83 If the victim, while chewing betel nut in his sleep or in a dream, sees the man who caused the illness, and
if he then goes to the man and they are reconciled, then the illness will end and death will not occur. In 1978, there was a fine of K300.00 for any person caught cutting open betel nut with the intention of expressing his
anger in this way.
7.2.6 Attitude towards respect
Respect is a major concern among the Rotokas adults, in particular. In some cultures, an extreme form of respect is avoidance as demonstrated among the Navajo Indians of the southwest United States, for example.
Although avoidance is not carried out to the same degree among the Rotokas, it is present to some degree. When a mother-in-law comes for a visit, normally she cannot stay in the same house with the family. Two
men built two smaller shelters to house their mothers-in-law, one of whom usually lives in a nearby hamlet. So, her son built the small shelter because of her frequent visits.
The other example of avoidance when showing respect has already been described in the chapter on the Upe. In the past, women were to avoid the Upe initiates at all cost. To break this taboo was to literally take
one’s life in her hands. In the past, men and women alike were expected to show respect for the “big men” of the village. This was
done by being silent and by assuming certain positions when passing the important person. The terms for this display of respect are arikoko now considered archaic and avivike.
7.2.7 Attitude towards integrity
Today there are formalized written contracts to keep one true to his word. In the distant past, however, oaths were verbalized in this way, “If I lie taea ‘to deny truth’, then I will sleep with my mother or sister, or
pig, or feces.” Today, a much more common oath is, Oiraopavira rutu vavo oiso viara-ia. “Truthfully with emphasis from above.”
In the past, there was a symbolic sealing of a “contract.” The two parties involved in the agreement would place two stones, one on top of the other, and spit betel nut on them. This, in effect, would guarantee their
integrity.
7.3 Consequences of Broken Taboos
Punishment such as court fines, death, and embarrassment have already been mentioned as the consequences of breaking communal taboos. Three short accounts of broken taboos add some detail to the
above—the last two being examples of extra-communal offenses [see section 9.2]. In one of the stories commonly told, a certain type of taro was not to be picked. Parents told their two
daughters of this taboo, but were not obeyed. The girls picked the taro intentionally or possibly by mistake, and the result was that they died.
Another story tells of a spirit being who gave a bottle to a man and told him he was not to show it to anyone. The man’s daughter, however, discovered the hidden bottle and showed it to all in the village, thus
breaking the taboo. The end of the man was death by hanging, so the story goes. Finally, the story is told of a man who burned some pitpit cane belonging to some spirit beings and
located in an area where trespassing was strictly forbidden by these spirits. As a result of breaking this taboo, both the man and his son died in a fire.
7.4 Ultimate Goals
Oliver says of pre-European times: …customary beliefs and actions served to defeat whatever desire they may have had for
perpetual security against human and spiritual enemies. It could be argued that their large repertory of magical defences provided some degree of comfort against imagined threats
from the former; but against human enemies there was no defence except suspicion and constant vigilance.
84 Thus, like people everywhere, the pre-European Bougainvillians had their own ideas
about the “good life,” about the best ways to live; and also, like other people, they were rarely, if ever, able to achieve all these goals Oliver 1973:76–77.
In contrast, an ultimate goal for many of the Rotokas people today is to have the satisfaction of “pleasing God.” This goal has come into focus especially since the early 1980 spiritual renewal mainly among the
United Church members. Prior to this movement among the United Church members, there was, in 1967, a general attempt to
“please God” in a tangible way. It was known as “The Christian Way.” The villages in the upper Wakunai river valley were kept very clean, all grass being cut. The cemetery resembled a well-kept European cemetery, with
rows of white crosses and neatly trimmed decorative bushes. The Australian government officers patroling the area were met with the singing of God Save the Queen, handshakes, and hospitality. It could have been
interpreted as another form of cargo cult. In fact, coastal people accused these mountain villagers of participating in cult activities. However, unless I am badly mistaken, it seemed that many of these people were
genuinely attempting to please God in every aspect of their lives. These efforts lasted over a period of several months.
A more “down-to-earth” goal is to be able to take care of the family’s need for food the garden, for security a good, solid house, for financial independence money in the bank, and an on-going income cash
crops. Bougainville island is a very suitable place to be able to meet all of those needs. The soil is volcanic and rich, the climate is conducive to plant growth and good health in the mountainous areas, especially, and
cash crops, such as cocoa and fresh vegetables, are reasonably profitable. With all of these benefits in mind, it should not be difficult to see why people with a knowledge of Christianity would not have as an ultimate goal,
pleasing their Benefactor.
85
8 Dreams, Death, Spirit World, and Magic
8.1 Dreams and Interpretations
