Author : Gunter Senft
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9027284695
Total Pages : 138 pages
Book Rating : 4.93/5 ( download)
Book Synopsis The Tuma Underworld of Love by : Gunter Senft
Download or read book The Tuma Underworld of Love written by Gunter Senft and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09-29 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 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.