V. Glossary of concepts

Antropomorphic
In human form, resembling a human being.
 
Aopao
Reciprocity, mutuality. According to context, this concept can be translated as: return gift, quid pro quo, return of a favour or service, counterpart, marriage exchange (exchange of women), compensation, or revenge.
 
Cassowary
Family of flightless birds (Casuaris) from the (sub) order of cassowary-like birds (Casuarii); large three-toed flightless bird with extremely small, black, ribbon-like feathers and a domed head. Native to New Guinea and neighbouring islands (Van Dale 1984, p. 1298). The bird's characteristic features include its razor-sharp toenails. This basically shy creature can, however, be dangerous when it feels threatened. It is capable of slitting open a human body with one stroke of its stiletto-like middle toenail. This bird plays an important role in myths among various ethnic groups in New Guinea. Among the Kamoro, the cassowary is associated with the emakame feast, and is also represented in certain kinds of woodcarving.
 
Emakame
A feast that is celebrated especially in the villages of the interior lying on the upper reaches of the rivers. In these areas emakame is the principal feast. In the eastern Mimika region there is a local version, known as Kiawa. The main themes of this feast concern the emergence of life from death, the renewal of life, the origins of life, and Creation. These themes are based on a Creation myth. Women play an important role in the range of ideas embodied in the feast, because they are the bringers of new life. The fostering of female fertility is one of the goals of the feast. Consumption of a certain substance, considered to promote conception, contributes towards this goal (Pouwer 1954:1, 1955:58, p.188).
The literal meaning of the concept of emakame - 'bone house' - refers to the ceremonial house the Kamoro build specially for the feast, to receive the bones of the dead. After the previous feast these have been dug up and stored in the family dwelling (Drabbe 1950, p. 226).
 
Filigree work
Fine metalwork composed of threads.
 
Hornbill
Aceros plicatus. A kind of hornbill (Aceros undulatus) with a horn-like swelling on the beak, formed of semi-circular transverse folds (Van Dale 1984, p.1229). The English name is the Papuan Hornbill. It is found only in New Guinea, and some of the neighbouring islands. The most characteristic features of these quite sizeable birds, are the large, curved beak, black plumage, and white tail. The Dutch name 'jaarvogel' refers to the overlapping, ridged composition of the upper beak. It used to be thought that a new ridge grew each year, but according to ornithologists, this is not true.
The hornbill, which the Kamoro call komai, appears in myths, and it plays a role in the emakame feast. The bird is represented in some woodcarvings. Among the Asmat the hornbill is a major headhunting symbol. It also appears in certain of the Asmat woodcarvings.
 
Ironwood
An extremely hard, heavy and durable wood. As a rule the Kamoro make their carvings from relatively soft wood. In view of the fact that these works were used only once during a particular feast, and were not subsequently preserved, it was not necessary to use the most durable kind of wood for them. Some of these traditional woodcarvings were abandoned in the sago swamps after use at the feast, in the belief that the spirits of the carvings would promote the growth of the sago. However, the limited durability of the softwoods may also be associated with the fragility of human life, and its short span, as represented in most woodcarvings. It was only at the request of Christian missionaries that the Kamoro, like the Asmat, began to carve objects out of ironwood. The relatively small size of these objects, as well as the beauty and durability of the type of wood used, renders them attractive to foreigners as souvenirs.
 
Kao
Skin, casing, nest.
 
Karapao
Initiation feast (Van der Schoot: 1969, p.76). Also an indication of the nose-piercing feast, and the ceremonial house constructed for the celebration of this kind of initiation (Bijlmer, c. 1938, p.109; Drabbe 1947-1948, pp. 258, 263; Pouwer 1955, p.292).
 
Kàware
Name of a feast associated with the sea, beach, coast. For this feast the Kamoro decorate their dugout canoes. The decorations include special wooden prow ornaments, and the Kamoro also make 'festive' paddles, carved from a hardwood. These features give the feast the name of 'canoe' or 'boat' feast.
 
Mamakoro / Mamokoro
Name of a snouted mask made from knotted string stretched over a rattan framework, with a shirt of sago-palm leaves. It is also the name for the ritual in which masks of this kind are used (Van der Schoot 1969, p.76). This ritual forms part of the Kaware feast connected with death and the renewal of life. Masks of this kind are found in the central and eastern parts of the Mimika region.
 
Màparè
Innermost, deepest, beneath, the essential.
 
Matrilinear
Belonging to the female line. Used of a society that applies this concept. Descent or lineage is counted as one line, through women, i.e., mothers, maternal grandmothers, and so on (Claessen et al. 1978, p.45). Descent, inheritance and succession are attributed to the female line (Reading 1977, p. 126).
 
Mbii
(Impersonal) spirit.
 
Mbii-kao
Spirit mask (mbii means spirit or ghost; kao means skin, covering).
 
Mbii-kawanè
Literally: spirit scaffold or platform (mbii means spirit or ghost; kawanè means scaffold/platform) Also the name of a particular death ritual in which masked figures appear, i.e., a mask feast in honour of the dead. During this feast the spirits of the dead, in the form of the masks, pay a last visit to their village.
 
Mbitòrò
Spirit pole, remembrance pole (mbii means spirit or ghost; tòrò means pole). This is carved from the trunk of a mangrove-like tree, one of the buttress roots being kept intact so that it can be used as the flag-shaped projection at the top of the pole (the tree is placed upside down to serve as the pole). In the pole itself, one or more human figures are carved one above the other. They represent the dead.
 
Mòpere
Navel: the essence of life; see also màparè. The navel motif frequently occurs in Kamoro woodcarving. It refers to the mother as the creator of life. The Kamoro regard the mòpere as the maternal navel, and therefore as the essence of life.
 
Sago
Staple food in the lower-lying regions of New Guinea, particularly in the coastal and river areas. Sago is extracted from the pith of the sago palm. After the palm has been felled and the bark stripped off, the pith is loosened with pounders or choppers. Pounding breaks up the pith into a dry pulp. This pulp, when washed, yields the sago starch. The apparatus employed in the washing operation consists of the sheathing leaf base of the sago fronds, which are shaped into a feeding channel or trough, and a basin. At various points in this assembly woven mats, plugs, and pinned flaps serve as filters, dams, and weirs to control the washing and settling operation. Starch is extracted by pouring water over the pulp, and squeezing the wet mixture to yield a stream of starchy water, which runs down to the settling basin. As the pulp is exhausted, it is cast aside. After a few hours the basin fills with sago starch.This can then be prepared in a variety of ways: e.g. as sago porridge, by mixing the resulting substance with hot water, or by baking into loaves, which can be kept for some time.(Compiled from: Kamoro: Between the Tides in Irian Jaya by David Pickell and Kal Muller. Indonesia: Aopao Productions, 2001:129, 137).
 
Tàparu
A group of people who own and inhabit a piece of land together. The meaning of tàparu is in fact complex, pervading Kamoro social organisation, including marriage, ritual, and rights to the ownership of land (Pouwer 1955, p.87; Harple 1996).
 
Watani kame
Literally, the house of corpses (watani means dead bodies; kamè means house, dwelling). Name of a feast connected with the cult of the dead. During this feast, which can be viewed as a rite of passage, links with neighbouring villages are reinforced by means of substantial gifts of food. During this feast a large number of helmet masks appear in public. These are regarded as mbii-kao (the spirits' outer coverings, or shells), who are present during the celebrations (Zegwaard, correspondence dated 1 April 1952).
 
zoömorphic
In animal form, derived from animal forms, in the shape of an animal.
 

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