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The cannibals and
warriors of pre-contact New Hanover
By PATRICK KARABUSPALAU KAIKU
Historical accounts by Europeans such
as Richard Parkinson's, "Thirty Years in the South Seas" give
graphic accounts of the pre-contact nature of cannibalism in what
is the present day New Guinea islands region of PNG. New Hanover
Island in the New Ireland province was no exception. There,
headhunting and cannibalism typified the era Lovongais refer to as
Taun Vong (the Dark Ages).
Raiding parties and marauding head-hunters on mainland New
Hanover, and the neighboring islands of Tigak with dug-out canoes
as modes of travel all joined in the mayhem. Such was the extent
and magnitude of headhunting that according to Parkinson, New
Hanover pre-contact hunting spears were even found to be in use as
far away as the Djaul Islands. On the ancient battlefields all
across Lovongai, corpses of the fallen in battle were eaten by the
opposing side. Prized flesh was not only seized in open battle,
more often it was obtained during punitive night raids. Men, women
and children, old and young, were all consumed regardless.
During the nascent years of Methodism in the early 1900s, the last
of the known cannibals or head-hunters on New Hanover was still in
business. He is known on New Hanover as Ugui Malikom, the menace
of the southern shores of New Hanover and the Tigak islands. To
this day, a large hollowed tree (apparently his feasting ground
and look-out) at Patisiva near Ranmelek contains evidence of the
countless skulls of his unfortunate victims. His reputation even
threatened the advancement of Methodism on the southern part of
the island given that some early missionaries were reportedly part
of his grisly menu.
To better understand cannibalism on Lovongai, it was the ancient
warrior class (vosaps) of New Hanoverian society, the protector of
the clan and territorial boundaries that were interchangeably
associated with head-hunting practices ? a responsibility they
took seriously. This role entailed deterring potential enemies
through stalking, killing and feasting on their dead corpses.
For example, according to Passingan Laneu an elder of the Valus
clan, two ancient inland settlements of present-day Meteran,
Ngisan and Vain-Siang-ta-Umlo were adjacent homes to two vosaps of
the Valus clan. These two fighter-leaders, Temelamaras who
inhabited Vain-Siangan-ta-Umlo and Vongamis who resided Ngisan
tirelessly patrolled their areas and used stationed sentinels to
notify them of intruders within their respective boundaries (vangai).
Using supernatural powers, usually the deafening claps of thunder,
Vongamis was reputed to have halted the passage of his intruding
victims and through hypnotizing spells directed their paths into
his den.
On New Hanover, cannibalism was significant in the preservation of
the state of equilibrium, served as deterrence for intending
intruders or the physical pronouncement of territoriality. As a
matter of survival and form of defensive strategy, head-hunters
and vosaps with members of their clan resided on strategic forts
overlooking steep valleys, trans-inland crossings and wide bay
inlets. Today, some of these forts or ancient in-land settlements
can be easily identified since growing in their vicinity are tall
coconut trees and domesticated shrubs that attest to their having
been former homes to war-prone clans.
Likewise, under the vosaps, cannibalism and warfare as the means
to procure victims was institutionalized. There was training for
promising head-hunters and the development of elaborate rituals,
fiery initiation ceremonies into the vosap ranks and the diverse
magical chants for the various herbs/ginger species (mai) used to
empower (ang solo) intending participants. One notorious
head-hunter of the Sui (Kingfisher) clan known as Balavui who
resided in the hinterland of present-day Meteran and who had the
habit of preferring young girls as part of his menu established a
rangaman-i-atailai (a sacred men's house) solely for the purpose
of training future head-hunters and would-be vosaps to carry on
the trade. Balavui was reported to have closely consulted the
vaitas, the sorcerer class of ancient New Hanoverian society;
mainly to summon supernatural assistance is his many battles. He
also built a ranagman fuka (men's sacred feasting house) for the
feasts he threw in after his numerous battles.
Even the rules of conflict where also developed under the vosaps.
According to oral tradition as retold by Lassingan Levesi, certain
areas in the low-lying grasslands of Meteran, Vaikeb, Kiting and
so forth were reputed to have been designated by these
fighter-leaders as open, neutral battlefields. But randomly
unannounced raids were conducted by either the head-hunters of the
Tigak islands or desperate head-hunters from very distant
settlements on the mainland of New Hanover. The vosaps ensured an
unwritten code that for a victim to be eaten, he must be killed in
open and fair fights. Moreover, what appears to be an ancient
drain in Meteran village in fact served as a demarcation for two
opposing spear-wielding warriors to take aims from, so akin to a
modern boxing ring.
It was therefore incumbent on peace-makers to assert themselves.
Certain vosaps, for example, Lakraipan from Kiting in the north
and Tipisukang from Saula, having had enough of cannibalism began
declaring their allegiance to peace and order. Even before
Europeans started imposing their politico-legal institutions, a
large part of New Hanover had already experienced relative peace
with former fighter-leaders diverting their energies to more
peaceful ceremonies and non-violent traditions. Quite a feat for a
society that would have been rendered 'primitive' or 'savage' in
the multitude of anthropological works of that time!
*The writer is interested in getting the
views and generating information amongst young New Hanoverians in
learning about their history and heritage and publishing legends
about our island home. Please contact on email address:
karanasleva@yahoo.com.pg
 
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