196
15.2.2 Singsings andor feasts related to death
Although not common today, in the past, a feast was given upon request in anticipation of a person’s death. When a man or women sensed that death was not far away, he or she would have a feast given as a
farewell occasion. Villagers contributing food could gain credit by their gifts so as to be entitled to a part of the person’s possessions once death occurred.
The name of the feast is the same as that given to the Eucharist by one of the early Methodist Teop pastors, i.e., kovukovu aio. It was reasoned that Christ knew that his death would occur shortly, so he gathered
his disciples together for a feast with the same intent as the Rotokas have. At the time of death, a special cry-song gau era is performed. The wordless tune may come in a dream,
or be remembered from times past. It has a definite melodic structure and is plaintive and sad. The singers are usually crying before long. Thoughts are said to go from the dead person to the individual singing the tune.
They become increasingly saddened by the realization of their own eventual fate. A cry-song is reproduced in section 8.1. This particular tune was first heard in a dream by a relative of the
deceased, who then taught it from memory to the mourners. The final occasion for a celebration and feast associated with a person’s death is much more happy that the
former two. At the end of the mourning period, that may vary in length from weeks to months, a special party is given to break the taboos, the time of sadness, and to remember the deceased in a special way. This
celebration is called oovapa aio memorial feast. The meat cooked for the occasion is called koora kapa opossum or koie kapa pig and is mixed with fragrant leaves of plants.
Depending upon the importance of the person, a great number of relatives and friends might come, or just a few. In section 8.2.4, the memorial feast for a clan leader in Togarao is described.
15.2.3 Celebrations to compliment or show appreciation
In May, 1967, a man from the coastal village of Teakon gave a large feast for the villages of Ibu and Togarao. The reason for the occasion was based upon a compliment. An Ibu man was walking together with a
Togarao man when they saw a very large, productive taro garden. They went to the owner from Teakon and expressed their amazement over the size and condition of his garden. As a result of this special compliment,
the Teakon man subsequently gave a feast for the two men, their families and friends. There is no loss in the mind of the Teakon man, since it is the custom for those receiving the attention in the first instance to return
the feast later on.
It was said that sometimes when the return-feast was slow in coming, the recipients-to-be would make up a story about the donor’s gardens telling of their own surprise, etc., just to speed things along. Evidently, this
kind of celebration was quite common in the past and provided occasions for friendly social interaction. A celebration may also be an occasion for expressing gratitude for some act performed. After giving birth
to their sixth daughter, the village leader’s wife suffered from a complication in her hip joint. Because she could not walk the distance to the hospital at Wakunai on the coast, several men from the village carried her
the distance—a day’s journey on foot. Several months later, when she was well and back in the village, her husband killed several pigs, prepared
large quantities of food and invited not only the men, but also their families and friends. The party was not lengthy and no singsing followed it.
When our house in the village of Togarao had been completed, the local pastor held a service to open it. We had purchased rice, sugar, tinned fish, and candy for the feast. As it turned out, only a dozen of the work
men actually ate with us. The rest took their portion of the food and cooked it at home. Since the people had dispersed, no singsing was held.
The opening of the large store in the same village was an occasion for a grand celebration, including a feast, guest speakers, sports events, and singsing. Because of the many activities, the singsing was held to a
specific time period. After the guests had eaten, the Upe initiates entered from the upper entrance into the village in traditional
style. The singsing then proceeded with the boys in a tight inner circle. Parents and relatives circled concentrically around them. There were both pipes and drums for the accompaniment.
Sometimes a spontaneous singsing will be held just for the sake of getting together after a busy week. A Friday or Saturday night might find someone entertaining himself with a drum. Someone else brings his drum
along and before long, others come out of curiosity. The group moves to the open part of the village and more often than not starts into dance. The singsing might last for two to three hours, or as in at least one well-
197 remembered instance, it started at midnight and finished at 4:30 a.m. When the evening is cool, the group will
build a small fire and circle close to the fire while dancing. An unusual type of celebration incorporates joy and anger. The occasion, known as sutim diwai in Tok
Pisin and korapato in Rotokas, occurs when a natural calamity has caused injury to a person, or nearly so. The joy expressed in the singsing is for the fact that the person was not killed. The anger expressed in the activity is
towards the responsible spirit being. It is intended to persuade the spirit being not to harm the injured person in any further way.
A korapato was held in the village of Sisivi. Visitors came from Wakunai, Mapiaro, Sirioripaia, Ruruvu, and Togarao. A tree had fallen and very nearly killed a man. He escaped, however, without injury. In anger,
arrows were shot and spears were hurled into a large kasava tree, hence, sutim diwai or “pierce the tree”. Following this, the arrows and spears were removed, broken, and distributed to the attending guests. A
singsing in the morning had preceded this activity and the distribution of food followed it. It is said that if the victim dies, then there is no reason to carry out the korapato. The breaking up of the
arrows and spears could bring regret because of the loss of these valuable possessions. However, in thinking of the injured person while piercing the tree, the owners are to forget their own matters.
15.3 Musical Instruments Used by the Rotokas People
Kategori