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The Tuma Underworld of Love
Erotic and other narrative songs of the Trobriand Islanders and their spirits of the dead
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2011
About this book
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.
Topics
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Prelim pages
i -
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Table of contents
v -
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Acknowledgments
ix -
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Introduction
xiii -
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Chapter 1. Death on the Trobriand Islands and the Trobriand Islanders’ belief in a “ baloma ” spirit
1 -
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Chapter 2. The spirits of the dead and their underworld life on Tuma Island
15 -
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Chapter 3. The wosi milamala
43 -
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Chapter 4. The moribund language of the spirits of the dead and its consequences for the Trobriand Islanders’ culture
101 -
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Appendix I
111 -
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Appendix II
117 -
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References
127 -
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Index
135
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
October 10, 2011
eBook ISBN:
9789027284693
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
138
This book is in the series
eBook ISBN:
9789027284693
Audience(s) for this book
Professional and scholarly;
Creative Commons
BY-NC-ND 4.0