69 killed. The reason was said to be so the women would not see the initiates before the boys’ bodies were
“ready.” Today, the severity of the punishment is much less. In fact, we can’t remember any woman or girl being
punished to any degree for having been too close to initiates. A Catholic priest told of one older woman who crawled on her knees out of “respect” past an Upe initiate
while leaving the service one Sunday morning. This was at Asitavi in a relatively large Catholic church building.
Even a young man felt that it was not wise to go too near the Upe initiates, since they had only recently returned from their time in the bush, a five-month period. They were still on a restricted diet of sweet potato
only. He felt it was not safe for him to be in their immediate vicinity, lest he become contaminated and “spoil” the body of a village child, if he should inadvertently touch it this was in 1976.
In the past, the punishment of an initiate who prematurely removed his Upe hat could result in the death of the parents. In 1981, the punishment was monetary. The boys had to pay K20 if they removed their hats
without authorization. At that time, the Youth Group leaders of the United Church were being charged in the village court for allegedly having “persuaded” initiates to take off their hats and quit the initiation rituals.
Later, the government in Arawa declared that there had been no law prohibiting this kind of persuasion whether or not they actually had done so, and therefore, the K60 fines each were illegally imposed.
Although optional, an important part of the Upe rituals has to do with the renaming of the initiates and their parents during the initiation period. At the time of the fast aio kavu, the names of the boys are changed.
The purpose of the special food given at this time is to cause a “rebirth” of the initiate through the power invested in the food. The boy has a new start in life. The name change symbolizes what takes place. The
parents are free to choose whether or not to change their names at this time, as well. One friend decided not to change his own name when his son did. Some of the new names once belonged to powerful leaders of bygone
days.
In the past, there were often problems with keeping names straight on government census rolls. A boy’s name might have been changed twice due to the initiation practices, resulting in three different names for the
roll: 1 birth name, 2 name change at time of Upe fast, and 3 if chosen to be an Upe group leader, the name was changed once more. For the same reasons, parents might have two name changes, as well. The name
changes occurred only during the first son’s initiation. The initiation of following sons did not affect the names of the parents.
5.5 Divining
A special part of the ritual occurs on the last day the initiates spend in the bush. At this time, there is a divining, or selection of the best qualified initiates. The ritual is called the oova vago. The divining also reveals
something of the parents’ behavior. If the parents have, in fact, broken the taboo against sleeping together during the isolation period, the divining will reveal this fact. In the past, men gathered from all over for this
occasion and, at times, fights broke out because of jealousy or accusations.
The bodies of the boys are divined or “judged” at this time. If there has been good development, then the boy “passes.” If not, he is considered “cold.” The statement is Uteoparo viro or “He is completely cold.” In
this case, it doesn’t pay to be a “cool” young man
5.6 Celebrations and Dancing
After the training period in the bush is completed and the judgment of boys’ and parents’ conduct alike is made, the time comes for the joyful re-entry into the village. The boys are decorated and the ceremonial hats
are placed on their heads. Crushed ginger root mixed with coconut grease is rubbed on the bodies of the initiates. Added to this are fragrant leaves to make the boys especially attractive to the girls and their parents.
On some of the boys, a V-shaped mark aruova is made, using the white kovirea clay. A palm leaf is placed on the body from the shoulder to the sternum. The white earth powder is then “painted” on, using the
leaf as a template, resulting in two white strips following the margins of the leaf. The leaf is then removed. As the group of initiates prepares to enter the village, there might be several false starts. These are
intended to raise the level of anticipation and excitement of the awaiting family and friends. As the first boys finally enter, they are preceded by one initiate carrying a long pole on which is tied a bundle of burning moss
and lichen called the Orokui epita Orokui’s nest.
70 During the dancing, the Upe initiates circle in one direction in the center of the dancing area, while the
parents and friends circle in the opposite direction surrounding them. Some of the initiates might be carried on the shoulders of relatives.
