Essay
Aime: Unwrapping the social and cultural meaning of Garamut (slit-drums) of Papua New Guinea, 2016.
Permanent URL
last updated
Basic information
Bibliographical reference
Alphonse Aime: Unwrapping the social and cultural meaning of Garamut (slit-drums) of Papua New Guinea, in: Contemporary PNG Studies. DWU Research Journal, Nr. 25, Madang 2016, S. 54-66.
Language of publication
English
Description
In almost all communities in the Pacific and especially in Papua New Guinea, certain objects are considered indelibly linked to the lifecycle of the people. These objects are revered, even feared as imbued with power of life and death. Therefore, as revered objects they find themselves shrouded in rituals and ceremonies which pertain to matters of life and death. Among these groups of objects are the garamut (slit-drums). For these communities, since the days of the ancestors garamut have made a significant contribution to their livelihood. However, with the intervention of European contact, there is extensive literature which, describes slit-drums/garamut as primarily musical instruments. Thus over the years garamut have been misunderstood. But deeper cultural analysis suggests that garamut were much more than musical instruments which early literature led us to believe. Garamut were multifaceted objects imbued with power of social influence over people (source: Worldcat, last access 29.03.2024).