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I
LANGORON:
Music and Dance Performance Realities
Among the Lak People of Southern New
Ireland,
Papua New Guinea.
by
Paul Wolffram
A thesis
submitted for the Victoria University of Wellington
in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
2007
New Zealand School of Music
Wellington
New Zealand
\
VICTOFTIA UN IVERSITY OFWFI.i.iNGTON LIBRARY
Ao's'tract
This thesis seeks to describe the indigenous realities, meanings, and perspeetives that
are central ts the music and dance practices of the Lak (Siar) people in Southem New
Ireland, Papua Now Guinea. The insights recorded here are those gained through the
experienoe of trventy-threc months living in Rei and Siar villages as a participant in
rnany aspeots qf Lak soeial lif.e.
The music and daruce practices of the region are examined in the gotrJext of'the wider
social and cultural setting. Lak performanoe realities,are indivisible from kinship
structuro$, ritu'al proceedings and spirituality. B;r contextualising Lak musi.s and dance
within th-e frane of the extei,rsive and socially defining mor,tuqr), rites my intention is
to shsw how music and dance not only reflect but also create Lak rea-litieg,
Byexamining the ethnographic materials relating to music, dance and performance in
the context of molfuary,s,equencebroader elements of Lak societla are brought into
foeus. In these pag€s I argue that Lak society is reproduoed ltterally and sy-trrbolieally
in these perfibnnances.
lll
lv
Table of Contents
Title page
Abstract
Table of eontents
List of illugtratious
A.cknowledgernents
Infroduetion
Overview
The ethno graphi c se-tting
The fieldwork setting
The interyretive setting
Clutlirae ofthesis
SECTION ONE
Chapter One: The cMldren of Ka,batarai
lntlodustion
The Myth of Suilik and Kabatara-i
Suilik's brother
Composite persons
Soeial strueture
IV[oieties
Sub-elans
Cor,rmunitie.e
Families
Kinship
Kinohip terrninology
The work of Kabatarai: An inffpductio n to wol asd kestpm
Finishing the dead
Primar,yrites
Secondary rites
i
iiiv
vut
xrv
25
I
I
2
Itz
t9
n
25
27
3I
3l
33
34
35
36
38
39
41
44
52
54
65
v
Chapter Two: Living with spirits
lntroduction
Tbo spirit realm
Tanruan
Talang
Personal spirits
Magrc and sorcery
Specialist $orcerers
Pidile X{idden knoWledge and secret so,cieties
Tubuan er\d td,lung sooieties
Dreaming as a erea,five powef
The r,eturn of Suilik
SECTION TWO
Chapter Three: Music, dance and sound in the Lak world
Entering the,Lak s,ound w,orld
The souuds of Lak
Environmental sounds and sound environments
Sound and meaning
The nature of Lak song and dance
Song as a 'singing sound'
P erfotuiance aestheticis
Song and dance contert
Chapter Four: Singing through sum
The sounds of death
69
69
7A
70
72
74
75
79
85
'88
104
toiiT
ll3
n5
nsrI7
I l8
t2lr24
r3l
140
151
t57
157
vl
Singing to the dead
Daut: songs and cerenrony
Akahlur sum
Gar
Lyrics and meaning
Composition and the B:ual complex
Baai lnitiation
Composition
Creativity
Chapter Five: Langoron and the power of dance
Thetadong rites
Belilo and lebung
Bokbak
Memory in mofion
Dance preparation and rehearsal
Ifeavy anfl light
Longarcn: The experience of dance
Costurne as visual metaptor
Dance structure
M angis z.lgzs formation
Chapter Six: Pdddfr end power
Portung.' Sec o ndary rites
Removing- rnemoricc, replaoing people
Setting the stage
Enter the spirits
Mat a m;atarn: the dead come and look
An image of powe-r
The dance of the nataka
SoUnds of power
Gender, sound and space
Hiding the words in their sounds
164
t64
t7lt7l178
r85
l86
190
193
197
r97
200
zaz
205
zfr6
213
2t8
221
230
231
239
240
244
242
244
245
7s3
2:55
263
2,63
255
vlt
Kapiulai song analysis
Spirit voices
Ashes to ashes: Finishing the secondary rites
Offending the spirits
Chapter Seven: New spirits, new sounds
Change, a wind from the west
New music and localisation
Hymns
Chorus songs
String band music
Syncretic music
Composition: New spirits
Celebrating Change: New music and performance
Chapter Eight: Performance society
Content Review
Rendered visible:
Becoming a small
SECTION THREE
Lak reality in perfornlance
bird
267
272
273
277
281
282
288
289
292
295
300
305
309
315
315
322
328
JJJ
517
527
Appendix: Audio recordings from Lak, Southern NewIreland, Papua New Guinea.
