Papua New Guinea. Goroka Show

Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation

Oryol State University

Essay

by discipline: "Culturology"

on this topic: "Aboriginal Australian Culture and

Papuans of New Guinea"

Performed:

1st year student, 3rd group

Melanesia, or the Black Islands, is New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides, the Bismarck Archipelago, New Caledonia, Fiji, the islands of Santa Cruz, Banks and many other smaller pieces of land. Their indigenous population consists of two large groups - Melanesians and Papuans.

Melanesians live on the coast of New Guinea, and Papuans live in the interior of the other large islands. Outwardly they are unusually similar, but they differ in languages. Although Melanesian languages ​​are part of the larger Malayo-Polynesian family, the people who speak them cannot communicate with each other. And the Papuan languages ​​are not only unrelated to any other languages ​​of the world, but very often even to each other.

In addition to the Melanesian and Papuan peoples, small pygmy tribes live in the inaccessible mountainous regions of New Guinea and on many large islands. However, their languages ​​have not yet been sufficiently studied.

Resident of Papua New Guinea in ritual sorcerer's robes.

The state of Papua New Guinea is located in the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, on the Bismarck Archipelago and the northern part of the Solomon Islands. In the 16th century these lands were discovered by the Portuguese. Since 1884, the territory was owned by Great Britain and Germany, and at the beginning of the 20th century. it was controlled by Australia. Although the country became independent in 1975, it is a member of the Commonwealth and the formal head of state is the Queen of Great Britain. Copper, gold and zinc are mined in the country. They grow coffee, cocoa and coconut palms.

Papua New Guinea is often called "a paradise for ethnographers, but a hell for any government." This expression was coined by colonial officials, but it is no less true today. Why “paradise” is clear: there are few places on Earth with such a diversity of languages, customs and cultures. On one side are officials, businessmen, and workers in the capital city of Port Moresby, who wear European clothes and are educated. On the other hand, there are mountain tribes that have not emerged from the Stone Age, waging war with each other and not understanding the language of the people from the neighboring valley. They may welcome a visiting scientist, but kill a man from the nearest village. Therefore, this is “hell” for the government, because it has to “harness to the cart” of the state structure not only “an ox and a trembling doe,” but also “a swan, a crayfish and a pike” in addition.

The government of the country tried to strengthen in the minds of Papuans and Melanesians that they belong to the same people - the Naim of Papua New Guinea. To do this, we first need a common language, because no one has counted the number of languages ​​in the country. In essence, there was a common language, and one that was understandable throughout Melanesia. In Papua New Guinea it is called "tok pisin". It arose from English words and Melanesian grammar among plantation laborers from different tribes who needed to communicate with each other. The British called this language “pidgin English” (from the English pigeon - “dove”); the pronunciation of the Papuans and Melanesians reminded them of the cooing of doves. The language spread very quickly, reaching the most remote mountain villages: it was brought by men returning from work or by wandering traders. Almost all the words in it are English. Although the Germans controlled the territory of Papua for a long time, only two words remained from their language (one of them is “pasmalauf” - “shut up”).

If in English “you” is “yu”, and “me” is “mi” (in Tok Pisin this means “I”), then the combination “yu-mi” (“you-me”) gives the pronoun “we” " “Kam” - “to come”, “kam - kam” - “came”; “bow” - “look”, and “bow-bow-bow” - “look for a very long time”. The most common word is "fela" (from English, "guy"); This is how planters addressed their farm laborers.

In essence, there is nothing strange in the Tok Pisin language: French and Romanian, Spanish and Portuguese arose from the Latin brought by the Roman colonialists, which the conquered peoples changed in their own way! You just need to develop the language to publish newspapers, talk on the radio, etc. That's why Tok Pisin is taught in all schools in Papua New Guinea. And the main slogan of the country is “Yu-mi wan-pela peepal!” (“We are one people!”).

It is interesting that Papuans and Melanesians not only consider Tok Pisin their language, but also know that there is another English, the real one. It is called "tock-pleas-bilong-Sydney" - "Sydney language". After all, Sydney is the nearest large city populated by whites. Therefore, anyone who wants to get an education must speak the “Sydney language”.

The famous traveler Miklouho-Maclay observed the Papuans of New Guinea, who did not yet know how to make fire, but already knew how to prepare intoxicating drinks: they chewed the fruits, squeezed their juice into coconut shells and after a few days received mash.

