Page 340 - Melanesia

ver the millennia, natural boundaries; type systems have predominated. Here, the achievement of status, marriage and
a hereditary chief is a powerful authority death are a paramount feature of a com-
O large open stretches of water, dense munity’s social life. With so many relatives,
jungle and mountainous terrain, isolated figure reigning over an entire class system, there seems always to be a significant ritual
of some sort happening, or about to hap-
many groups, even from the same ethnic complete with nobles and commoners. pen, somewhere.

origins, from each other. And isolation I n the southern islands, particularly Tanna, W ith no written language, story telling,
bred not just warfare, but quite differ- titles or names are bestowed on certain songs and dances are of paramount
ent, sophisticated societies and political importance. Art, in it’s many forms, from
body decorations and tattoos, to elaborate
systems. Unfortunately, when Europeans men, which designate them as chiefs. This masks, hats and carvings are also a vital
part of ritual celebrations and the social
began trading in Vanuatu, they often used status can give them rights over land and life of the village. Similar to Australian Abo-
riginal stories of the dreamtime, and Maori
such warfare to their own advantage. Today, even possessions of entire social groups. legends of the past, ni-Vanuatu culture is
also abundant in mythic legends. Natural
there are four main cultural areas. In the Women hold a very low status whereas formations, the presence and causes of vol-
canic eruptions and other natural disasters,
northern areas, there are two variations in places like Ambae and the Shepherds, are all imbibed with legends of significant
cultural importance. Even today, natural
of a social and political society where women can achieve the rank of Chief. events are considered not to be the result
of, say, plate tectonics or a chance passing
men and women can ‘purchase’ positions The situation is complicated even further of a cyclone, but events brought about by
the actions of individuals who may have
of status. Wealth, in the form of mats and by the introduction of more recent ‘reli- offended certain spirits.

pigs - particularly pigs with rounded tusks gions’ such as the John Frumm’s (cargo

- is not defined so much by how much an cult) and the Half Halfs and various men’s

individual owns, but by demonstrating secret societies, both on Tanna and to a

how much he can give away. Grade taking lesser extent, on Santo and other islands.

ceremonies, where large numbers of pigs However, throughout all the islands one

are ritually killed and gifts given to mem- thing remains constant, life is character-

bers of an extended family, are elaborate ised by a constant cycle of ritual events.

affairs. Although the status of a person may Every aspect of a person’s life is celebrated

be publicly displayed with, for example, by extended families that number in the

certain body decorations, and a respect hundreds, filial relationships being remem-

for their status, there is no real authority bered back in time through countless gen-

attached. In the central areas, Polynesian erations. Birth, circumcision and initiation,