Music

Atayal people love singing. However, group singing are not commonly seen, most singings are solos. The songs can be divided into songs for sacrifices, songs for drinking, and songs for working. The songs are often accompanied by dances.

Songs for sacrifices: these songs are often sung in chorus outdoors. They are characterized by low and long notes in the start and the end of the music, as well as repetitions of a verse or a whole music section. The melodies are often depressing and simple.

Songs for drinking: these songs are often sung indoors in drinking festive occasions. They are often performed as solos or group singings.

Songs for working: these are songs sung while working in the fields or rice pounding, such as the song for weeding or the song for pounding.

Atayal has a very special musical instrument called hong hong. It is made by carving a long and narrow indention on a halved bamboo piece, in which inlaying four to five brass pieces, and then tying thin strings on the two sides of the bamboo piece. Since there is a stern division between male and female in the tribe, hence the socializing between boys and girls are not as convenient as people nowadays. Hong hong was then used by young men to expressing their feelings for the girls. In this way, not only the taboos would not be violated, the awkwardness of being refused could also be avoided. This is the reason why the actions indicating pulling ears and playing hong hong by boys and girls are often seen in Atayal dances.

Dances

Atayal traditional dances often use music for controlling the dance tempos, and often have legends and traditions, or gaga as the performance themes. The commonly performed Atayal dances are:

Dances for sacrifices: performed by the whole tribe or sacrificing groups, in which some tens of men and women dance together, standing in lines or circles with the hands held in “– “ shape.

Dances for drinking: performed by three or four people facing one another or side by side. During the dances, women hold harmonicas in the mouths, rock the upper bodies to the right and the left, kick the right leg, and the left leg jumps up, present staged performances.

Facial Tattoo

For Atayal people, facial tattoos are the symbol of honor and power, as well as the mark of maturity.

Symbols of tribes: one cannot hurt or kill people with the same symbol tattooed on the forehead. These symbols have the function of protection.

Symbols of adulthood: the tattoos on men’s chins and women’s faces indicate passing through trials, obtaining the qualification for marriage and openly join social activities. People without tattoos would be regarded as children despite the gaining of ages, and they are even sometimes thought of as ill omens.

Symbols of accomplishments: men who have hunted heads many times, and women who have superior weaving skills, have the right to be tattooed of certain symbols on the chest, hands, legs, and foreheads.

Symbols of beauty: tattoos are a kind of adornment. Distinct tattoo patterns bring beauty to the bearer, whilst indistinct tattoo patterns indicate low social status of the bearer.

Source: Taoyuan County Fuhsing Township Balung Elementary School Native Studies Materials