The Mafulu - Mountain People of British New Guinea

Robert Wood Williamson

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• Publié par: chawyar
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Mafulu, by Robert W. Williamson This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Mafulu Mountain People of British New Guinea Author: Robert W. Williamson Release Date: March 4, 2006 [EBook #17910] Last updated: January 27, 2009 Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAFULU *** Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ [Contents] Mafulu Women Decorated for a Dance. The Mafulu Mountain People of British New Guinea Robert W. Williamson With an Introduction by A. C. Haddon, Sc.D., F.R.S. With Illustrations and Map Macmillan and Co., Limited St. Martin’s Street, London 1912 [v] [Contents] Preface This book is the outcome of an expedition to British New Guinea in 1910, in which, after a short stay among the people of some of the western Solomon Islands, including those of that old centre of the head hunters, the Rubiana lagoon, and a preparatory and instructive journey in New Guinea among the large villages of the Mekeo district, I struck across country by a little known route, via Lapeka, to Ido-Ido and on to Dilava, and thus passed by way of further preparation through the Kuni country, and ultimately reached the district of the Mafulu villages, of whose people very little was known, and which was therefore the mecca of my pilgrimage. I endeavoured to carry out the enquiries of which the book is a record as carefully and accurately as possible; but it must be remembered that the Mafulu people had seen very few white men, except some of the Fathers of the Catholic Mission of the Sacred Heart, the visits of Government officials and once or twice of a scientific traveller having been but few and far between, and only short; that the mission station in Mafulu (the remotest station of the mission) had only been established five years previously; that the people were utterly unaccustomed to the type of questioning which systematic ethnological enquiry involves, and that necessarily there was often the usual hesitation in giving the required information. I cannot doubt, therefore, that future enquiries and investigations made in the same district will bring to light errors and misunderstandings, which even with the greatest care can hardly be avoided in the case of a first attempt on new ground, where everything has to be investigated and worked up from the beginning. I hope, however, that the bulk of my notes will be found to have been correct in substance so far as they go. I regret that my ignorance of tropical flora and fauna has made it impossible for me to give the names of many of the plants and animals to which I refer. There are many people, more than I can mention here, to whom I owe my grateful thanks. Prior to my departure for the South Seas Dr. Haddon took great trouble in helping and advising me, and, indeed, I doubt whether I [vi] should have ventured upon my solitary expedition if I had not had his stimulating encouragement. In New Guinea I had the never-failing hospitality and kindness of my good friend Monseigneur de Boismenu (the Bishop of the Mission of the Sacred Heart) and the Fathers and Brothers of the Mission. Among the latter I would specially mention Father Egedi and Father Clauser. Father Egedi (whose name is already familiar to students of New Guinea Ethnology) was my friend and travelling companion during a portion of my journeyings through the Mekeo and Kuni districts, and his Mekeo explanations proved invaluable to me when I reached my Mafulu destination. And dear good Father Clauser was a pillar of help in Mafulu. He placed at my disposal all his existing knowledge concerning the people, and was my intermediary and interpreter throughout all my enquiries. And finally, when having at some risk prolonged my stay at Mafulu until those enquiries were completed, I was at last compelled by the serious state of my health to beat a retreat, and be carried down to the coast, he undertook to do the whole of my photographing and physical measurements, and the care and skill with which he did so are evidenced by the results as disclosed in this book.1 I must also add that the frontispiece and plates 17, 67, 68, 69 and 70 are taken from previous photographs which Father Clauser kindly placed at my disposal. My remembrance of His Lordship the Bishop, and of the Reverend Fathers and the Brothers of the Mission will ever be one of affectionate personal regard, and of admiration of the spirit of heroic self-sacrifice which impels them to submit cheerfully to the grave and constant hardships and dangers to which their labour of love necessarily exposes them. Since my return home Dr. Seligmann has given me immense help, advising me upon my notes, placing material at my disposal, and afterwards reading through a considerable