The Tuma Underworld of Love: Erotic and other narrative songs of the Trobriand Islanders and their spirits of the deadThe Trobriand Islanders' eschatological belief system explains what happens when someone dies. Bronislaw Malinowski described essentials of this eschatology in his articles "Baloma: the Spirits of the Dead in the Trobriand Islands" and "Myth in Primitive Psychology". There he also presented the Trobrianders' belief that a "baloma" can be reborn; he claimed that Trobrianders are unaware of the father's role as genitor. This volume presents a critical review of Malinowski's ethnography of Trobriand eschatology – finally settling the "virgin birth" controversy. It also documents the ritualized and highly poetic "wosi milamala" – the harvest festival songs. They are sung in an archaic variety of Kilivila called "biga baloma" – the baloma language. Malinowski briefly refers to these songs but does not mention that they codify many aspects of Trobriand eschatology. The songs are still sung at specific occasions; however, they are now moribund. With these songs Trobriand eschatology will vanish. |
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The Tuma Underworld of Love: Erotic and Other Narrative Songs of the ... Gunter Senft Limited preview - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
ageisi bagaisa Baldwin baloma in Tuma basket beach beautiful betelnut biga baloma bird Bomatu Boyowa brother-sister taboo Bulasa Bwetadou Bweyova called canoe child clan consultants told corpse crying culture dead death deceased documented Doveya Dube’oli Eibl-Eibesfeldt erotic eschatological female baloma girl harvest festival Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt Kaduwaga kagu Kaila Kaile’una Kilivila language Kiriwina Island Kula language lines living Losuia love magic magical formulae male baloma Malinowski 1974 manova megwa Melanesian mentioned milamala songs Minutes Stanza Chapter misinari missionaries Mobiliuya mother mourning Mwasei myth Name of song numanuma Omyuva pandanus Papua New Guinea points Punatina reports ritual rub ointment Senft sexual singers singing song cycle song Minutes Stanza soul spirits sung sweet smelling herbs Tauwema To’unata Topileta Trobriand Islanders Tuma underworld Usi Veponu vana variety of Kilivila Venbrux Veto’i village vivina waves Weiner wind woman women Wosi Bweyava Wosi Dorai wosi milamala Wosi Oruvekoya wreaths of flowers Yagina yams young