| Description |
Discussion of customs and traditional beliefs
I. Death
These are the customs of our ancestors when a man or woman dies. The members of the deceased person’s clan (‘vunatarai’) gather and meet to discuss what needs to be done. After the body is buried, the clan members must agree on how to honour the deceased, in particular concerning the funeral feast and the collection of shell money (‘tabu’) from the deceased’s kin.
The clan leaders determine the contribution of shell money, which can amount to 100 or 200 fathoms. The clan also decides on individual contributions of shell money and on the different roles and responsibilities for the upcoming ceremony to honour the dead. The clan leaders also determine the date and venue for the feast and the distribution of shell money. This information is communicated to the community so that they know what to expect for the actual ceremony (‘balabalaguan’).
The ceremony starts with an opening prayer (‘lotu’) for God’s blessings at the event. The food involved includes both cooked and uncooked items, such as pork, banana, taro, sweet potato, or cassava. Store-bought items, such as rice and tinned meat, may also be included. The foodstuffs are distributed to all people in attendance. The people are fed before the shell money is distributed.
[Additional note: A Master of Ceremony (MoC) is usually appointed to lead the shell money distribution. The MoC announces each person’s contribution so that these contributions can be recognised by the people. This information is thus put on public record and becomes community knowledge. In this way, people know the individual and family contributions for such ceremonies, which might be relevant information at the time of later deaths of close relatives, clan members, and other village community members.]
The shell money is distributed to everyone at the ceremony. Elders and prominent people in the crowd are noted. The amounts that people receive can vary depending on their status in the community. Respect is shown to those prominent people who attend the ceremony to honour the dead.
[The MoC usually calls upon clan leaders, elders, and prominent people to make speeches encouraging community harmony and well-being.]
Following the distribution of shell money, more food, this time mainly uncooked items, is distributed. The ceremony is concluded with a prayer by the pastor of the local community church. Then, everyone departs from the venue and returns to their own homes.
II. Marriage
Marriage customs always involve an exchange of shell money and food. When a man marries a woman, his family and clan must pay a bride price to the woman’s family and clan.
When a man decides to marry a woman, his father must attain the approval of the woman’s father. This is usually accomplished by paying 20 fathoms (‘pokono’) of shell money (or, 2 ‘ariu’).
When this initial sum has been accepted and both sides agree to the marriage, the amount of the bride price itself is agreed upon. It can be 300 or 400 ‘pokono’ (or, 3 or 4 ‘mar’) of shell money. The date is also scheduled for the marriage ceremony. The families, clans, and greater community are notified that the marriage will be conducted at a traditional ceremony to exchange shell money and food.
At the traditional marriage ceremony, the clan members of the groom bring the bride price and food to give to the clan members of the bride. The groom’s father places the shell money before the bride’s father, counting out 100, 200, 300, fathoms up to the agreed-upon amount, say, 400 fathoms (‘aivat na mar’). He asks the bride’s father, “Are you happy to accept this shell money?”. The bride’s father replies in acceptance, saying, “Yes, I am very happy with this exchange.” Then food, utensils, clothing, and other gifts are exchanged to consolidate the marriage, as witnessed by both clans, who support the new couple in their marriage and establish a relationship between the two clans.
The marriage leads to a family and brings harmony, respect, and happiness to both sides and the later generations resulting from it. The later generations are connected with the past generations by means of the two moieties of Tolai kinship, the two maternal clans of Pikalaba and Marmar.
The two maternal clans Pikalaba and Marmar are also important for the inheritance and ownership of land. The classification of one’s bloodlines is always determined in a matrilineal fashion.
III. Spirits
Our traditional beliefs in spirits, such as the ‘ingiet’, were maintained by a secret and sacred society of people familiar with supernational powers. These things are not humanly or naturally possible. A person who undertakes spiritual practices, like the ‘ingiet’, is called a ‘tena ingiet’.
Spirits can appear in various natural living forms. They can possess animals of the land, sea, or sky, especially birds, so that they can travel long distances to kill people in their homes or wherever else they may be. Such spirits are invoked for doing evil rather than supporting the common good of society.
Our ancestors had faith in these spirits as their gods, who gave them supernatural powers. However, the spirits were used for the wrong reasons, not to benefit the people and their communities.
(Steven Gagau, May 2024)
(revised, Russell Barlow, May 2024) |
