Surrounded By Stone Aged Men
Seeing them smeared with pig grease and soot from head to toe, imagine yourself in the midst of hundreds of Stone Age tribesmen as they howl their war chants at your direction or brandish the weapons they have on from arrows to axes to spears. Seems like a real nightmare doesn’t it? What you are seeing is the annual Highlands Show of Papua New Guinea.
Considering the location of Papua New Guinea, it is in between and the equator, the country consists of small islands belonging to the Bismarck Archipelago as well as the eastern part of the large island that it shares with Indonesia. What happened in 1975 was that it gained independence and nationhood but before that managed Papua and New Guinea separately under various United Nations trust arrangements. The western way of life remains to be a mystery in some parts of this country. If you’re looking to learn about sepik river tours, visit their site for more details.
In the 1930s, white men traveling on foot were the first to explore these rugged Highlands. The white man is still a novelty, and at the Highlands Show the center of attention is often the camera toting tourist as much as the armed and painted warrior. Normally held alternately in the towns of Goroka and Mount Hagen, this is a two day show that attracts 60,000 viewers most of which are Papua New Guineans. For some, they walk all the way from Telefomin, Wapenamanda, and Ukarumpa simply to take part in the festivities and walking can take days or weeks.
Aside from the usual agricultural and crafts exhibits being staged there are also demonstrations for house building or fire making. In this show, light entertainment is scattered. Clutching their weapons, the barefoot competitors engage in bicycle races, chasing after a greased pig, and racing up a greased pole with cigarettes and beer dangling way up top. During the sing sing competition, the tribes are able to show tourists and locals their treasured ceremonial attire and this is the climax of the weekend.
Occasionally changing pace to stage a legend from tribal history or to simulate a battle, the people dance and chant under the hot sun to the deep hollow beat of the kundu drum. Actually, the kaleidoscope of color and costume is what is spectacular in the Highlands sing. Embellished are the dancers in this case. Either their faces are colored in red and blue ochre or their bodies are covered with the darkest soot trimmed with everything from leaves to feathers to beads and even store bought crepe paper. Earrings are made from safety pins and for their pierced septums what they use are ball point pens and even a piece of an automobile engine rather than the usual pig’s tusk or other bone. Learn about papua new guinea cruise.
Another thing that they do is unwrap and display the village heirlooms. Fabricated from the fur of the spotted cuscus, a small marsupial, are the headpieces proudly worn by the children. Seashells were once a form of currency and they still hold value for the people who own them. The tall swaying plumes of the cassowary and of the national symbol which is the peacock like Raggiana Bird of Paradise can be seen at times.
Then there are the eerie Asaro mudmen. What they wear are grotesque headgear made from sun baked clay and straw and they are covered in white mud. Dancing their swaying dance, leaves are slapped off their thighs. According to legend, there is a tribe that retreated into the Asaro River after being pursued by their enemies.
After they emerged covered in the white clay, their enemies fled thinking that they were ghouls. In commemoration of this victory, the Asaro mudmen continue covering themselves in the same river mud. For the groups who gave the best presentations and were the best in costume, prizes in cash and cattle are given out after all the sing sings. What the people do as the day ends is begin their long trek to their homes.