The crops grown in forest clearings by the Papuans of New Guinea are mostly fruiting or tuber-bearing plants and, unlike grain crops, cannot be stored for long. Therefore, the community is always in danger of starvation.

There are some principles of relationships between people. Ethnographers who have spent years studying societies with primitive economies have repeatedly emphasized that people here are far from alien to romantic love. While the basic principles of family structure are not regulated by any strict rules and allow for wide freedom of choice,

The life of primitive man is inextricably linked with hunting. Therefore, first of all, magical operations relate to it. The so-called “trade magic” has been preserved among modern backward peoples. When hunting sea animals, the Papuans of New Guinea place a small stinging insect at the tip of a harpoon so that its properties give the harpoon a sharp edge.

In Papua New Guinea, religious beliefs have always played and continue to play an important role. Animistic beliefs are deeply rooted in the minds of many people, as is the belief in the magical effects of witchcraft, which serves as a means of regulating social relations. From the middle of the 19th century. The activity of Christian missionaries intensified, thanks to which currently approximately 3/5 of the population, at least nominally, are listed as Protestants and about 1/3 as Catholics. Until World War II, it was mainly missionaries who treated and educated the Melanesian population. The largest Protestant denominations are the Lutheran and the United Church of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Over the past 20 years, significant progress has been made by new evangelical congregations, in particular one of the largest Pentecostal organizations, the Assemblies of God.

The country's population, according to ethnic and linguistic criteria, has always been divided into many groups, often very small in number. A separate group is formed by the Papuan tribes on the southern coast of New Guinea.

The Papuans believe in their pagan gods, but when night comes, evil spirits appear, which they are extremely afraid of. They closely follow the customs of their ancestors during hunting, holidays, war or weddings. For example, the Dani Dugum tribe believes that their ancient ancestors were birds, and "bird" themes are present in their dances and exotic body paint. Some traditions of the natives of Papua may seem shocking to us, for example: they mummify their leaders and talk to the mummy on the days of the most difficult trials; Native sorcerers use spells to cause and stop rain.

Most Papuan men (and almost all boys aged 8-16) constantly walk with a bow and arrows, as well as a large knife (with its help they quickly cut new arrows), and shoot at everything that moves (whether a bird or an animal ). The reaction of the Papuans is simply magnificent.
Many Papuan men walk around completely naked, but with tubes tied in front.

Welcome to one of the most untouched corners of the earth. Papua New Guinea. It is a state of impenetrable tropical forests, home to 38 species of birds of paradise. There are no cars or bicycles here, not even working horses or mules. There are no restaurants, bars, shops, electricity or roads. In these places, a newborn girl may be called Spade, and a boy - Axe.

There are about 2,000 tribes living in these places, including these weirdos - the Mud People of the Wagha Valley.
To find this unusual tribe, we will go to the center of the island of New Guinea at an altitude of 1677 meters, where the large fertile Wahgi Valley is located. Here, by the way, is the fifth largest city of Papua New Guinea with a population of 46,250 people - Mount Hagen. It is also the so-called “border of civilization”, because further on are the territories of mountain tribes.

The members of our Mud People tribe from the Wagha Valley look very colorful. Their bodies are painted and smeared with clay, and there are frightening masks on their heads. The enemies will definitely think 10 times before advancing further.


Look how terrifying they are!


Handsome men.


Papua New Guinea has a language problem - more than 800 different languages ​​are spoken here, and very often members of the same tribe do not understand what their neighbors are saying just a few kilometers away.

The state of Papua New Guinea is located in the western Pacific Ocean, north of Australia and close to the equator.


The island of New Guinea and most of the other islands of the country have mountainous terrain where the hill tribes live. The altitude of a significant part of the territory is more than 1000 m above sea level, and some peaks of New Guinea reach 4500 m, that is, the belt of eternal snow. Many of the mountain ranges are chains of volcanoes. There are 18 active volcanoes in Papua New Guinea. Most of them are located in the north of the country. Volcanic activity is also associated with strong, sometimes catastrophic earthquakes.


Plant life here is expectedly rich - more than 20 thousand plant species grow here. Dense tropical rainforests, formed by hundreds of species of trees, rise up the slopes of the mountains.


