Sung Tales from the Papua New Guinea Highlands : Studies in Form, Meaning, and Sociocultural Context

The genres of sung tales that are the subject of this volume are one of the most striking aspects of the cultural scene in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. Composed and performed by specialist bards, they are a highly valued art form. From a comparative viewpoint they are remarkable both for their scale and complexity, and for the range of variation that is found among regional genres and individual styles. Though their existence has previously been noted by researchers working in the Highlands, and some recordings made of them, most of these genres have not been studied in detail until quite recently, mainly because of the challenging range of disciplinary expertise that is required—in anthropology, linguistics, and ethnomusicology. This volume presents a set of interrelated studies by researchers in all of those fields, and by a Papua New Guinea Highlander who has assisted with the research based on his lifelong familiarity with one of the regional genres. The studies presented here (all of them previously unpublished and written especially for this volume) are of groundbreaking significance not only for specialists in Melanesia or the Pacific, but also for readers with a more general interest in comparative poetics, mythology, musicology, or verbal art. Preliminary......Page 2 Dedication......Page 8 Contributors......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 14 List of online items......Page 16 1. Introducing Highlands Sung Tales. Don Niles and Alan Rumsey......Page 18 2. Yuna Pikono. Kenny Yuwi Kendoli......Page 56 3. Music and Language in Duna Pikono. Kirsty Gillespie and Lila San Roque......Page 66 4. Parallelism in Duna Pikono. Michael Sollis......Page 82 5. Sung Tales in Héla Húli. Gabe C. J. Lomas......Page 92 6. An Ethnomusicological Discussion of Bì Té, the Chanted Tales of the Huli. Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan......Page 126 7. Enga Tindi Pii: The Real World and Creative Imagination. Philip Gibbs......Page 168 8. Parallelism and Poetics in Tindi Narratives Sung in the Ipili Language. Terrance Borchard and Philip Gibbs......Page 182 9. The Structure of Chanted Ipili Tindi. Frances Ingemann......Page 214 10. Skywalkers and Cannibals: Chanted Tales among the Angal. Hans Reithofer......Page 224 11. Style, Plot, and Character in Tom Yaya Tales from Ku Waru. Alan Rumsey......Page 264 12. Metric Melodies and the Performance of Sung Tales in the Hagen Area. Don Niles......Page 292 13. Bamboo Knives, Bows, and Waterfalls: The Presentation of“Traditional Knowledge” in Melpa Kang Rom, Duna Pikono, and theWorks of Hesiod and Virgil. Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart......Page 320 Index......Page 334 The genres of sung tales that are the subject of this volume are one of the most striking aspects of the cultural scene in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. Composed and performed by specialist bards, they are a highly valued art form. From a comparative viewpoint they are remarkable both for their scale and complexity, and for the range of variation that is found among regional genres and individual styles. Though their existence has previously been noted by researchers working in the Highlands, and some recordings made of them, most of these genres have not been studied in detail until quite recently, mainly because of the challenging range of disciplinary expertise that is required" in anthropology, linguistics, and ethnomusicology. This volume presents a set of interrelated studies by researchers in all of those fields, and by a Papua New Guinea Highlander who has assisted with the research based on his lifelong familiarity with one of the regional genres. The studies presented here (all of them previously unpublished and written especially for this volume) are of groundbreaking significance not only for specialists in Melanesia or the Pacific, but also for readers with a more general interest in comparative poetics, mythology, musicology, or verbal art Introducing Highlands sung tales / Don Niles and Alan Rumsey Yuna pikono / Kenny Yuwi Kendoli Music and language in Duna pikono / Kirsty Gillespie and Lila San Roque Parallelism in Duna pikono / Michael Sollis Sung tales in He la Hu li / Gabe C.J. Lomas An ethnomusicological discussion of bi te , the chanted tales of the Huli / Jacqueline Pugh-Kitingan Enga tindi pii : the real world and creative imagination / Philip Gibbs Parallelism and poetics in in tindi narratives sung in the Ipili language / Terrance Borchard and Philip Gibbs The structure of chanted Ipili tindi / Frances Ingemann Skywalkers and cannibals : chanted tales among the Angal / Hans Reithofer Style, plot and character in tom yaya tales from Ku Waru / Alan Rumsey Metric melodies and the performance of sung tales in the Hagen area / Don Niles Bamboo knives, bows, and waterfalls : the presentation of "traditional knowledge" in Melpa kang rom, Duna pikono, and the works of Hesiod and Virgil / Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart.