Paiwan Hundred Pacer Snake Belief

In the Paiwan creation narrative, the Sun laid two eggs atop Mount Kavulungan (Dawushan). From one egg hatched the Hundred Pacer Snake, and from the other emerged the first ancestor of the Paiwan people. Thus the Hundred Pacer Snake and the Paiwan are considered siblings, with the snake guarding the people as it would its own kin. Another legend tells of a Paiwan chief's daughter who fell in love with a Hundred Pacer Snake that had taken human form. Their marriage produced the descendants of the chiefly lineage — explaining why only noble families hold the right to use the Hundred Pacer Snake motif. Within the Paiwan social hierarchy, the snake emblem signifies aristocratic status and may not be used by commoners. When encountering a Hundred Pacer Snake in the wild, Paiwan people would never harm it. Instead, they respectfully give it a wide berth, and some may offer millet wine and betel nut as a gesture of honor.

Paiwan reverence for the Hundred Pacer Snake is woven into the fabric of daily life. During important ceremonies or family milestones, the chief offers prayers to the Hundred Pacer Snake ancestor spirit with millet wine, betel nut, and game meat. When constructing a new slate house, the snake motif is carved into the pillars to invoke spiritual protection. At weddings, the bride wears traditional garments embroidered with the Hundred Pacer Snake pattern, symbolizing the blessings of the ancestral spirits.

The most significant Paiwan ceremony is the Five-Year Ceremony (Maleveq), also known as the Covenant Between Humans and Spirits. Held once every five years over a period of roughly two weeks, the ceremony's purpose is to welcome the ancestral spirits back to the community for a reunion with the living. The climactic moment is the bamboo pole ball-piercing ritual: a shaman throws a rattan ball high into the air, and warriors attempt to pierce it with long bamboo poles. Those who succeed are believed to have received a special blessing from the ancestors. The Five-Year Ceremony has been designated a National Important Folk Custom of Taiwan.