As the world's largest and largest tropical island, New Guinea occupies less than 0.5% of its land surface but supports a high percentage of global biodiversity. Approximately 4,642 species of vertebrates inhabit the island of New Guinea and its surrounding waters, representing about 8% of the world's recognized vertebrate species.


The country's fauna is represented by reptiles, insects and especially numerous birds. There are many snakes in the forests and on the coast, including poisonous ones. Crocodiles and turtles are found along the seashores and in large rivers.


And the mud people of Papua New Guinea say it's time for us to go home.

Papua New Guinea, especially its center - one of the protected corners of the Earth, where human civilization has hardly penetrated. People there live in complete dependence on nature, worship their deities and honor the spirits of their ancestors.

The coast of the island of New Guinea is now inhabited by completely civilized people who speak the official language - English. Missionaries worked with them for many years.

However, in the center of the country there is something like a reservation - nomadic tribes and who still live in the Stone Age. They know every tree by name, bury the dead on its branches, and have no idea what money or passports are.

They are surrounded by a mountainous country overgrown with impenetrable jungle, where high humidity and unimaginable heat make life unbearable for a European.

No one there speaks a word of English, and each tribe speaks its own language, of which there are about 900 in New Guinea. The tribes live very isolated from each other, communication between them is almost impossible, so their dialects have little in common, and people are different they simply don’t understand their friend.

A typical settlement where the Papuan tribe lives: modest huts are covered with huge leaves, in the center there is something like a clearing where the whole tribe gathers, and there is jungle around for many kilometers. The only weapons these people have are stone axes, spears, bows and arrows. But it is not with their help that they hope to protect themselves from evil spirits. That's why they have faith in gods and spirits.

The Papuan tribe usually keeps the mummy of the “chief”. This is some outstanding ancestor - the bravest, strongest and smartest, who fell in battle with the enemy. After death, his body was treated with a special composition to avoid decay. The leader's body is kept by the sorcerer.

It is in every tribe. This character is highly revered among his relatives. Its function is mainly to communicate with the spirits of the ancestors, appease them and ask for advice. People who usually become sorcerers are weak and unsuitable for the constant battle for survival - in a word, old people. They earn their living by witchcraft.

The first white man to come to this exotic continent was the Russian traveler Miklouho-Maclay. Having landed on the shores of New Guinea in September 1871, he, being an absolutely peaceful man, decided not to take weapons ashore, taking only gifts and a notebook, which he never parted with.

Local residents greeted the stranger quite aggressively: they shot arrows in his direction, shouted intimidatingly, waved spears...

But Miklouho-Maclay did not react in any way to these attacks. On the contrary, he sat down on the grass with the most equanimity, pointedly took off his shoes and lay down to take a nap.

By an effort of will, the traveler forced himself to fall asleep (or just pretended to). And when he woke up, he saw that the Papuans were sitting peacefully next to him and looking at the overseas guest with all their eyes. The savages reasoned this way: since the pale-faced man is not afraid of death, it means he is immortal. That's what they decided on.

The traveler lived for several months among a tribe of savages. All this time, the aborigines worshiped him and revered him as a god. They knew that if desired, the mysterious guest could command the forces of nature. How is it?

It’s just that one day Miklouho-Maclay, who was called only Tamo-rus - “Russian man”, or Karaan-tamo - “man from the moon”, demonstrated the following trick to the Papuans: he poured water into a plate with alcohol and set it on fire. Gullible locals believed that the foreigner was able to set fire to the sea or stop the rain.

However, Papuans are generally gullible. For example, they are firmly convinced that the dead go to their own country and return from there white, bringing with them many useful items and food. This belief lives on in all Papuan tribes (despite the fact that they hardly communicate with each other), even in those where they have never seen a white man.

FUNERAL RITE

Papuans know three causes of death: from old age, from war and from witchcraft - if the death occurred for some unknown reason. If a person dies a natural death, he will be buried with honor. All funeral ceremonies are aimed at appeasing the spirits who accept the soul of the deceased.

Here is a typical example of such a ritual. Close relatives of the deceased go to the stream to perform bisi as a sign of mourning - smearing the head and other parts of the body with yellow clay. At this time, the men prepare a funeral pyre in the center of the village. Not far from the fire, a place is being prepared where the deceased will rest before cremation.

