spirit of the anaconda while the leftovers simmered in a pot of berry-cured water. The plant used is believed to be ‘huito’. After less than 2 hours, the head would shrink to about a third of its size. Then heated pebbles were placed inside the head and shaken to shrink the skin. When the head was too small for pebbles, it was placed between hot rocks (heated by fire) and the cavity of the head filled with hot sand several times. This has the effect of melting a layer of fat inside the head, and causes the skin of the head to shrink and to turn black.
The face was rubbed with charcoal and berries to keep it moisturized, so it wouldn’t crack. After one night of smoking over a fire, the hair was carefully trimmed and the head was ready for the celebration.
