Table of Contents

Preface by C. Ballard and L.R. Goldman Introduction: Fire and Water: Fluid Ontologies in Melanesian Myths by L.R. Goldman, J. Duffield and C. Ballard Hand, Voice and Myth in Papua New Guinea by J.F. Weiner Sacrifice and Sociality: A Duna Ritual Track by A. Strathern Sacrifice and Regeneration Among Ipilis: The View from Tipini by A. Biersack The Sun by Night: Huli Moral Topography and Myths of a Time of Darkness by C. Ballard A Trickster for All Seasons: The Huli Iba Tiri by L.R. Goldman Myths of Containment, Myths of Extension: Creating Relations Across Boundaries by L. Josephides How the World Turns Upside Down: Changing Geographies of Power and Spiritual Influence Among the Gebusi by B.M. Knauf Index

Promotional Information

Attempts to go beyond the idiosyncratic nature of myths in these Papua New Guinea societies and cast the debate about the role of myth in more philosophical terms.

About the Author

L.R. GOLDMAN is Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Queensland, