Teeth Chiseling | National Geographic

here in the remote Sumatran archipelago
a people called the Mentawai ins
conjured up ideals of beauty that are
more than skin deep for them beauty is a
matter of maintaining balance between
body and soul at the dawn of time
according to legend the mental Lions
split in the spirits and humans but
humans will rejoin the spirit world if
their souls are not happy a soul not
pleased with its body will leave causing
the person to die permanent decorations
such as tattoos are one way to beautify
the body and keep the spirit from
wandering but a rarer and equally
painful practice his tooth file pelangi
is a young mother and wife of the
village chief in the old days she would
have endured tooth filing at puberty but
the same outside influences that brought
t-shirts and cigarettes to the tribe
deluded men Hawaiian customs which once
even included head honey today the tooth
filing rite of passage is optional at
least for some in pelangi skills her
husband had a lot to do with her
decision he’s the acting village chief
and in line for the permanent position
he’s thinking a more beautiful wife
would be more in keeping with his new
stature I asked her to do it and I am
sure that she will be more beautiful
afterwards I don’t know what to expect
but when they do it I will just let them
sharpen my teeth in the morning the
Mentawai and villagers gather with
anticipation and the ooma or communal
house to witness the rare tooth filing
ritual
for pelangi fear and excitement blend
into a day she’ll never forget I am not
worried about the pain but otherwise I
think about that I won’t get more beauty
as his clan feast the shaman sharpens
his tools for the main event when the
chisel gets sharm it will be less
painful for the person who is getting
their teeth file and it will be an
easier job for me as well for outsiders
using crude implements for dental
surgery and without anaesthetic would be
out of the question the procedure will
also damaged pelangi teeth shortening
their life the shamans aim is true
although he’s only performed tooth
filing once before with the spirits
guiding his hand the task assumed
completed how long he bites on green
bananas to dull the pain relieved and
happy she shows off her new smile now
that my teeth are sharp I look more
beautiful for my husband so he won’t
leave me it’s almost maybe when she’s
tired of me she will get a new husband
now that she’s beautiful now the chief
has a wife worthy of his new stature and
as for pelangi she’s happy with her new
adornment her soul is back in balance
and here among the mental lions that’s
what matters most
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