|
The Mendi electorate has a
total population of forty thousand people. Paep is a village about twelve
miles from the town and has some six to seven hundred people, excluding
children under ten or twelve, according to the 2000 national census figures.
The word for holiness in Mendi society is sumben, which means a number
of things. Literally the concept of sumb can refer to grandfather, or
great grandfather or ancestors-especially the lineage of paternal ancestry
of both parents. The sumb spirit is not only good, but healthy and protector
of the family lineage.
The word sumbern is the blessing from the sumb for being in a good and
close relationship with the deities. Secondly sumben refers to parents-in-law
and sons-in-law. Customarily it is prohibited to call parents-in-law and
sons-in-law by name. If accidently or out of frustration the sumb is named,
compensation has to be paid as a material means of confession, before
reconciliation.
Within traditional society holiness is distinguishable in the life of
the people-their quality of living and death, good and bad, healthy and
unhealthy, and also man and women, or blessing and curse in the light
of the traditional norms and values. To be holy means to keep up the traditional
norms passed on through generations.
The god of the society works through things that are around the community-stones,
for example, the river, the mountains, special places, animals and people
represent the holy god.
There are many different spirits all performing different roles, some
of which are friendly, and other spirits who are angry, incensed, indignant,
roaming around in order to kill and steal the life of both humans and
animals.
Each spirit has its own name but they are all known by the collective
word Temo. The word temo also pertains to anything that is "uncommon",
"separate", anything happening that is unusual, "bizarre" or unique. Something
that causes surprise.
For example the first white man and woman who discovered our area in 1950
were called Temo bolli, meaning white spirits returning with their wealth
and possessions. It was believed that their wealth was sent by the ancestral
spirits.
In each society there is a temo who lives above the community, watching,
not only the bad practices and conduct but protecting the community from
angry spirits that range about to steal and cause sickness or illness.
In Paep Society temo is called Hurum Lunei, who is holy and more powerful
than the ancestral spirits. The ancestral spirit would seek advice from
Hurum Lunei on what to do if she is not satisfied with her people in terms
of their sacrifices and their relationships with the temo world.
Hurum is the name of the communities' great mountain where the community
believes that their god lives and watches over them. Lunei means "kill
eat". Hurum Lunei is not only holy, separate, peculiar, but is hostile
toward immoral conduct, deceitful behavior and taking unfair advantages
in society. No enemy of society would escape Hurum Lunei, especially one
who had the blood of Paep society members on his hands. Nor will any ill
intent, or desire, or ambition, or ill feelings or attempt to bring destruction
to the community go unpunished, unless a confession is pronounced publicly.
According to the traditional belief ancestral deities were intercessors,
appealing for the people before the judgment of Hurum Lunei.
Another god believed to be clean, holy and living up in the sky is a female
god called Yeki ten. Yeki means blessed god, and ten means woman. Yeki
ten is believed to be a sympathetic god, compassionate, considerate, warm-hearted
and supportive. This god could be easily convinced. She has the ability
to share the feelings of human beings, especially the community members.
Yeki ten was able to express her powerful perceptions in songs and cries
up in the sky. The society was to discern from the song or cry whether
good fortune, victory, or loss of a member of the community was coming.
Unlike Hurum Lunei she deserved to be treated "separately", in a holy
and pure manner. An altar and sacrifices were made above ground level
and a shrine preserved for that purpose. Sacrifice was made for healing
and for the whole community to be blessed in all aspects of life-for rain,
food and wealth.
There are certain people who are thought to be powerful in that they become
the agent, or officers of the sacred power operational in society. They
are agents through whom the deities act-people who can foretell events
or interpret dreams, the sound of birds, or thunderstorms, and who select
animals to be offered to the spirits. They can discern different kinds
of sickness, who the spirit is afflicting, the advent of illness, or poverty,
or riches. These people are set aside, separate and are special or holy.
They abstain or refrain from specific kinds of foods, avoid being on common
ground or in contact with women who are menstruating, and avoid sexual
intercourse at certain times.
The public fear to walk in front of these holy people, or to speak to
them because people believe that they have the temo in them. People who
want to meet with them also must be holy, for they can be cast to the
ground or fall ill if unprepared. Temo ungpi means demon possessed person,
in the sense that he can perceive through the eyes of the spirits.
Sacred shrines are well-fenced with a good flower garden to make a person
see that it really is a temo's house. It is holy and a unique place to
meet with the temo, for giving offerings and for speaking to the spirit
on specific agenda. The sites are carefully selected by the temo ungpi
and people are advised how to build it.
An ancestral skull is kept in one of the corners of a four by three metre
house. An altar is usually built to keep the venerated ancestral skull,
or some special stones, specifically carved, which represent the spirits.
When performing sacrifices, the blood and internal fat is burned to the
spirits and the rest of the meat is eaten with the surrounding community
members. In some cases these are only eaten by the blood relatives. This
would mean that sons- and daughters-in-law are excluded because they are
not blood-related.
In my society the traditional holiness codes are kept alive not because
of their potency or due to a powerful force. Morality conserves the holiness
code. Customary codes persist due to religious beliefs. A society's religious
belief does not only conserve the customary codes but also shapes the
moral conduct of the society and motivates a better future, hopes and
dreams in life.
The holy itself cannot be seen, but only a description of holiness is
seen through nature.
To adhere and abide to the traditional law is part of one's life. A society
living the holiness code shapes the person to become holy.
Disobedience and neglect only bring misery and unhappiness, not only to
one's own life, but also the family and community suffer. In my society,
Hurum Lunei and Yeki ten are above watching over community, daily activities,
both good and bad, and making sure all the rules are obeyed.
Some rules:
-A man is prohibited from having contact with a woman during her menstruation
period. Also food that has been touched by her may not be picked up or
eaten by men. She may not live in the common house and is allowed to live
in a separate little hut specifically built for the women, and purposely
for these periods and for child birth. No men or young boys from age five
or six may go near this hut when it is being used. The woman is not ready
to provide food to men until after certain number of days.
-In the case of childbirth, the woman and the baby are allowed to come
to the common house after a day from the date of birth. She walks through
two or three ceremonial fires made in between the hut and the common houses
which provide smoke to purify the women, and as a sign of initiation and
acceptance of the new born child. However for many reasons man are prohibited
to touch the newly born baby or even to see the baby until after six to
seven months.
-Young men and women undergo certain traditional initiation rites to prove
themselves, not only to be married, but for good health, and purpose in
life, for wealth and possessions.
-In many areas, people who were found to be suffering from contagious
diseases of the skin and nerves were put in a separate place, or at times
buried alive in a restricted area. Human dead bodies were buried carefully
six foot under ground. There were also certain foods to be eaten by male
or female only, e.g. Cassowary meat and pigs that were slaughtered at
a specific ceremonial slaughter-house were to be eaten by men only.
-A woman and a man who are blood-related and also within the same clan
and community are strongly prohibited from marrying or having any kind
of sexual relationship. Men and young boys were all allowed to sleep in
the men's house, while women and girls sleep in the common house or women's
house.
The institution of marriage
is the corner stone of all human society. Any violation of the sacred
character of marriage is considered to be a heinous offence.
Finally holiness is always optional. Any individual is free to choose
good or bad, a happy, joyful and peaceful life, or a miserable life. A
person is free to choose wisdom with wealth, or folly with poverty, good
strong health or weakness and illness. The end result is life or death.
There is a traditional saying in Paep, rather like the one in Leviticus
18:24-30 "To avoid being capsized by the land, one must abide by the laws
of the society".
|