Shells and sacred Vusa stones are placed here - the abode of some mystical power. Touching these living stones is strictly punishable by the laws of the tribe. On top of the stones there should be a long wicker strip decorated with pebbles, which acts as a bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

The deceased is placed on sacred stones, coated with pork fat and clay, and sprinkled with bird feathers. Then funeral songs begin to be sung over him, which tell about the outstanding merits of the deceased.

And finally, the body is burned at the stake so that the person’s spirit does not return from the afterlife.

TO THE FALLEN IN BATTLE - GLORY!

If a man is killed in battle, his body is roasted on a fire and eaten honorably with rituals appropriate to the occasion, so that his strength and courage will pass on to other men.

Three days after this, the phalanges of the fingers of the deceased’s wife are cut off as a sign of mourning. This custom is connected with another ancient Papuan legend.

One man mistreated his wife. She died and went to the next world. But her husband missed her and could not live alone. He went to another world for his wife, approached the main spirit and began to beg to return his beloved to the world of the living. The Spirit set a condition: his wife would return, but only if he promised to treat her with care and kindness. The man, of course, was delighted and promised everything at once.

His wife returned to him. But one day her husband forgot and forced her to work hard again. When he came to his senses and remembered this promise, it was already too late: his wife broke up before his eyes. All her husband had left was a phalanx of his finger. The tribe was angry and expelled him because he took away their immortality - the opportunity to return from the other world like his wife.

However, in reality, for some reason, the wife cuts off the phalanx of her finger as a sign of the last gift to her deceased husband. The father of the deceased performs the nasuk ritual - he cuts off the upper part of his ear with a wooden knife and then covers the bleeding wound with clay. This ceremony is quite long and painful.

After the funeral ceremony, Papuans honor and appease the spirit of the ancestor. For, if his soul is not appeased, the ancestor will not leave the village, but will live there and cause harm. The spirit of the ancestor is fed for some time as if it were alive, and they even try to give it sexual pleasure. For example, a clay figurine of a tribal god is placed on a stone with a hole, symbolizing a woman.

The afterlife in the minds of the Papuans is a kind of paradise, where there is a lot of food, especially meat.

DEATH WITH A SMILE ON YOUR LIPS

In Papua New Guinea, people believe that the head is the seat of a person's spiritual and physical strength. Therefore, when fighting enemies, Papuans first of all strive to take possession of this part of the body.

For the Papuans, cannibalism is not at all a desire to eat tasty food, but rather a magical rite, during which cannibals gain the intelligence and strength of the one they eat. Let us apply this custom not only to enemies, but also to friends, and even relatives who heroically died in battle.

The process of eating the brain is especially “productive” in this sense. By the way, it is with this ritual that doctors associate the disease kuru, which is very common among cannibals. Kuru is another name for mad cow disease, which can be contracted by eating uncooked brains of animals (or, in this case, humans).

This insidious disease was first recorded in 1950 in New Guinea, in a tribe where the brains of deceased relatives were considered a delicacy. The disease begins with pain in the joints and head, gradually progressing, leading to loss of coordination, trembling in the arms and legs and, oddly enough, bouts of uncontrollable laughter.

The disease develops over many years, sometimes the incubation period is 35 years. But the worst thing is that victims of the disease die with a frozen smile on their lips.

Embark on an extreme, expensive and dangerous journey.

If you wish, you will be greeted by a theater in which you will become a real target for cannibals. The live game will turn into reality for a while

New Guinea is one of the wildest, most isolated and untouched places on the planet, where hundreds of tribes speak hundreds of languages, do not use mobile phones or electricity, and continue to live according to the laws of the Stone Age.

And all because there are still no roads in the Indonesian province of Papua. The role of buses and minibuses is performed by airplanes.

A long and dangerous path to the tribe of cannibals. Flight.

Wamena Airport looks like this: the check-in area is represented by a fencing made of chain-link mesh covered with slate.

Instead of signs, there are inscriptions on fences, data about passengers is entered not into a computer, but into a notebook.

The floor is earthen, so forget about duty free. The airport where naked Papuans walk is the only one in the legendary Baliem Valley.

The town of Wamena can be called the center of Papuan tourism. If a wealthy foreigner wants to go almost to the Stone Age, this is where he flies.

Despite the fact that before boarding, passengers go through “control” and a metal detector, you can easily bring a gas spray, pistol, knife or other weapon on board the plane, which, by the way, can be bought right at the airport.

