article
Mythe du corps bouche
Culture [Canadian Ethnology Society] • 4 (2) • Published In 1984 • Pages: 33-42
By: Schwimmer, Eric G..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this article Schwimmer examines the treatment and myths regarding a malady called TIAMBU PEAMBU, which refers to the blockage of all bodily orifices. Symptoms are both mental and physical. A professional medical diagnosis is unavailable, although in one case a surgeon noted similarities to an intestinal obstruction. According to Schwimmer, the Orokaiva have a polysemic understanding of the disease in terms of not only mental and physical obturations, but also social and spiritual ones. Cures and myths focus on the latter two manifestations of the disease. Schwimmer analyzes the myths surrounding the disease among the Orokaiva and neighboring tribes, the Omie, Minangkabau, and Sirorata. He argues that the myths and discourse surrounding the curing ceremonies express the current preoccupation of the tribes with the penetration of the market economy, which has undermined the village system of reciprocity. The disease often attacks young men who did not complete their rite of initiation into traditional village life.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Comparative evidence
- Acculturation and culture contact
- External relations
- Mythology
- Magical and mental therapy
- Medical therapy
- Ethnophysiology
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Orokaiva
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2004
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Oceania
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Melanesia
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 2002
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- 1966-1981
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1966-1981
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Oro Province, Papua New Guinea
- NotesAdditional notes
- by Eric Schwimmer
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 42)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 90641213
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Orokaiva (Papua New Guinea people)