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A Sneak Inside The Indian Konyak Tribe

Published June 11th, 2020 - 05:30 GMT

The Konyak tribe is an old Indian tribe living in Nagaland, they are believed to older than 80, known for brandishing spears, sporting nose plugs, and wearing necklaces made from dead animals.

The tribe is famous because members are used to hack skulls off bodies of rival tribes and proudly display them in the villages to celebrate the killer's achievement, with the number of hunted heads indicating a warrior's power.

However, in the 1960s the Konyak tribe converted to Christianity - meaning that as this generation dies, so too will their bloody headhunting ways.

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A tribesman wears an ornate necklace made of animal teeth and beads. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A tribesman wears an ornate necklace made of animal teeth and beads. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

Striking images reveal the distinctive facial features of the Konyak tribe from North Eastern India, thought to be over 80 years old. A woman sporting two nose plugs and black markings across her face gazes wistfully out of the shot. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

Striking images reveal the distinctive facial features of the Konyak tribe from North Eastern India, thought to be over 80 years old. A woman sporting two nose plugs and black markings across her face gazes wistfully out of the shot. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A shirtless tribesman warrior is pictured wearing a traditional headdress and brandishing a spear with a heavily tattooed chest. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A shirtless tribesman warrior is pictured wearing a traditional headdress and brandishing a spear with a heavily tattooed chest. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

Another woman, also wearing nose plugs, was photographed wearing glasses and more modern modern clothes, suggesting the tribe lost its untouched nature long ago. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

Another woman, also wearing nose plugs, was photographed wearing glasses and more modern modern clothes, suggesting the tribe lost its untouched nature long ago. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

An elderly Konyak tribesman wears thick ear plugs and sports a goatee while dressed in more western clothes than the tribe would have traditionally worn. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

An elderly Konyak tribesman wears thick ear plugs and sports a goatee while dressed in more western clothes than the tribe would have traditionally worn. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A woman from the Konyak tribe wears plugs in her both her lobes while another set, believed to be made from bone, protrude at jagged angles from the top of her ears. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A woman from the Konyak tribe wears plugs in her both her lobes while another set, believed to be made from bone, protrude at jagged angles from the top of her ears. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

The travel photographer travelled deep into the heart of mountainous Nagaland, India, to capture the striking images. The man above wears a jacket as his long, grey hair is pulled into a bun sitting at the top of his head. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

The travel photographer travelled deep into the heart of mountainous Nagaland, India, to capture the striking images. The man above wears a jacket as his long, grey hair is pulled into a bun sitting at the top of his head. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

Another tribesman looks away from the camera in the series of stunning photographs. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

Another tribesman looks away from the camera in the series of stunning photographs. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A frail-looking tribesman wears green shirt and red jacket with a black wool hat in what appears to be a merging of traditional culture with more western fashion trends. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A frail-looking tribesman wears green shirt and red jacket with a black wool hat in what appears to be a merging of traditional culture with more western fashion trends. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

A tribesman wears an ornate necklace made of animal teeth and beads. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Striking images reveal the distinctive facial features of the Konyak tribe from North Eastern India, thought to be over 80 years old. A woman sporting two nose plugs and black markings across her face gazes wistfully out of the shot. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A shirtless tribesman warrior is pictured wearing a traditional headdress and brandishing a spear with a heavily tattooed chest. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Another woman, also wearing nose plugs, was photographed wearing glasses and more modern modern clothes, suggesting the tribe lost its untouched nature long ago. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
An elderly Konyak tribesman wears thick ear plugs and sports a goatee while dressed in more western clothes than the tribe would have traditionally worn. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A woman from the Konyak tribe wears plugs in her both her lobes while another set, believed to be made from bone, protrude at jagged angles from the top of her ears. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
The travel photographer travelled deep into the heart of mountainous Nagaland, India, to capture the striking images. The man above wears a jacket as his long, grey hair is pulled into a bun sitting at the top of his head. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Another tribesman looks away from the camera in the series of stunning photographs. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A frail-looking tribesman wears green shirt and red jacket with a black wool hat in what appears to be a merging of traditional culture with more western fashion trends. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A tribesman wears an ornate necklace made of animal teeth and beads. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A tribesman wears an ornate necklace made of animal teeth and beads. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Striking images reveal the distinctive facial features of the Konyak tribe from North Eastern India, thought to be over 80 years old. A woman sporting two nose plugs and black markings across her face gazes wistfully out of the shot. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Striking images reveal the distinctive facial features of the Konyak tribe from North Eastern India, thought to be over 80 years old. A woman sporting two nose plugs and black markings across her face gazes wistfully out of the shot. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A shirtless tribesman warrior is pictured wearing a traditional headdress and brandishing a spear with a heavily tattooed chest. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A shirtless tribesman warrior is pictured wearing a traditional headdress and brandishing a spear with a heavily tattooed chest. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Another woman, also wearing nose plugs, was photographed wearing glasses and more modern modern clothes, suggesting the tribe lost its untouched nature long ago. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Another woman, also wearing nose plugs, was photographed wearing glasses and more modern modern clothes, suggesting the tribe lost its untouched nature long ago. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
An elderly Konyak tribesman wears thick ear plugs and sports a goatee while dressed in more western clothes than the tribe would have traditionally worn. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
An elderly Konyak tribesman wears thick ear plugs and sports a goatee while dressed in more western clothes than the tribe would have traditionally worn. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A woman from the Konyak tribe wears plugs in her both her lobes while another set, believed to be made from bone, protrude at jagged angles from the top of her ears. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A woman from the Konyak tribe wears plugs in her both her lobes while another set, believed to be made from bone, protrude at jagged angles from the top of her ears. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
The travel photographer travelled deep into the heart of mountainous Nagaland, India, to capture the striking images. The man above wears a jacket as his long, grey hair is pulled into a bun sitting at the top of his head. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
The travel photographer travelled deep into the heart of mountainous Nagaland, India, to capture the striking images. The man above wears a jacket as his long, grey hair is pulled into a bun sitting at the top of his head. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Another tribesman looks away from the camera in the series of stunning photographs. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
Another tribesman looks away from the camera in the series of stunning photographs. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A frail-looking tribesman wears green shirt and red jacket with a black wool hat in what appears to be a merging of traditional culture with more western fashion trends. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)
A frail-looking tribesman wears green shirt and red jacket with a black wool hat in what appears to be a merging of traditional culture with more western fashion trends. (Mediadrumimages/ Trevor Cole)

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