Queensland Art Gallery - Queensland Government

Traditions and rituals in North Ambrym
Ambrym, the name given to the island by an early explorer, 1 which
means ‘Here is your yam’, is situated near the centre of the archipelago
of Vanuatu, with Pentecost to the north, Paama to the south and
Malakula to the west. At the centre of the island are two active
volcanos, called Marum and Benbow by the islanders. North Ambrym
is very remote and accessible only by sea. The nearest airstrip, an
hour’s flight from the capital, Port Vila, is situated on the south-western
side of the island. From there, it takes between two and three hours by
dinghy to reach the northern part of the island.
This remoteness and isolation has helped conserve many of North
Ambrym’s traditions and rituals, particularly in the face of the
challenges posed by the arrival of missionaries and settlers. However,
the fundamental structure of life on Ambrym — categorised into
the three major areas of family ties, rights, and sacred societies or
initiations — has been so well preserved that the art of the island has
gained regional and international recognition.
jealously guarded, being kept far from the villages or in tabou houses
belonging to the high chiefs.
Today, North Ambrymese traditions and rituals live in harmony with
Western culture. The latter has influenced all villages, but the former
remains deep in the minds and the hearts of North Ambrymese people.
Napong Norbert
Endnotes
1 The island of Ambrym owes its name to Captain Cook; see Destination Vanuatu,
,
viewed October 2009.
2 Agnate refers to being related through males or on the father’s side.
In the past, the Ambrymese traded with their neighbour islands, which
share many traditions and rituals: towbuan (boar killing ceremony) and
mague (a hierarchy of grades) are common on Malakula, Pentecost
and Ambrym. These ceremonies are the highest status performance
rituals of North Ambrym. They are performed according to family ties,
of which there are two key elements: te woren (the mother’s agnates)
and te mukuen (the wife’s and/or father’s mother’s and/or mother’s
mother’s agnates). 2 All life events — birth, puberty, circumcision,
marriage and death — are marked by ritual ceremonies performed to
either te mukuen or te woren, or both.
The towbuan is an important rite for conferring status, and both men
and women achieve titles and prestige through this rite. The boar tusks
sacrificed to te woren or te mukuen are returned to the sacrificer, to be
worn around the neck and the arms on public occasions. If the boar
is sacrificed to te woren, the tusks are worn on the right arm; if it is
sacrificed to te mukuen, then they are worn on the left arm.
The mague is another path for gaining prestige in North Ambrymese
society. It is the hierarchy of 15 grades, arranged into 10 ranks, where
men and women (only if a woman’s husband has achieved the 15th
grade) pay rights for either ‘stones’ or the rite of mounting onto a
platform over a carved tree fern to achieve titles. Initiates who attain
these high levels of prestige are influential and, by extension, so are
their wives and children.
Sacred societies and secret initiations also play an important role
in North Ambrym. These are respected men’s societies in which
initiates receive knowledge for objects such as masks or ‘stones’. The
Ambrymese believe these objects are sacred and require an intimate
knowledge of the ancestral spirit world. They are also honoured and
Top
Mansak Family
Vanuatu b.unknown
Temar ne ari (ancestor spirit) c.1995
Natural fibres, clay, synthetic polymer paint, ochres, pig’s
tusks, bamboo and sticks / 130 x 36 x 15cm
Temar ne ari (ancestor spirit) c.1995
Natural fibres, clay, synthetic polymer paint, coconut
shells, bamboo and sticks / 120 x 48 x 24cm
Below
Temar ne ari (ancestor spirit) c.1995
Natural fibres, clay, synthetic polymer paint, pig’s tusks,
coconut shells, bamboo and sticks / 94 x 45 x 50cm
Temar ne ari (ancestor spirit) c.1995
Natural fibres, clay, synthetic polymer paint, ochres, pig’s
tusks, coconut shells, bamboo and sticks / 94 x 34 x 13cm
Purchased 2008. The Queensland Government’s Gallery
of Modern Art Acquisitions Fund / Collection: Queensland
Art Gallery
184 185