Rumors of cannibalism and cruelty flourishing on the wild islands are greatly exaggerated. Tourists who dare to personally get acquainted with the culture and customs of the Papuans claim that the natives are friendly, although at first they look very stern and gloomy. For your information, Miklouho-Maclay also wrote in his diary. The Russian traveler spent more than one year living with wild tribes. Almost immediately, he noted the innocence of the locals. It turns out that since then (since 1870) the Papuans have not lost their kindness, of course, if you do not encroach on their lands, pigs and women.
Where and how do real Papuans live today? What has changed in their lifestyle? You can learn about this from the article.
What has changed since the Stone Age?
Over the past centuries, not only the psychological portrait of the Papuans, but also their way of life has hardly changed. Ethnographers who have thoroughly studied the world of savages have a common opinion that many tribes have preserved signs of the Stone Age in their everyday life to this day. Many Papuans, far from civilization, live like their ancestors. Certainly,some signs of the modern world have entered the islands. For example, instead of palm leaves and feathers, they now use cloth, but for the most part their way of life remains the same as it was centuries ago.
However, it should be noted that due to the appearance of white people where the Papuans live, part of the indigenous population, having left their tribal communities, began to engage in completely different activities. It began with the emergence of the mining industry and the development of tourism in the country (thanks to the Europeans). Some local residents began to develop deposits, transport people, service shops, etc. Today, a stratum of farmers and entrepreneurs is being formed in Guinea. And it is already known that many rituals and traditions either disappeared without a trace or became part of tourist attractions.
Where do the Papuans live?
Papuans - is the oldest population of Fr. New Guinea and several other islands in Indonesia and Melanesia. They are the main population of the state of Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya (province of Indonesia). In their anthropological type, they are close to the Melanesians (a branch of the Australoid race), but they differ in language. Not all Papuan languages are related to each other. Tok-Pisin Creole (based on English) is considered to be the national language in PNG.
The largest Papuan tribe in eastern New Guinea was previously known for its cannibalism. Today it is considered that where they livePapuans, such a terrifying tradition no longer exists. However, some facts still indicate that such magical rituals are performed by representatives of this tribe from time to time.
General about traditions
Representatives of different nationalities have many of their own rituals and traditions, so firmly rooted in everyday life that no one pays much attention to them for a long time. However, if a person who was brought up on completely different values gets into any of the societies, then for him new traditions may seem wild.
This also applies to some features of the way of life of the Papuans. Where the Papuans live, there are traditions that are simply terrifying for ordinary civilized people. Everything that is considered normal and commonplace for savages is impossible to imagine even in a nightmare.
Several shocking Papuan traditions
- The Papuans mummify their leaders, demonstrating respect for the dead in this way. They keep them in huts. Some distorted creepy mummies are 200-300 years old.
- Women who lost their relatives used to cut off their fingers. And today you can still see fingerless old women in some villages.
- Papuans breastfeed not only their children, but also the cubs of animals.
- Practically all the hard work is done by women. It even happens that women in the last months of their pregnancy can cut wood while their husbands rest in huts.
- The Korowai tribe of Papuans have a very strange place of residence. They build their houses on trees (height from 15 to 50 meters). Insect larvae are the favorite delicacy of Korowai.
- Some Papuans from New Guinea living in mountainous areas wear kotekas. These are cases made from varieties of local calabash pumpkin. They are worn on manhood instead of shorts.
- Bride price in Papuan tribes is measured in pigs, so these pets are very well taken care of. Even women feed them with their breast milk.
Amazing culture is extremely colorful and original. Perhaps this is the reason Europeans love exotic countries and unusual travel destinations so much.