In the past, during the dance, jealous men, or men with a grudge, would try to cut the seam where the Upe hat was fastened. For this reason, the dancers keep their heads rotating back and forth sufficiently to keep the
men from carrying out their intentions. Following the introductory dancing and celebrating in their own village, the Upe initiates travel about to
other villages to show off their decorations and bodies. The name of the second singsing is called kesi pupi limping dance. It always takes place in another village, initially.
One of the primary reasons for the dancing is to show off to prospective families the males who are now eligible to be the husbands of their daughters. The especially beautiful and intricately designed hats serve to
attract attention. The hats and boys must have had almost supernatural appeal in the past. The women, at times, would make a dash to the inner circle, in order to grasp an attractive initiate. This would be strictly taboo, and
the older men circling in the surrounding ring of dancers would keep the woman or girl from doing so. It is said that, at times, the disappointment would be so great that the young woman would commit suicide by
hanging herself.
Often the end result of the homecoming celebration and dancing is that many of the initiates are “marked” by families for their daughters. The young men then return to a more normal routine while living in their avata
at the edge of the village until the times are set for marriage. A good friend, who had helped us build our house as a single man, became an Upe initiate rather late in
his youth. At the age of about twenty-five years, the young man had completed the training, had worn the hat for nearly two years, and had hair past his shoulders in length. An older woman had been “captivated” by the
young man’s appearance during the homecoming dance. She was “surprised by him.” Realizing that she was too old and, in fact, already married with a family, she was able to fulfill her desire for him by arranging for
her sister to claim him for the woman’s daughter. The decision was binding and the girl was sent to live with the older aunt near the Upe initiates’ house. The initiate had never met her previous to this.
The young man had no choice but to marry the girl. Had he said “no,” other prospective girls would have seen the shame experienced by the rejected girl. They would have stayed away from him as a result.
Upe initiates at Togarao singsing 5.7 Removal of the Upe Hat
As already stated in section 5.4, there is a strong taboo against prematurely removing the Upe hat. In fact, many parents are not anxious to have the hats removed from the boys once they return to the village living
71 situation. The reason is that wearing the hat enforces respect for the opposite sex and helps keep them out of
trouble. When the final decision is made and the young man is ready to abandon his Upe hat for a bride, a
ceremonial cleansing is carried out. This involves both cutting the hair and washing the body. When the hair is finally cut, only a few witness the act. It is usually carried out by older men of the village
with special Upe responsibilities. The hair is tied up and pulled tight up over the head. It is then cut fairly close to the scalp. The Upe hat is then replaced on the head. The official act is done by an older man, an Upe leader,
who first rubs spit and betel nut juice on the initiate’s head just inside the bottom edge of the hat. The ceremonial hat is used for this final occasion. Recently, I was invited to witness the removal of a friend’s
Upe.
If the young man is to be married shortly after the hat is removed, the washing ceremony is particularly important. The water used for the wash is scented by flowers at the time of the ceremony. A limbum leaf
sheath is filled with fragrant flowers. The water is poured in the top end, passes through the collection of flowers, and then spills out onto the body of the person being cleansed. This is called the sisupa ogo.
After the couple’s marriage rites are completed, the young man leaves the avata house and all of his bachelor friends for good. He enters the newlywed’s house with his wife and starts an entirely different
lifestyle. As he enters the new house, the bachelor friends again wash him to cleanse him of any residual effects from the avata house. For some, it is a time of heaviness because of the realization of new
responsibilities and the fact that the carefree life of the bachelor community can no longer be enjoyed. A special feast celebrating the marriage no doubt helps, however.
A word picture is used to signify the completion of the Upe initiation and the closing of this chapter of the young man’s life. The word is purisa or “area of trampled grass.” The picture is of the dance area after the
participants have all gone home. The party is over.
5.8 Future of the Upe Initiation Custom
