The Indigenous and Mountain Hawk-Eagles

Of all the wildlife in Taiwan, Mountain Hawk-Eagle is the one that is most deeply connected with the Paiwanese and Rukai culture. Numerous journals and references have documented stories, names of people and location, taboos, rituals and clothing that are related to Mountain Hawk-Eagles. The bird can be seen as the spiritual symbol of the indigenous people.

To the Paiwanese, Mountain Hawk-Eagle is the chief of all birds in the forest. The primary flight feathers of Mountain Hawk-Eagles are traditionally used to represent the status of a chief and are worn on the head band of the chief. The preference for the Mountain Hawk-Eagle feathers is a result of the tribal belief that Mountain Hawk-Eagle is the transformation of a Hundred-paced Viper（Deinagkistrodon acutus）- the afterlife form of the ancestral spirits. The feathers carry the beautiful pattern of a Hundred-paced Viper. The old legend which describes a feather that once turned into a beauty and then faded only makes the feather even more appealing in a mysterious way.

In the Paiwanese language, Mountain Hawk-Eagle is called “qadis” or “adis” in the mid and northern tribes, respectively. Although the tribal language is slightly different, the belief that Mountain Hawk-Eagle is related to the ancestral spirits is the same. Mountain Hawk-Eagle is therefore treated as a spiritual bird characterized by its pride and noble arrogance. Just as the Hundred-paced Viper, Mountain Hawk-Eagle is a rather calm species that doesn’t easily attack people, but can be deadly if it does.

From our interviews with several tribal members, it is said that Mountain Hawk-Eagle chooses the hunters to offer its feathers. Only the ones with enough power are given the chance to harvest the feathers. If a Mountain Hawk-Eagle falls into the hands of the weak, the bird will destroy its own feathers. Such behavior makes the bird even more outstanding in the eyes of the Paiwanese chiefs; wearing the feathers of such a bird of pride would be just appropriate for the chief’s noble status.

Nevertheless, there is no argument that Mountain Hawk-Eagle is also a fearsome enemy to the indigenous people. Some tribes will sing out the number of Mountain Hawk-Eagles they have killed on the Harvest Ceremony (Paiwanese: “masalut”), and refer to the Mountain Hawk-Eagles as “vangalan” (the fearsome enemy). As a spiritual bird, there is a taboo to hunting Mountain Hawk-Eagles. If a hunter accidentally killed a Mountain Hawk-Eagle, there are certain rituals that need to be conducted to peace the spirit of the bird.