The play of powers made visible: magic and dance in New Ireland

To counter an ahistorical emphasis on 'malangan' in studies of New Ireland culture, this paper examines the historical emergence, among the Lelet people, of new cultural forms. My example is the dramatic new kinds of dance and associated magic that have been acquired from other parts of Pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethnos 2004-09, Vol.69 (3), p.341-362
Main Author: Eves, Richard
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cultural Change
Dance
Ethnography
Ethnology
Magic
Mythology and world views
Myths and cosmologies
Oceania
Papua New Guinea
Power
Religion, magic, witchcraft
Shamanism
Social Power
Sorcery
Traditional Societies
Witchcraft
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Summary:To counter an ahistorical emphasis on 'malangan' in studies of New Ireland culture, this paper examines the historical emergence, among the Lelet people, of new cultural forms. My example is the dramatic new kinds of dance and associated magic that have been acquired from other parts of Papua New Guinea. These importations have changed people's perception of the world in which they make their lives. I argue that part of the appeal of these new cultural forms is that they open the door to new more potent forms of power, allowing the Lelet to widen their capacity to act as agents in the enlarged regional arena and power networks of the colonial and post-colonial context.
ISSN:0014-1844
1469-588X
DOI:10.1080/0014184042000260026