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Chapter Four
Preparations for
initiation and
coming of age
At initiation for boys and first menses
for girls, neophytes are secluded
in the men’s house or in the bush
(boys) or a village house (girls).
Plants are used to ensure their correct
development during this period and
their subsequent growth. At the
time of their emergence from this
seclusion, plants are used to ensure
that their skin is smooth and shiny,
and that their appearance is attractive
and impressive.
Curcuma longa
1
Initiation and decoration
Before the emergence of young boys
from the bush during the initiation
process, they are washed with
Curcuma longa (Plate 4-1) to clean their
skin before red paint is applied. The
turmeric root is pounded, wrapped
in leaves and put into the fire. The
cooked paste is used to wash the skin
(see Coleus blumei, Chapter 5)
Sapta Foa
Wokim ol samting
bilong haitim man
o meri long bus
Taim ol boi save hait long bus na
lukim tambaran, na taim ol meri save
kalapim skin bilong ol, i gat ol we
bilong wokim senis bilong ol mas
kamap gut. Taim bilong ol lusim haus
o kamap long ai bilong ol man, i gat
we bilong mekim ol mas skin tait na
lait na lukluk bilong ol mas kamap
gutpela.
Kandang dau
Bilong wasim ol manki na
bilasim ol
Mipela save yusim dispela Kandang dau
(Plate 4-1) bilong wasim ol manki taim
ol i go long bus long lukim tambaran.
Taim bilong ol i kamap, mipela save
paitim rop bilong Kandang dau, bihain
karamapim, na kukim long paia. Taim
em i kuk pinis mipela wasim ol manki
wantaim na bihain putim pen long
skin bilong ol. Em bai mekim olsem
nogat doti kamap long skin bilong ol
manki (lukim Kapuipui, Sapta 5).
1. Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae), turmeric.
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74
Curcuma longa is also used in the
preparation of the decorated house
poles called tse’sopung (Plate 2-18,
2-19). The turmeric is beaten to a pulp
and its sap rubbed over the skin of
the bamboo which makes the surface
easy to carve. The skin remains green
and the carved areas reveal the inner
white woody tissue (Plate 4-2).
Narapela wok bilong Kandang dau em
bilong wasim dispela mambu long
wokim tse’sopung (Plate 2-18, 2-19).
Mipela paitim rop bilong Kandang
dau bilong kisim wara bilong en
(tupooning), na wasim skin bilong
mambu wantaim dispela wara em
bai kamap isi na slek. Dispela mekim
isi long wokim malen long en. Skin
bilong mambu bai stap grin, na ples
yu sapim bilong malen em bai wait
(Plate 4-2).
2. Tetrastigma cf. lauterbachianum (Vitaceae).
Plate 4-1: Kandang dau
(Curcuma longa)
Plate 4-2: Wasim tse’sopung pinis
wantaim Kandang dau.
Decorative bamboo pole made by
the male cult (tse’sopung) after
washing with Curcuma longa.
Sapta Foa | Chapter Four
75
Plate 4-3: Maybolol (Tetrastigma cf. lauterbachianum)
Tetrastigma cf.
lauterbachianum
2
Washing initiates
The Tetrastigma cf. lauterbachianum
vine (Plate 4-3) is used to redden
the faces of initiates so that the
skin appears plump, red and shiny.
Young boys are passed through the
split trunk of the vine, which is tied
up again. The vine must not be cut
subsequently or the child will not
grow. The juice from Tetrastigma cf.
lauterbachianum is sometimes drunk
in different rites to make boys grow,
but the specific vine a boy has passed
through must never be cut for juice.
This is a vine with red bark.
Maybolol
Wasim ol manki
Rop bilong Maybolol (Plate 4-3) mipela
yusim long mekim pes bilong ol manki
retpela olsem blut, long taim bilong ol
i kamap long ai bilong ol man. Em bai
luk olsem blut i stap long pes na em
bai ret olgeta. Mipela save brukim rop
bilong Maybolol namel na putim ol
manki i go insait na kamap long hap
sait. Yu ken givim ol long dring tu.
Tasol taim yu putim ol manki insait
yu no ken katim dispela rop, yu mas
painim narapela bilong givim ol manki
dring. Rop em i gat retpela skin.
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76
Mucuna
novoguineensis
3
Cleansing initiates’ skin
Mucuna novoguineensis is a red vine
with red flowers (Plate 4-4). We give
its juice to boys to make them grow.
The boys do not drink any water for
two or three days prior to drinking
the juice of this vine. The juice is
mixed with the juice of other vines
and drunk in green coconut water.