But the worst thing about Papuan flights is not the security control, but the old rattling planes, rotorcraft, which are hastily maintained almost with the help of the same stone axes.

Dilapidated airplanes are more reminiscent of old UAZs and Ikaruses.

In the small windows, you are accompanied all the way by cockroaches dried under the glass, the interior of the aircraft is worn out to the limit, not to mention what happens to the mechanics themselves.

Every year a huge number of these planes crash, which is not at all surprising given their technical condition. Scary!

During the flight, you will be lucky enough to see endless mountain ranges covered with dense tropical forest, separated only by rivers with muddy water, the color of orange clay.

Hundreds of thousands of hectares of wild forests and impenetrable jungle. It’s hard to believe, but from this porthole you can see that there are still places on earth that man has not managed to ruin and turn into an accumulation of computer and construction technologies. The plane lands in the small town of Dekai, lost in the jungle, in the middle of the island of New Guinea.

This is the last point of civilization on the way to Karavay. Then there are only boats, and from now on you no longer live in hotels or wash in the shower.

Now we leave electricity, mobile communications, comfort and balance behind, incredible adventures await us in the lair of the descendants of cannibals.

Part two – Canoe trip

In a rented truck, along a broken dirt road, you get to the Braza River - the only transport artery in these places.

It is from this place that the most expensive, dangerous, unpredictable and amazing part of the trip to Indonesia starts.

Dangerous canoes can simply capsize if moved carelessly - your things will drown, and bloodthirsty alligators will appear around you.

From the fishing village where the road ends, sailing to the wild tribes takes longer than flying from Russia to America or Australia, about two days.

The most important thing is to sit low on the wooden floor of such a boat. If you move slightly to the side and disturb the center of gravity, the boat will capsize and then you will have to fight for your life. There is a continuous jungle around, where no human foot has gone before.

Cannibal seekers have long been attracted to such places, but not everyone returns from expeditions in good health.

The tempting mystery of these places attracted Michael Rockefeller, America's richest heir of his time, great-grandson of the planet's first dollar billionaire, John Rockefeller. He explored local tribes, collected artifacts, and it was here that he went missing.

Ironically, a collector of human skulls now graces someone else's collection.

Fuel for boats here is extremely expensive, because it takes a long time - the price for 1 liter reaches 5 dollars, and a trip by canoe amounts to thousands of dollars.

The scorching sun and sultry heat reach their climax and wear tourists down.

Towards evening, you need to leave the canoe and spend the night on the shore.

Lying on the ground is deadly here - snakes, scorpions, scalapendras, here a person has many enemies. You can spend the night in the fishermen's hut, where they take shelter from the rain.

The structure was built on stilts one and a half meters from the ground. It is necessary to light a fire in order to prevent the penetration of various creeping creatures and insects, as well as to treat the body against malaria mosquitoes. Deadly scalapendras fall directly on your head and you need to be extremely careful.

If you have developed the habit of brushing your teeth, save boiled water with you and do not go close to the river. Provide a full-fledged first aid kit for these places, which can save your life at the right time.

First acquaintance with Karavay

The second day in a canoe will be somewhat more difficult - the movement will continue against the flow of the Siren River.

Gasoline is running out at a colossal rate. You lose track of time - the same landscape does not change. After passing through the rapids, where you may have to push the boat against the current, the first settlement of the so-called modern loaves appears.

Friendly natives in rapper attire will warmly greet you and lead you to their huts, trying to show their best side and earn “points” in the hope of getting work from rich tourists, who can be found here quite rarely.

At the end of the 90s, the Indonesian government decided that cannibals had no place in the country, and decided to “civilize” the savages and teach them to eat rice, and not their own kind. Even in the most remote areas, villages were built, which can be reached from more civilized places by several days by boat.

There is no electricity or mobile communications here, but there are houses on stilts. In the village of Mabul there is only one street and 40 identical houses.

About 300 people live here, these are mostly young people who have already left the forest, but the parents of most of them still live in the jungle, a few days' walk away, on the treetops.

The wooden houses that are built have no furniture at all, and the Papuans sleep on the floor, which is more like a sieve. Men are allowed to have several wives, or rather an unlimited number.

The main condition is that the head of the family be able to feed each of them and the children.

Intimacy occurs with all wives in turn, and one of them cannot be left without male attention, otherwise she will be offended. 75 A five-year-old leader with 5 wives pleases each of them every night, without taking any stimulants, but only “sweet potatoes.”

Since there is nothing to do here, there are many children in families.

The whole tribe is going to see the white tourists - after all, you can see “white savages” here no more than a few times a year.

Men come in the hope of getting a job, women out of curiosity, and children fight in hysterics and great fear, equating white people with alien dangerous creatures. The high cost of $10,000 and mortal danger leave no chance for a wide range of the population to visit such places.

Kateka - a cover for manhood is not used here (as in most New Guinean tribes). This accessory arouses genuine interest among men, while their relatives calmly fly on planes in the nude with only a catheque.

Those loaves who were lucky enough to work in the city and buy a mobile phone are considered the coolest.

Despite the lack of electricity, mobile phones (which are used only as a player) with music are charged as follows. Everyone chips in money and fills up the only generator in the village with gasoline, simultaneously connecting chargers to it, and thus returning them to working condition.

Those who come from the forest try not to take risks and not venture into the outback, claiming that there are real cannibals left there, but today they themselves eat traditional dishes - rice with fish or river shrimp. Here they don’t brush their teeth, wash once a month, and don’t even use mirrors; moreover, they are afraid of them.

The path to the cannibals

There is no place on earth more humid and suffocatingly hot than the Jungle of the island of New Guinea. During the rainy season, it rains here every day, and the air temperature is about 40 degrees.

A day's journey, and the first Karavai skyscrapers will appear in front of you - houses at an altitude of 25-30 meters.

Many modern loaves have moved from a 30-meter height to a 10-meter height, thus preserving the traditions of their ancestors and somewhat smoothing out the danger of staying at a rapid height. The first people you will see will be completely naked girls and women from the youngest to the oldest.

So, you need to get acquainted with the owners and agree on an overnight stay. The only way up is a slippery log with cut down steps. The ladder is designed for wiry Papuans, whose weight rarely exceeds 40-50 kg. After long conversations, introductions and promises of a pleasant reward for your stay and hospitality, the leader of the tribe will agree to accommodate you in his house. Don't forget to grab some delicious food and necessary things to thank your hosts.

The best gifts for adults and children are cigarettes and tobacco. Yes, yes, that’s right - everyone smokes here, including women and the younger generation. Tobacco, in this place, is more expensive than any currency or jewelry. It is not worth its weight in gold, but worth its weight in diamonds. If you want to win over the cannibal, ask for a visit, pay off or ask for something, treat him with tobacco.

You can bring a pack of colored pencils and sheets of paper for children - they have never known anything like this in their lives and will be incredibly happy about such an amazing acquisition. But the most incredible and shocking gift is a mirror, which they are afraid of and turn away from.

There are only a few hundred loaves left on the planet, living in the trees in the forest. They have no such thing as age. Time is divided exclusively into: morning, afternoon and evening. There is no winter, spring, summer or autumn here. Most of them have no idea that there is other life, countries and peoples outside the forest. They have their own laws and problems - the main thing is to tie the pig at night so that it does not fall to the ground and the neighbors do not eat it.

Instead of the cutlery we are used to, karavais use animal bones. For example, a spoon was made from cassowary bone. According to the residents of the settlement themselves, they no longer eat dogs and people, and have changed a lot over the last ten years.

There are two rooms in the loaf house - men and women live separately, and a woman has no right to cross the threshold of male territory. Intimacy and the conception of children occur in the forest. But it is not at all clear how: male dignity is so small that it causes hysterical laughter among tourists and incredible thoughts about how it is possible to make a child THIS way. Microscopic dimensions are easily hidden behind a small leaf, which is usually used to wrap your organ or even open it, there is still nothing to look at, and it is unlikely that you can see anything even with a strong desire.

Every morning, little piglets and a dog are taken out for a walk to be walked and fed.

Meanwhile, the women weave a skirt from grass. Breakfast is prepared in a small frying pan - flat cakes made from the heart of the sago tree. It tastes like dry, dry bread. If you bring buckwheat with you, cook it and treat it to the loaves - they will be incredibly happy and will eat everything, to the last grain - saying that this is the most delicious dish they have eaten in their lives.

