One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights: Folktales from Wantok Newspaper

Abstract

Mitchell reviews One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights: Folktales from Wantok Newspaper edited and translated by Thomas H. Slone.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA SLONE, THOMAS H., translator, editor. One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights: Folktales from Wantok Newspaper. Oakland, CA 94611-2058: Masalai Press, 2001. Volume 1: Tales from 1972-1985, xxviii + 500 pages. Paper US$39.95; ISBN 0-9714127-0-7, Volume 2: Tales from 1986-1997. xx + 590 pages. Indices, glossary, references, maps, illustrations. Paper US$44.95; ISBN 0-9714127-1-5.

Thomas H. Slone, a staff scientist on cancer research, has made a strong entry into the field of Oceanic folkloristics. In addition to these extensive volumes, he has also placed on the World Wide Web two bibliographies, one on Melanesian-English dictionaries, the other on Papua New Guinea folktales. The indices completing the second volume include the tale tellers (or writers), their villages, languages, maps of the provinces, a glossary of flora and fauna, and a motif index of thirty-five pages.

A quick glance at the index reveals that Slone has leaned heavily on Bacil KIRTLEY's two indices (1971, 1995). This m turn bears out Kirtley's contention that the folktales of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia are strongly interrelated on the motif level. William Lessa's extensive comparative study of Ulithian tales reinforces Kirtley's work by tying his Micronesian tales from Ulithi Atoll to the rest of Oceania, both on the motif and tale level (LESSA, 1961). In my own work, I made extensive use of the above scholars, leaving me little reason to doubt the interrelationship of narratives from the above three culture areas (MlTCHELL 1973, 1990).

Slone states (xxii) that he had studied Tok Pisin (Papua New Guinea Pidgin English) prior to his three trips to Papua New Guinea, where he encountered the local newspaper Wantok, with its standard feature on Stori Tumbuna, or Ancestor Tales. He decided they should be translated. His motivation was not an unusual one. The whole region was changing rapidly and he felt these tales worthy of preservation.

These narratives run from 1972 to 1997, totaling 1047 (his count). A few he did not translate, for they were duplicate tales published earlier in the series. The tales are published in the order in which they appeared in Wantok and in most cases are identified by teller and locality. All are carefully motifed at the end of each tale, using the THOMPSON (1955-1958), KlRTLEY (1955, 1971), and HUFFMAN (1973) motif indices. There is no attempt to arrange them by genre, and they range from legend to origin myths to Märchen. Overall there is strong indication of belief, especially in accounts of the supernatural (which predominate). Not uncommon are concluding comments, such as "This is a true story that is still told" (322). Other remarks indicate some reworking of tales: "This is a very long story. I forgot some parts and just shortened it" (649). Other unsolicited statements indicate many more "ancestor tales" could be garnered: "If you want, I will write again. I have many ancestor stories" (230). And, as to be expected, there is evidence that missionizing has had its effect. After an account of a ghost woman who lives in a tree and to whom pigs were offered, the teller concludes: "The people of this village did this until the mission came and revealed the word of God. After that this custom ended" (599).

A goodly number of variants of the tales collected by Lessa and myself appear in Slonc's work. As KlRTLEY reported in his dissertation, published in 1955, there is no extensive cosmogony-cosmology to be found in Micronesia-Melanesia, such as has been reported for Polynesia. The following comments about these Melanesian tales will be made in reference to LESSA'S (1961) comparative work (1973, 1990).

While Slone's extensive sample contains no trickster figures like the Polynesian Maui or the Micronesian Olofat, the many animal tales make up the lack and profess to explain animal and bird characteristics as due to the many scurvy tricks played on one another. Thus, we have the bird that unfairly made itself handsome at the expense of its friend (101-102), all very similar to Micronesian tradition (MlTCHELL 1973, 48-50). Included here are accounts of abused children who become birds (SLONE, 698; MlTCHEU,, 1990, 59-90).

Once one passes to the more structured Märchen, the similarities are many; and the tellers appear especially fond of particular types. Take, for example, the Swan Maiden tale. I have noted thirty-three variants, ranging from the classical account of maidens who remove their bird skins to bathe, thus allowing a lurking male to steal one and secure a lovely bride (853-54), to an offbeat one in which a faithful dog carries out the theft. But the results are the same. His master secures a fine bride.

Along the same line is the popularity of the Kind and Unkind Sons. In search of a missing arrow, the Kind Son befriends an old woman and is rewarded with two beautiful wives. The Unkind Son gets two old hags for loutish behavior. There are other tales that also received high mention: disasters follow the killing of supernatural eels; floods follow the breaking of tabus; ghosts of women dead in childbirth bring grief; cannibalistic spirits masquerade as friends on nocturnal fishing trips; men trick close relatives into sex by pretending to be ordered to do so by spirits. Even the tale of a man who seduces women by extending his penis underground and the woman who killed her partners by having a poisonous snake in her vagina (bund its way into the Wantol{. One could go on, but all of the above are to be found in Micronesia. KIRTLEY'S (1955) and LESSA'S (1961) works stand. The narratives of Oceania are strongly interrelated.

What then of further value to folklorists? If one were to assume a purist's approach and insist on field collecting with all its appurtences, one's reaction could be somewhat negative. But here are hundreds of texts to be used for comparative purposes; and were one to take upon himself the task of a "Folktales of New Guinea," here is a great starting point. In attempting a broad survey of an extensive area, one cannot possibly spend the customary year or two in each area. He must have a good idea where to go and whom to contact. Slonc has established a solid basis for future investigation, in addition to saving newspaper narratives from the oblivion of tropic heat, mold, and termites.

References

REFERENCES CITED

HOFFMAN, Frank

1973 Analytical Survey of Anglo-American Traditional Erotica. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green University Popular Press.

KIRTLEY, Bacil F.

1955 A Motif Index of Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian Narratives. PhD dissertation. Indiana University, Bloomington.

1971 A Motif Index of Traditional Polynesian Narratives. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.

LESSA, William A.

1961 Tales from Ulithi Atoll: A Comparative Study of Oceanic Folklore. University of California Publications, Folklore Studies 13. Berkeley: University of California Press.

MITCHELL, Roger E.

1973 The folktales of Micronesia. Asian Folklore Studies 33: 1-281.

1990 A Micronesian hornbook: Folklore and sexuality. Midwestern Folklore 16: 1-130.

THOMPSON, Stith

1955-1958 Motif Index of Folk Literature. Revised edition, 6 vols. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.