Glossary
Bibliography
Index to audio and video examples
33r
5t5
vlil
tist of, lllustrations
Maps
I Linguistie Map. New Ireland and New Britain
2 Map. New keland Province
3 Map. Southern New Ireland (Lak linguistie area indicated)
4 Reconstrucled inter-island nade nefwork (from Foster 1995:32\,
5 Southern New Ireland linguistic gr€ups withrelated ritualpractioes
6 Map of Siar v,i'llage
3
4
5
r79
180
258
Figures
I
2
3
4
)6
IIl0
llt2
l3
t4
15
Plates
I
2
aJ
4
Tabte. Moiety, clan trnd sub-cl'an sttuch$e-
Table. SynOpsis of, Paraminst: Primary Mortuary Rites
Table^ Sgropsis of Portung: Secondary Rites
Tab,le. Traditional song€ perfonned during the day
Table, Traditional $ongs perfoimed duringthe night
Table. Secret and magic songs
Table. Songs of the tubuan
Table. Lotu ('ahurch') songs
Table, Secular non-traditional song forms
Kinetograms of male (left) and female,(right) danee siances
Table. Tene Buai Styles in Lak
Table.'lleavSr' and'light' assoeiations
Diagfam. Danae troup:e tbrmat
Table. Dance skuoture
Kinetogr,ams, The tubuan mode$ of locomotion
Joseph Tobjlsai stands beside a large latamar in Siar village
Tonger (yet to be decorated) at the side of men's house
Men's house with tanger androngrang
Tonger desorated with various items from the deooased's garden
35
6+5
68
t27
128
t29
129
130
130
[43
l9r
2r5
231
234-s
258
s9
60
60
6:2
tx
5
6
7
8
9
l0
llt2
l3
l4
I5
t6't7
l8
i9
20
2l
22
23
24
75
26
27
2:18
29
30
3l
32
33
Tobill holds afwam ('traditional axe')
Butt offroum
SolomoR dancers wearing kangal
Three men in Monrkon displaying pamparn
ANantoi parading around the dancing grounds in Siar
Two nantai braoket akamgai
Nantoi dancing
Karngoi wearing tanget around his neck,
Second ta:nget exirmp.le
Dukduk figgre
A dukdak at rest
Koropor natal{a
Karaportt, rlataka
[.ectern in the Catholic Church in Silur
Te[ek and beater
Male dancers perform an utun in typical dance stance
Women per nrn in Siar vil.l,age
Women perform a bobo in lanrplight
Male dancers wjth leantruruan ('nerk wreaths')
Dancers wearing ha:lrutl :fumgal ('head-dress' )
Twa kumgoi bo,kbok in ftont af akoolaLr performance
Senior knmgoi bakbok on behalf of the host
Joseph mixing ingredients to make langoron powder
lang.oran baking in the sun
Kanai dancer
Mongnonholds twa p rnpan nalakor
Koalau performanee.
The rnanner in which kangal arc attac-hed to thehead is apidik
Ka4gal are rnade in a variety of different shapes and styles
90
90
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9l
95
95
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98
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100
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109
139
t+2
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t47
147
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209
2t7
223
223
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225
34
35
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3'l
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4l
42
+3
44
45
I
2
aJ'
4
5
6
I
8
Ir0
llt2
Kangalexamples 226
Exfiemely Large kangal worn during noctumal male dance, D6
Large kamruruan 227
Kamrw.uaneome in a varielr of forms 228
Notethesimiklrities between theneck piece of this nanroiwtth 228
trebwng dancers
A. ya:tn pidik utd. nantoi welcome nataka ftorn visiting ta,raiw
Nalaka perfornring the wo in front of the men's horuse in Siar
N eta:ka recsiving payment
Gabriel, a Yain pidik holds a sur as he prepares to reseive a blow
b{ember af the pidtk society receiving a blow from the natahu
Nataka dancing
The bodies of the nstaka generate soilods as they perform
Yain pidtlc singrng kapi,alai in the shelter of the r.nen's house
Young tabuan adepts display their symbolic markings
String barld perfonners
Musical Transcriptions
2M
249
260
27s
298
46
47
48
250
252
253
256
25:7
t34
136
137-8
165
165
166
l6ft
168
l68
173
r74
Papantugol lornlqnt
P apantag. a I puktin krnatikin
Fapanlagal pwln m louloun
Tlpical daut hmdu rhythm
Kunda fi nishing pattern.
Accelerating garamwt rhythm
Daut
Daut
Daut
Kamgar
Karngar
xl
12
l3
l4
15
t6
l7
r8
t9
20
21,
22
23
24
25
?6
Umum lundufor lebung,
Umwm htndu for papantagol.
