The members of a descent group now live in single-family houses around their strongly diminished "great house," which is deprived of its original interior. It is commonly inhabited by the members of merely one descent line, that of the right helmsman. As in former days, they guard the ancestral heirlooms here; the members of the eldest line will not readily neglect this task.
Photographs 3.3 and 3.4. Two combs from the island of Babar. length 21.5 cm (3.3) and 12.5 on (3.4) (RJM/MLV).
The "lord of the village" has come under the influence of Christianity during the past decades. Ever increasingly a Protestant vicar serves as the symbolic helmsman of a settlement. Only during the celebration of the western New Year's feast, based on the former porka ritual, does the old tuan tanah still figure predominantly in some villages.
In the above text the dominant role of boat symbolism on Dawera and Dawelor has been presented in a nutshell. It appears that the islanders have been making use of the image of a boat and crew to order their world for centuries. both the layout of the house and of the village are traditionally inspired by this.
However, the role of boat symbolism on Dawera and Dawelor has only been partially described above. Apart from the application as a model of order, the image of the boat also functions in an entirely different way in the culture of the island: as a means of expression it conveys an important message.
With the help of nautical symbolism a dependency relationship is expressed on several levels. It will be endeavoured to clarify what this entails below. Subsequently the following levels will be discussed: man, the family and society, and the all-embracing cosmos.
Man: Vital Force and Identity
Strongly simplified, it can be stated that a person on Dawera and Dawelor is considered to be a body in which two components have merged: mormorsol, a kind of vital force which exclusively reveals itself in a physical form and is expressed in man in the growth and the movements of the body, and dmeir, a component which is less bound to the body and which is related to the identity of a person. Although much can be told about both elements, we will limit ourselves to some general remarks here, sufficient to come to an understanding of the role of boat symbolism.
The presence of mormorsol in man is especially expressed in the beating of the heart and in breathing. In daily life the term for breath (arol) is sometimes used as a synonym for vital force. Moreover, mormorsol is strongly associated with blood, notably menstrual blood. This is apparent, among other ways, from myths and rituals.
A human being is only complete when the vital force present in him is combined with dmeir. This complex component, which is difficult to describe, concerns the "uniqueness" of a person. Dmeir reflects someone's identity and has been compared by some people to "soul" or "spirit." However, the character of dmeir differs considerably from the notion of the soul as it exists in the western world.
Experience teaches that two important aspects adhere to dmeir. To start with, the component refers to the personal characteristics and is therefore associated with a person's name and facial features, voice, bodily shape and shadow or reflection. Instead of dmeir the islanders also speak of yalelol, someone's "shadow image." However, the fact that dmeir is related to the social identity of a person carries more weight. Due to this the concept is closely related to someone's reputation, i.e. to the image that exists of someone in society. Although related to all ways in which a person is distinguished from others, dmeir especially concerns a person's image.
Dmeir, in contrast to mormorsol, is immortal. After death someone's "shadow image" continues to exist, whereas the vital force fades away, together with the decaying of the body. Until recently a small statue, usually carved from wood, was produced as a new point of address for the deceased person. The "shadow image" could take residence in it, enabling continuation of communication with the person who has died. These statues will be discussed in detail in the next chapter.
Photograph 3.5. Houses built on poles in the village of Kokwari on Babar in 1913. The front of the house on the left is decorated with the motif of the "moon with rings."
The components each have a different origin. As for mormorsol the matter is simple: the human being receives his vital force with his body from his mother. As regards dmeir, however, there is less clarity. Yet it is certain that the father plays a main role here. As was said before, dmeir is especially related to someone's social identity, someone's image, and after the birth of a child, the father provides the basis for this.
The way in which he does this corresponds entirely with the common manner in which one distinguishes oneself from others within the community. Traditionally there is only one method on Dawera and Dawelor to acquire a grand name and build up an image: other forms of life have to be killed. Esteem is gained by successes in hunting and fishing. Besides this the hunting of heads was an excellent manner to get a reputation in former times.
After the birth of a child a small ritual is performed, providing the baby with a name and introducing it into society. The father here has the obligation to kill a number of animals (mostly fish) in the name of the child and to distribute them among all members of the community. This last deed dominates the entire ceremony. The significance of the father's acting in the name of the child is great: the baby kills, as it were, the animals and thus shows the villagers that from now on, his or her person has to be reckoned with. Due to the death-dealing activities of the father, the child establishes the beginning of a reputation, on receiving its own name.
Photograph 3.6 Front of the former "great house" of the descent group Kapressy on Dawelor (1913). The insert shows a shutter, decorated with the motif of the sun, from the "great house. "Height/width 33 cm (RJM).
Photograph 3.7. Decoration at the stem beam of a boat on Dawera, showing the wheel of the sun. The insert shows two prows of tree-trunk canoes-from the island of Damer. Length 153 cm (top) and 132 cm (below) (RMV).
Figure 3.2.
Traditional village on Dawera/Dawelor
A Entrances
B Pilot
C Bailer boy
D Right helmsman
E Left helmsman
Man as Boat and Helmsman
During the process of creating new life, the parents' role seems to be the most significant. However, in the minds of the islanders, they are entirely dependent on their ancestors. According to these notions the ancestors are the ones who determine whether both components (mormorsol and dmeir) will be available via the parents; without consent and help from the ancestors no new, "complete" human being can be formed. This dependency relationship is expressed in a botanical idiom. The ancestors are considered to be the "trunk" of a tree, of which the living represent the "top." And just as the development of new shoots depends on the functioning of the basis of a tree, the survival of man lies in the hands of the ancestors.