Today, the word cannibal almost sounds like a curse - no one wants to admit that his ancestors, or worse, himself, ate human flesh. However, by chance they said that of all the parts of the human body, the ankles are the most delicious.

The arrival of missionaries changed a lot, and now the daily diet is worms and sago cakes. The loaves themselves do not exclude the possibility that if you go further, deeper into the forest, you can meet those tribes that today do not disdain human flesh.

How to get to the wild tribes?

Flights from Russia to Papua New Guinea are not direct. There is a high probability that you will have to fly through Sydney and then travel by domestic airlines. Go to the website and find out about the possibility of a direct flight to Papua. If you still need to fly through Australia - Sydney, then a flight from Moscow will cost approximately 44,784 RUB and you will spend more than a day on the road. If you are planning a flight with a child, be prepared to pay from 80,591 RUB. Further, the path lies through local airlines, which are impossible to provide for, especially in the province of Papua itself. Don't forget that you need an Australian transit visa to travel through Australia. For economy class tickets, the permissible weight of hand luggage is no more than 10 kg; for higher classes, the limit is increased by 5 kg with each level of increase, that is, the maximum weight of hand luggage is 30 kg.

Photo report from the amazing expedition of English photographer Jimmy Nelson to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. I advise you to look further at how the tribes live in this territory before they finally disappear from the face of the Earth.

Huli
Papua New Guinea

It is believed that the first people migrated to the island of New Guinea more than 45 thousand years ago. Today, more than 3 million people (half the population of Papua New Guinea) live in the highlands. Many of the local communities have been involved in tribal conflicts of varying sizes for thousands of years.
The struggle between tribes is over land, pigs and women. Incredible efforts are made to impress the enemy. The men of the Huli, the largest of the local tribes, paint their faces yellow, red and white, and have a famous tradition of making wigs from their own hair. The claw ax completes the chilling effect.

Asaro
Papua New Guinea

Throughout the highland plateau live small agricultural clans, differing in customs and traditions, speaking different languages. The famous "dirty" Asaro first met with representatives of the Western world only in the middle of the 20th century.
According to ancient legend, the men of this tribe were forced to flee from the enemy, and at night they took refuge near the Asaro River. At dawn the enemy saw them rise to their feet, completely covered in mud, and decided that they were spirits. The Asaro still use mud and masks to terrorize other tribes.

Kalam
Papua New Guinea

The eastern half of New Guinea gained full independence from Australia in 1975, when the state of Papua New Guinea was formed. Indigenous populations are among the most diverse in the world. The first visitors were greatly impressed by the carefully planned gardens and irrigation ditches in the valleys. The women of these tribes are very good farmers. The men hunt and fight with other tribes.

Goroka
Papua New Guinea

Life is simple in the high mountain villages. There is plenty of good food, strong families and a reverent attitude towards natural phenomena. People live by hunting, gathering plants and growing crops... and of course, inter-tribal warfare.

Dani
Indonesia

Baliem Valley is located at an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, on the Jayawijaya mountain range, in the province of Papua, located in the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea. The Dani tribe lives in this valley. They are farmers and they have an efficient irrigation system. Archaeological research proves that people cultivated this valley 9 thousand years ago.
The Dani often had to fight for their territory, defending it from attacks by other tribes. They are called the most feared bounty hunters in these parts. This is surprising considering the fact that they did not eat their enemies, unlike most other tribes in Papua.

Yali
Indonesia

One of the tribes inhabiting the Baliem Valley region are the "Lords of the Earth" Yali. They live in virgin forests of mountainous areas. Yali are officially recognized as pygmies - men here grow no more than 150 cm.
The Papuan tribes, although different in appearance and speaking different languages, have a similar way of life. They are all polygamists and have similar rituals for important occasions. Koteka, a type of penis sheath made from the fruit of the dried calabash gourd, is part of traditional clothing and a sign of tribal identity.

Korowai
Indonesia

To the south of the Jayawijaya mountain range there is a large area of ​​lowland. There are many rivers, swamps, swamps and mangrove forests. This is the habitat of the Korowai tribe, whose people, until the early 1970s, believed that they were the only people on Earth.
The Korowai are one of the few Papuan tribes that do not wear Kotek. Instead, the men wrap their belongings in large leaves of local plants, and tie them tightly. They are hunter-gatherers who live in tree houses. Men's and women's rights and responsibilities are strictly separated.