Malagan
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Malagan ceremonies , also spelled Malangan and Malanggan , are large traditional cultural events that take place in many areas of the island of New Ireland , formerly New Mecklenburg , and the islands in front of it. The islands are located in the southwest of the Pacific and are part of the Republic of Papua New Guinea .
Ceremonies
Malagan ceremonies are large events that take place at irregular intervals, which are held after months or years of preparation and can last for several days. Although the Malaga ceremonies always take place in honor of one or more deceased people, they are not just funeral rites, but also include other cultural aspects. For example, debts are repaid or debt acknowledgments are made. Disputes are also resolved and notices are made.
Malagan carvings
In preparation for the Malaga ceremonies, ornate wooden carvings were and are made, which were burned at the end of the ceremonies. Nowadays, however, these are mostly preserved, as the traditional craft of carvers hardly exists anymore.
More than a hundred years ago, many of the Malagan figures were purchased by European travelers and researchers, so that the artistic wealth of our time can mainly be admired in museums all over the world, for example in the Berlin Ethnographic Museum .
In the years from 1907 to 1909, the German Navy Expedition explored the Malagan culture, among other things. The results of the expedition were published in a number of reports.
literature
- Augustin Krämer: The Málanggane of Tombára . Georg Müller, Munich 1925.
- Michael Gunn: Ritual Arts of Oceania: New Ireland , Skira, Milan 1997, ISBN 88-8118-207-6 .
- Michael Gunn, Philippe Feltier: New Ireland: Art of the South Pacific . Continents Editions, Milan 2006, ISBN 88-7439-369-5 .