Cult ritual and social organisation among the Mianmin
type: CreativeWork
description: The thesis is an analysis of the relationship between rituals of the male cult and social organisation among the Mianmin of the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. More specifically, i t deals with the West Mianmin, who live in the valleys of the major tributaries of the August River which flows out of the northern fringes of the central mountains. The Mianmin are hunter-horticulturalists whose main staple is taro. They are a widely dispersed group making use of large areas in their subsistence activities. They are the most northerly representatives of the Mountain Ok groups. Throughout the culture area a secret male cult, concerned with the initiation of boys and youths and the maintenance of subsistence production, is an important dimension of social life. The West Mianmin have moved into the areas they currently occupy within the last four or five generations. This movement has resulted in various changes in the social characteristies of the migrating groups. There have also been transformations in the frequency, form and content of the initiation rituals which are the most important part of cult activity. More generally, the cult and the world-view which informs i t , are less important in the social l i fe of the migrant groups in lower altitudes than they are in that of the groups remaining in the ancestral territories of the Mianmin. The thesis argues that the characteristics of cult rituals in different parts of the area are to be understood in terms of the sociological changes resulting from the migration of groups. However the West Mianmin population is not to be seen as a collection of isolated groups. Rather, i t is a complex unit in which differences between groups are part of the general social processes which have been taking place during the last few generations. So, although cult practices are variable, they are all explicable in terms of the historical developments of the migrant groups. The practices are also intelligible by reference to the …
abstract: The thesis is an analysis of the relationship between rituals of the male cult and social organisation among the Mianmin of the West Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea. More specifically, i t deals with the West Mianmin, who live in the valleys of the major tributaries of the August River which flows out of the northern fringes of the central mountains. The Mianmin are hunter-horticulturalists whose main staple is taro. They are a widely dispersed group making use of large areas in their subsistence activities. They are the most northerly representatives of the Mountain Ok groups. Throughout the culture area a secret male cult, concerned with the initiation of boys and youths and the maintenance of subsistence production, is an important dimension of social life. The West Mianmin have moved into the areas they currently occupy within the last four or five generations. This movement has resulted in various changes in the social characteristies of the migrating groups. There have also been transformations in the frequency, form and content of the initiation rituals which are the most important part of cult activity. More generally, the cult and the world-view which informs i t , are less important in the social l i fe of the migrant groups in lower altitudes than they are in that of the groups remaining in the ancestral territories of the Mianmin. The thesis argues that the characteristics of cult rituals in different parts of the area are to be understood in terms of the sociological changes resulting from the migration of groups. However the West Mianmin population is not to be seen as a collection of isolated groups. Rather, i t is a complex unit in which differences between groups are part of the general social processes which have been taking place during the last few generations. So, although cult practices are variable, they are all explicable in terms of the historical developments of the migrant groups. The practices are also intelligible by reference to the …
author: Gardner, Donald Stanley
author: Gell, Alfred
language: en
date published: 1981
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:07:22Z
provider: Australian Catholic University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Australian Catholic University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/116870