Religion
The Fore people are polytheistic. Usually polytheism is
associated with the worship of multiple deities. However, polytheism to the
Fore takes on a whole different meaning, consisting of a complex body of
beliefs that incorporates nature, human nature, and the spiritual realm. Their
believe that everything they know was created when a sacred creator-spirit
couple emerged from a swamp in South Fore and traveled through the region,
leaving humans, plants, and animals along the way. They believe in a host of
ancestor spirits, ghosts of the recently deceased and natural spirits. These
spirits and ghosts are said to have to the powers to bring both misfortunes and
luck to people. Religious specialists, such as curers and sorcerers, composed
of both males and females, have the ability to manipulate spiritual powers. In
recent years, many Christian missionaries have passed through Papua New Guinea,
evangelizing a large number of the Fore.
Rituals
One of
the most important rituals of the Fore is the coming of age of a boy. Young
boys are removed from their mothers care and are forced to live with men. For
the next few years, these boys are taught the rationale and techniques of nose
bleeding, cane swallowing, and vomiting. These rituals are designed to insure
growth, strength, fertility, and protection of their health from the polluting
powers of women. They are also taught the beliefs, behaviors, and
responsibilities of adult Fore men to insure they will become the ideal male.
At puberty, young women too briefly secluded to be informed of their new
responsibilities by older women.
In the
past, the Fore had a very unusual ritual for the dead. The women, children, and
elderly would eat the corpse, burying the remains in the garden of the
deceased, because human flesh was believed to promote fertility, regenerating
both people and plants. However, a virus of the central nervous system called
Kuru, which resulted in the death of many women and children, was caused by the
cannibalistic ritual. At first this disease was dismissed by the colonial authorities because the Fore blamed it on sorcery. Now, death of a Fore is marked by an extended mourning
ritual and public displays of body. The dead are then buried and are believed
to stay by their grave site until it is time to move on into the afterlife.
By: Iffat Alam
No comments:
Post a Comment