The "Mudmen" of
Papua New Guinea's Asaro tribe, also known as the ''Holosa'', are those who wear a traditional costume centered around masks made of mud. They live nearby the village of
Goroka
Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people (2000), above sea level. It has an airport (in the centre of town) and is on the "Highlands Highway", about 285 km from ...
in the
Eastern Highlands Province
Eastern Highlands is a highlands province of Papua New Guinea. The provincial capital is Goroka. The province covers an area of 11,157 km², and has a population of 579,825 (2011 census). The province shares a common administrative boundary w ...
of Papua New Guinea.
Creation legend
There are several oral history versions regarding the creation of the Asaro Mudmen, with anthropologist Todd Otto noting, "there are as many versions of
he creation legendas there are sources."
In one recitation, they were defeated by an enemy tribe and forced to flee into the
Asaro River where they met a man who gave them eyes to kill. They waited until dusk before attempting to escape the one whom was given the eyes was captured. The enemy saw him rise from the muddy banks covered in mud and thought he was spirit. Most tribes in Papua New Guinea are very afraid of spirits, so the enemy fled in fear, and the Asaro escaped. They then went into the village to see what had happened, not knowing the enemy tribesmen were still there. The enemy were so terrified they ran back to their village and held a special ceremony to ward off the spirits. The mudmen could not cover their faces because legends say that the people of Papua New Guinea thought that the mud from the Asaro river was poisonous. So instead of covering their faces with this alleged poison, they made masks from pebbles that they heated and water from the waterfall.Another version claims that the tradition began with a wedding guest who was unable to find a traditional wedding costume.
The masks have unusual designs, such as long or very short ears either going down to the chin or sticking up at the top, long joined eyebrows attached to the top of the ears, horns and sideways mouths.
According to research in September 1996 by Danish anthropologist Ton Otto from
Aarhus University
Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...
the regarding the Mudmen, the tradition is undeniably an Asaro invention.
However, its current elaborate form, originating from a 1957 cultural fair, is more likely an intercultural phenomenon heavily influenced by outside elements, such as tour operators, writers, and government administrators.
See also
*
Paantu
The Paantu ( Miyako: ) festival is an annual festival on the island of Miyako-jima in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.
Every year during the ninth month of the lunisolar calendar, male villagers will dress up as paantu, supernatural being
Sup ...
, a tradition of
Miyako Island
is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Miyako Island is administered as part of the City of Miyakojima, which includes not only Miyako Island, but also five other populated island ...
,
Okinawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest cit ...
.
*
Lower Asaro Rural LLG
*
Upper Asaro Rural LLG
*
Asaro River
References
Otto and Verloop, "The Asaro Mudmen: Local Property, Public Culture?" 1996 {{Reflist
External links
Asaro Mudmen Photographs
Masks in Papua New Guinea
Eastern Highlands Province