Kapialai introduction example I
Kapialai introduction example 2
Kapialai introduction example 3
Kap,ialai pultun exttaet exarnple I
Kapialai pwkan extract example 2
KaBialai pulnm kundu pattern example I
Kapialai pulrun,lwndu pattern example 2
Soibobolut traditional metrodic style
Soibobolut melody adapted for string band
Kankorubak adapted to the shorus songstyle
Boon melody in traditional style
Boon melody adapted for string band
Ep.fr,tnoh
Audio Examplesr
269
2VCI
271
301
342
303
304
304
347
232
233
268
268
268
269
88
t20:
123
168
r68
17.4
174
199
te9
199
199
199
263
I
7
3
4
5
6
7
II10
II12
l3
Kamkombak
Sounds of the jungle
Sounds of the Talung
Daut
Daut
Gar
Gar
Kanai
Bobo
Bobo
Tabaran
Sirang
Takaun tubaanory
I See index of audio examples for track details: page 527
xii
t4
l5
16
r7
l8
19
2A
2I
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
-,T
8
9
l0
ltt2
l3
1.4
l5
Kapialai
Kapia:lai
Kabaliawer
fuIamboa
Hynm singrng
Hymn singrng
Chonu song
Chonas song
String band
String band
Syncretie
Syucretic
SyncretiO
Epfuneh
Wamong frorn Morukon
265
26s
265
265
291
291
294
294
ztg7
297
300
3,00
300
307
311
122
t22
123
t24
r98
201
201
?04
224
233
233
233
245
246
261
Video Exarnples2
Garamut beaten in cerernonial context (3 examples)
Garamut beatenras accompaniment to songand dancE
Berformance (2 examples)Wailing at the house of the'deceased
V/eeping and wailing in response to tubuan presence
Pulpul arrival and tonger decoration
Lebung manS;,ngis kes (male performance' €xtraot)
Pinpidikmangis ngis kes (female perform,ance extract)
Bokbak(4 examples)
Kaolau (extract)
Taba,ren (annotated full men's perfomances)
Lebung (annotated full women's performeureas)
Lebung (annotated full men's performances)
Goigai (extraet)
N at alra kiniu a i (extraot)
Nat lra kapialai perfoirnance
2 See index of vrideo exampler for cbapter detailsr page 529
xul
l6
t7
l8
l9
Action song (extract)
Action song (extract)
String bancl (extract)
String barrcl (extract)
294
294
299
299
KIV
Acknowledgements
In the course of conducting this ethnographic study I have incurred an unrepayable
debt of gratitude to the people of Lak. During the twenty-three months that I resided
in the region and in all the communities that I stayed in foom Lamasa Island to Rei
village I was always made to feel welcome, provided with shelter and supplied with a
warTn tuber tbr a meal. I know that my presence was often perceived as perplexing,
my manners curious and my actions unusual but in spite of my sometimes alien habits
I was accorded respect and treated with enduring patierrce. Special thanks must be
given to Francis Remiduce Tomikalai and his witb Teresa who welcorned rne into
their tarnily, their children Topen, Ceraldine, Rosa. Saroon and Frank Duff, and to the
other members of Rei village, Paul Totili who tutored me for hours on Siar
pronunciation, George, Tobill, Altred and Otto who all helped me with my work. In
Siar I am especially grateful to Patrick Tobusai and his rvife Sophie who hosted me
and stayed by my side when I was incapacitated rvith malaria. I rnust also thank all of
the mernbcrs of Kapokpok community especially Christian Dokon who travelled with
me on several occasions and Lenny Roroierong whose sense of hurnour made life in
Kapokpok more interesting. Tony Pisrai. Micheal Tolaiesh and Tiador Tornileshrnan
all of who contributed significantly to my unclerstanding of /rasrrmt and the spirit
world ancl for their patience and friendship I arn grateful. On hunting trips I was lucky
enough to lvitness the skill of Damian Tomitang ancl Bar Toinatwa and enjoy the
company of Wesley Tiaduce and Toru. On my visits to town I have to thank Cosmas
and Nina Kipong at Manmo plantation, Kurt in Namatanai and Davicl and Christine
Lanzarote in Kavieng. I am also thankful for the assistance of Joe Tobung who
accommoclated rne in his 'men's house' oll my visits to Rabaul.
In Port Moresby I am gratef'ul for the assistance and advice offered by Don Niles at
the Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies, and Jim Robins at the Nation Research
Institute. This research was undertaken with the approval and support of the New
Ireland Provincial Government and the Government of Papua New Guinea. None of
this research could have been undertaken without the generous support of the Claude
McCarthy Trust and Victoria University of Wellington.
XV
The writin-g phase of ftis researoh hoefrted onormousty ftom the supervision ofDr.
Allan Thornas in the New Zealand Sehosl of Music and the editing adylce of Harry
Ricketts. tastly, this work was rnade possible, and able to be completed because of
the love and support of rny farn'ily especiallyrny wife, Victoria Manning who had to
qldure sever'al extended abseuces in the n.rm€ of a rnusic she will never hear. I hope
that some of the words found in tlese Bages capture the beauty of Lak music and
danoe.
xvt
