Kombai
The Kombai are a people in Melanesia . They live in the Indonesian province of Papua in western New Guinea .
Life
Outside of New Guinea, the Kombai are mainly known for their traditional tree houses , which are often built at a height of over 20 meters. The Kombai live on the border with the Korowai , who also live in tree houses and have similar cultural practices, but speak a different language. The currency of the Kombai are mainly wild pigs. Before a wedding, a Kombai man has to buy his wife from her family. However, the payment is usually made with necklaces made from dog teeth.
Kombai clans rarely hold feasts to which they invite members of other clans, often in return for feasts held by others or to clear their name after a Suangi attack. The food at the festivals consists of sago and maggots that live in sago. The latter are considered a delicacy. The leader of the family that organizes the festival hangs dry bushes on the ceiling of the place where the celebration takes place. If the festival is successful, the bushes are burned by the guests.
The Kombai live mainly in clans. Each clan lives in a large tree house, although most of the activities take place outdoors. Tree houses and territories are defended with a bow and arrow . In certain areas no property claims are made or houses are built, as the Kombai believe that spirits live there. The tradition of building tree houses has its reason for the easier defense in times of war or against people hunting tribes, which terrorized the Kombai in the past. Food is obtained by hunting pigs and other forest animals. Fish, beetle larvae and plants are also part of the basic diet, as is sago, the pulp of the sago palm. Dogs are often used as hunting animals and trackers. Prey animals are cooked by placing heated stones over the fire on meat wrapped in leaves until the meat is cooked through. Fishing is done by means of a small dam that is being built. Toxic roots are crushed in the water, which anesthetizes the fish and drifts on the surface of the dam. Then the fish are simply collected. Since there is plenty of food in the forest, nothing is stored. The Kombai also make cigars from bamboo.
According to the Kombai tradition, every stranger as well as every invited guest approaching a tree house is stopped. He has to prove he has no bad intentions before he is allowed to move on. The Kombai are known to practice cannibalism as part of their culture and belief .
religion
Pigs are rarely sacrificed by the Kombai. Pigs are considered sacred animals. The victim begins by tying the animal's legs together. It is brought to a river and shot with arrows. Attention is paid to a quick death. The three elements, fire, water and air are conjured up. Then the animal is skinned and the fat is scraped off and presented to the god Refafu. Women are not allowed to attend or observe the ceremony, otherwise it would be considered ineffective. In addition, it is not allowed to bathe in the river concerned for two days, as Refafu is supposed to drink the pig's blood. The Kombai believe in evil spirits called Suangi. Suangi are supposed to consume the soul, blood and / or the internal organs of their victims and then stuff the bodies with leaves and grass. It is described that the victim of a Suagi attack goes to his home, where he becomes inexplicably ill. If the victim is able to name the suagi who attacked him, the victim is killed and eaten. According to the Kombai belief, this frees the victim's soul. The Kombai also believe in Khakhua-Kumu, evil men who also consume the souls of their victims. The victim must also be killed or eaten.
In the media
The Discovery Channel broadcast the documentary " Living with the Kombai " ("Living with the Kombai") in the USA in 2007. Two men traveled to Papua and spent a few months with a larger Kombai family. Her experiences included hunting giant lizards and wild pigs, as well as fishing with the dam. They also helped cut trees with a stone ax, made sago and constructed a tree house.