These coconuts must be taken from
the palm tree, those that have fallen
to the ground must not be used, nor
must the green coconuts be knocked
to the ground when they are collected
for this use. If fallen coconuts are
used, the spirit of the coconut will
leave them (kaaping popawe) and the
boys will not grow. After this rite the
young boys must avoid contact with
women for several days or weeks.
Raning
Klinim skin bilong ol
manki
Raning (Plate 4-4) em i retpela rop
wantaim retpela plaua bilong en na
mipela save givim wara bilong en long
ol manki. Taim ol manki laik kisim, ol
mas lusim wara long tupela o tripela
de. Mipela kisim sampela narapela rop
na ol manki save dringim wantaim
kulau. Kulau bai no inap pundaun
long graun, yu mas pulimapim long
bilum antap yet. Sapos kulau lus long
graun bai mekim ‘tewel bilong kulau
bai ranawe’ (kaaping popawe). Olgeta
rop na kulau em bilong mekim skin
bilong ol manki kamap. Bihain long
dispela wok, em i tambu tru bilong ol
manki i go klostu long ol meri.
Plate 4-4: Raning (Mucuna novoguineensis)
3. Mucuna novoguineensis Scheff. (Fabaceae).
Sapta Foa | Chapter Four
77
Smilax sp.
4
To make you hot
Rubbing Smilax sp. leaves (Plate 4-5,
4-6) in between the hands or inhaling
the smell will restore spiritual power.
If you have trouble with hunting, or
your love magic is not working, then
you can use this to wash your hands
and you will be hot again.
Gnorunggnorung
Bilong hatim skin
Dispela Gnorunggnorung (Plate 4-5,
4-6) yu ken wasim han long en, o
smelim na hatim nus bilong yu. Sapos
yu kisim taim yu laik painim abus yu
ken kisim dispela na wasim han, o
sapos marila i no wok, yu ken lusim
wara na go kisim lip na smelim, na bai
yu hat gen.
4. Smilax sp. (Smilacaceae).
Plate 4-5: Gnorunggnorung (Smilax sp.)
Plate 4-6: Gnorunggnorung (Smilax sp.)
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Yuyung
Bilong strongim ol pawa
Wanem samting mipela traim, olsem
ston bilong wokim haus pisin, na i no
wok; mipela kisim dispela Yuyung lip
(Plate 4-7, 4-8) na bungim wantaim
Gnorunggnorung (Plate 4-5, 4-6) na ol
narapela hatpela samting, na em bai
kamap hat ken.
Namung mileeting
Traim ol man na meri
Bipo, ol tumbuna bin yusim Namung
mileeting (Plate 4-9, 4-10) bilong traim
man bilong posin. Ol bin kukim hap
sospen graun long paia pastaim.
Bihain putim tupela hap lip bilong
Namung mileeting bilong karamapim
dispela ol hap sospen na kukim han
bilong manki wantaim lip. Sapos skin
paia, ol save man no inap long wokim
posin.
Taim yangpela meri i stap long haus
long taim em kalapim skin, ol meri
inap wokim wankain. Kukim han
wantaim Namung mileeting bilong
ol mas kukim kaikai em mas hat na
switpela. Tumbuna nogat sol bilong
mekim kaikai swit, olsem ol save
wokim kain samting olsem.
Pueraria lobata
4
Restoring spiritual power
Pueraria lobata (Plate 4-7, 4-8) is
used to restore the power of objects
used in magic and hunting. When
constructing things like a bird
hunting hide, we use certain stones to
draw birds to the hide. To make the
stones powerful, we put them in the
fire with Pueraria lobata and Smilax
sp. leaves (Plate 4-5, 4-6) to ensure
their power will be strong.
Hoya sp.
5
Initiate’s test
The Hoya sp. leaves (Plate 4-9, 4-10)
were used by our ancestors to see if a
newly initiated boy had the power of
sorcery. Shards of clay pot were heated
in a fire and then the thick Hoya sp.
leaves were placed on the shards to
heat up. The leaves were then laid on
the open palm of the initiate. If the
skin did not burn, they were judged a
suitable candidate.
Women also burn their hands like
this in initiation to encourage heat
and therefore sweet tasting food when
they cook. Ancestors did not have salt
to make food taste savoury, so they
employed techniques such as this
instead.
4. Pueraria lobata (Leguminosae/Papilionatae), mosong rop.
5. Hoya sp. (Asclepiadaceae).
Sapta Foa | Chapter Four
79
Plate 4-7: Yuyung (Pueraria lobata)
Plate 4-8: Yuyung (Pueraria lobata)
Plate 4-9: Namung mileeting
(Hoya sp.)
Plate 4-10: Namung mileeting
(Hoya sp.)
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