WEIRD CEREMONIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 219, 15 September 1928, Page 8

WEIRD CEREMONIES

WILD TRIBESMEN’S DANCES ROMANTIC ISLAND SCENES. Dancing such as never before had been seen by a white man at Lac, New was the feature of a “ sing-sing” arranged for the benefit of the Administrator of New Guinea. General Wisdom, when he recently visited that part of his territory. Natives, probably 1000 strong representing live distinct linguistic groups, came several days’ inarch from the mountains inland and performed dances which, owing to the death of the old men of the tribes in which dancing will eventually become a lost art, may never again be seen at Lae, says a wireless message published in the Sydney Morning Herald. The Lae Wombas, famous once as cannibal and fighting tribes, of the Lower Markham Valley, arrived in all their pristine splendour of capes of feathers of homicidal insignia, representing rewards for killing in battle. The Azeras, representing tribes 15,000 strong from the home of the native pottery makers, at the head of the Markham Valley, 60 miles away, displayed extraordinary animation in grotesque native dances. The Kaidemui tribes, in plumed head dresses, came down from the Snake River, in the buaug Mountains, four to five days’ march toward Edie Creek gold-fields. Almost bare, they danced wildly in circles, beating a tattoo on skin drums, while the women danced in a line nearby. The Wains, from the mountains on the Western Markham came in hundreds strong, some remarkable for their line features. They bore bows and arrows, long elliptical shields and danced to music of pandean pipes, rare in these parts. Banners, waved up and down on long poles by the operation of bow strings, added to the interest of this group —a most unusual accompaniment for native dances in New Guinea.

Bowmen and spearmen, flanked by young men harnessed into butterflyshaped corselets, with wings behind, were followed by lines of women, bearing food in string bags and children, in time with the men. In addition, the Labu tribe, nondescripts of unknown origin from the mouth of the Markham River, danced with wild gesticulations, dashing out of the bush in battle array and. with fighting movements, their bellicose appearance enhanced by enormous carved wood shields, barbarous spears, mouth ornaments of linked white cowries and pigs’ tusks, alleged to give sacred strength in fighting. The dancing was taken extremely seriously, the wilder movements settling generally into dramatised versions of folk tales and hunting. The young people had frequently to be coached in the movements by their ciders, but there was surprising dexterity demonstrated by young and old. Dancing was continued for hours. The Government reciprocated by providing a fear of bullock and pigs.