essay
What did the eruption mean?
exiles and migrants in oceania • (5) • Published In 1977 • Pages: 296-341, 401-414
By: Schwimmer, Eric G..
Abstract
This source is a semiotic analysis of native explanations of the eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951. There are four different explanations: that the god of the mountain was punishing the Orokaiva for violation of taboos, that the god of the mountain was punishing the Europeans for their execution of several Orokaivas, that the Christian god was angry at the Orokaivas for various transgressions, and fourth, that the eruption was caused by geophysical forces. Schwimmer feels that these theories '… form a well-structured whole, and together they express contemporary Orokaiva social reality' (p. 338).
- HRAF PubDate
- 2004
- Region
- Oceania
- Sub Region
- Melanesia
- Document Type
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Marlene Martin ; 1984
- Field Date
- 1966-1973
- Coverage Date
- 1951-1966
- Coverage Place
- Mount Lamington area; Popondetta Sub-District of the Northern District of Papua; Papua New Guinea
- Notes
- By Erik G. Schwimmer
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 401-414)
- LCCN
- 77010756
- LCSH
- Orokaiva (Papua New Guinea people)