portion of my manuscript. Mr. T.A. Joyce and Mr. J. Edge Partington helped me in arranging and dealing with the things which I had brought back to the British Museum. Dr. Keith examined and reported upon some skulls which I had obtained, and advised me upon my notes on physique. Dr. Stapf helped me in matters of botanical identification; Mr. S.H. Ray has given me the full benefit of his wide knowledge of South Pacific linguistics, and has written the appendices to the book. And, finally, Dr. Haddon has very kindly read through my proof sheets. In conclusion, I would add that there is still an immense amount of detailed work to be done among the Mafulu people, and that the districts of the Ambo and Boboi and Oru Lopiku people, still further back among the mountains, offer an almost virgin field for investigation to anyone who will take the trouble to go there. The photographs of skulls, articles of dress and ornament, implements and weapons were made in London after my return. 1 [vii] [viii] [ix] [Contents] Contents Introduction, by Dr. A.C. Haddon CHAPTER I Introductory CHAPTER II Physique and Character CHAPTER III Dress and Ornament CHAPTER IV Daily Life and Matters Connected with It CHAPTER V Community, Clan, and Village Systems and Chieftainship CHAPTER VI Villages, Emone, Houses and Modes of Inter-Village Communication CHAPTER VII Government, Property and Inheritance CHAPTER VIII The Big Feast CHAPTER IX Some Other Ceremonies and Feasts CHAPTER X Matrimonial and Sexual CHAPTER XI Killing, Cannibalism and Warfare CHAPTER XII Hunting, Fishing and Agriculture CHAPTER XIII Bark Cloth Making, Netting and Art CHAPTER XIV Music and Singing, Dancing, and Toys and Games CHAPTER XV Counting, Currency and Trade CHAPTER XVI Language CHAPTER XVII Illness, Death and Burial CHAPTER XVIII Religion and Superstitious Beliefs and Practices CHAPTER XIX Note on the Kuni People CHAPTER XX [x] Conclusion APPENDIX I A Grammar of the Fuyuge Language APPENDIX II Note on the Afoa Language APPENDIX III Note on the Kovio Language APPENDIX IV A Comparative Vocabulary of the Fuyuge, Afoa, and Kovio Languages APPENDIX V Notes on the Papuan Languages Spoken about the Head Waters of the St. Joseph River, Central Papua [xi] [xiii] [Contents] Plates PLATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, 8 9 10 11, 12 13 Mafulu Women Decorated for a Dance. ... Frontispiece Kuni Scenery. Mafulu Scenery. Skull A. Skull C. Husband, Wife and Child. Man and Two Women. Man, Young Man and Boy. Different Types of Men. An Unusual Type. Two Unusual Types. Fig. 1. Section of Man’s Perineal Band. Fig. 2. Decoration near end of Woman’s Perineal Band. Fig. 3. Section of Woman’s Perineal Band. Fig. 4. Section of Man’s or Woman’s Dancing Ribbon. Fig. 1. Belt No. 1. Fig. 2. Belt No. 3. Fig. 3. Belt No. 4. Fig. 1. Belt No. 5 (one end only). Fig. 2. Belt No. 6 (one end only). Fig. 3. Belt No. 7. A General Group. A Young Chief’s Sister decorated for a Dance. Women wearing Illness Recovery Capes. Fig. 1. Ear-rings. Fig. 2. Jew’s Harp. Fig. 3. Hair Fringe. Man, Woman and Children. A Little Girl with Head Decorations. Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6. Women’s Hair Plaits decorated with European Beads, Shells, Shell Discs, Dog’s Tooth, and Betel Nut Fruit. Fig. 3. Man’s Hair Plait with Cane Pendant. Fig. 4. Man’s Hair Plait with Betel Nut Pendant. 14 15 16 17 18, 19 20 21 22, 23 24 [xiv] 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36, 37 38, 39 40, 41 42, 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 Fig. 1. Leg Band. Figs. 2 and 4. Women’s Hair Plaits decorated with Shells and Dogs’ Teeth. Fig. 3. Bone Implement used (as a Fork) for Eating. Group of Women. A Young Woman. Two Women. Two Women. Fig. 1. Mourning String Necklace. Fig. 2. Comb. Fig. 3. Pig’s Tail Ornament for Head. Fig. 4. Whip Lash Head Ornament. Fig. 5. Forehead Ornament. Necklaces. A Necklace. Necklaces. Fig. 1. Armlet No. 5. Fig. 2. Armlet No. 4. Fig. 3. Armlet No. 2. Fig. 4. Armlet No. 1. Woman wearing Dancing Apron. Decoration of Dancing Aprons. Decoration of Dancing Aprons. Decoration of Dancing Aprons. Decoration of Dancing Aprons. Head Feather Ornaments. Head Feather Ornaments. Fig. 1. Head Feather Ornament. Fig. 2. Back Feather Ornament. Plaited Head Feather Frames. Mother and Baby. At the Spring. A Social Gathering. Fig. 1. Small Smoking Pipe. Fig. 2. Pig-bone Scraping Implement. Fig. 3. Stone Bark Cloth Beater. Fig. 4. Drilling Implement. Fig. 5. Bamboo Knife. Figs. 6 and 7. Lime Gourds. Fig. 1. Wooden Dish. Figs. 2 and 3. Water-Carrying Gourds. Fig. 1. Bag No. 3. Fig. 2. Bag No. 4. Fig. 3. Bag. No. 6. Village of Salube and Surrounding Country. Village of Seluku, with Chiefs Emone at End and Remains of Broken-down Burial Platform in Middle. Village of Amalala, with Chiefs Emone at End.. Village of Amalala (looking in other direction), with Secondary Emone at End. Village of Malala, with Secondary Em