Replica of pre-missionary slit gong in South West Bay Wintua

Although the importance of slit-gongs waned in mission villages, slit-gongs carved in traditional patterns re-emerged after Independence. Before missionization, slit-gongs were played with rhythms that were distinctive for each place or settlement. The words for these rhythms were used to distinguish residence groups from one another, just as concepts of lineage, clan or phratry have been used to describe social groups elsewhere. While a place or area might be settled by related people, unrelated neighbors who moved in with them were treated as full members of a place. Membership through contiguity was significant; consanguinity was less so.

• Summer 1981

• Larcom, Joan

• Skinner-Jones, Ann

• Land and Custom Sustained and Revived

• Melanesia
• Oceania
• Pacific Islands
• South West Bay (Malakula, Vanuatu)
• Wintua (Malekula, Vanuatu)

• Slit drums

• image

• No linguistic content; Not applicable

• Skinner-Jones, Ann

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2021-11-16