Purism, Syncretism, Symbiosis Cohabiting traditions on Mota, Banks Islands, Vanuatu By Thorgeir Storesund Kolshus Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Cand. Polit.-degree Department of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo, August 1999 Reproduced online with permission, 2005. http://anglicanhistory.org The author retains copyright. Purism, Syncretism, Symbiosis, by Thorgeir Storesund Kolshus (1999) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..........................................................................................................................I PROLOGUE ............................................................................................................................................... IV PART 1: THE BASICS .................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................1 Coherence in the account - adherence to the reality ............................................................................1 Inside - outside.......................................................................................................................................2 KINSHIP - THE CREATION OF RELATIONS......................................................................................10 THE HOUSE WITH THE TWO SIDES ...............................................................................................................11 The overt principles of kinship: poroporo and nommavva ..................................................................13 Coming to terms with kinship...............................................................................................................15 The primary exceptions to the scheme .................................................................................................18 The qaliga institution ...........................................................................................................................20 Coming to terms with the affines..........................................................................................................22 Desired and deterred marriages: lag å rållåo and sañ-sañ.................................................................24 THE FUTURE HOUSE?..................................................................................................................................26 A new marriage pattern .......................................................................................................................26 Oblivion is bliss....................................................................................................................................28 Adoption...............................................................................................................................................31 Adopting change ..................................................................................................................................37 Kinship systems, classification and perception....................................................................................38 PART 2: EXCLUDING TRADITIONS.....................................................................................................40 THE TAMATE ASSOCIATIONS...............................................................................................................43 SALAGORO - THE HOME OF THE TAMATE ....................................................................................................43 Purism, Syncretism, Symbiosis, by Thorgeir Storesund Kolshus (1999) The site.................................................................................................................................................43 The borders ..........................................................................................................................................46 The laws ...............................................................................................................................................49 Purity lest danger - in change..............................................................................................................52 DANCING - THE ART OF THE TAMATE ..........................................................................................................54 Creating occasions - creating pride.....................................................................................................54 Non-salagoro dances ...........................................................................................................................56 Inside - outside, and the case of the audience......................................................................................58 Desired sounds of silence.....................................................................................................................61 Gåtå - preparing for the dance, on the inside and on the outside........................................................62 The dances of the Salagoro..................................................................................................................66 Qat .......................................................................................................................................................69 Principles of purity...............................................................................................................................71 Simul homo et tamate...........................................................................................................................73 “Why dance when it’s so dangerous?”................................................................................................77 Catharsis or laboratory?......................................................................................................................78 THE CHURCH............................................................................................................................................80 THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.............................................................................................................................81 The reformation and dissemination of the Church of England............................................................81 The Mission and the Church of Mota...................................................................................................82 The Poison and The Pledge .................................................................................................................85 THE CHURCH TODAY..................................................................................................................................88 Protector of People, Provider of Pride ................................................................................................88 The Church and the village..................................................................................................................90 The Time and Order of Worship ..........................................................................................................92 The Means of Worship .........................................................................................................................95 The Sincerity of Worship......................................................................................................................96 Purism, Syncretism, Symbiosis, by Thorgeir Storesund Kolshus (1999) Veverao village at seven - eleven a.m. .................................................................................................97 The clergy...........................................................................................................................................101 PART 3: THE MEDIATING BODY .......................................................................................................107 THE TWO SOULS .......................................................................................................................................108 An analytical dilemma .......................................................................................................................108 The concept of atai.............................................................................................................................110 The atai of the world ..........................................................................................................................111 A symptomatic game ..........................................................................................................................113 The atai of Heaven .............................................................................................................................116 SICKNESS AND HEALTH ............................................................................................................................117 Two kinds of illness............................................................................................................................117 In search of the lost atai.....................................................................................................................121 Medical knowledge and social assets.................................................................................................123 A touch of couvade and “Original