Malagan (also spelled malangan or malanggan) ceremonies are large, intricate traditional cultural events that take place in parts of
New Ireland province in
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
. The word malagan refers to wooden carvings prepared for ceremonies and to an entire system of traditional culture.
Malagan ceremonies
''Malagan''
ceremonies
A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion.
The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin .
Religious and civil (secular) ceremoni ...
are the most large-scale and famous of the many events that take place within the ''malagan'' culture. They take place irregularly, and are typically large and complex events, taking several days, and requiring months or years of preparation.
While a ''malagan'' ceremony is always held in the name of one or more people who have died in recent years, it is not at all merely a mortuary rite. Many other interactions take place within the overall event, including announcements, repayment of debts, recognition of obligations, resolution of disputes, and many other customary activities.
Malagan carvings and carvers
''Malagan''
carvings, now world-famous, are the wooden carvings which are created for use in ''malagan'' ceremonies. Traditionally these were burnt or placed in a cave to rot at the conclusion of the event; in modern times most are now retained, as the carving tradition is now only known by a few. Contemporary masters of ''malagan'' form include Michael Homerang of Madina Village, Ben Sisia of Libba Village (northern New Ireland) and Edward and Mathew Salle of Lava Village (Tatau, Tabar Islands, New Ireland). Many ''malagan'' carvings are held in European and other
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
s.
Malagan culture
''Malagan'' culture is the general term for the traditional culture in the area where ''malagan'' ceremonies take place, covering much of Northern New Ireland province. There are many other ceremonies and customary practices within this large and complex cultural system.
The word ''malagan'' comes from the
Nalik language
The Nalik language is spoken by 5,000 or so people, based in 17 villages in Kavieng District, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. It is an Austronesian language and member of the New Ireland group of languages with a subject–verb–object (SVO) ...
of northern
New Ireland. Alternative spellings include ''malangan'' and ''malanggan''.
See also
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Eharo mask
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List of folk festivals
A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods.
Handicra ...
References
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External links
Alcheringa Gallery- Canadian gallery representing some malagan carvers
Death customs
Folk festivals in Papua New Guinea
Masquerade ceremonies
Masks in Papua New Guinea
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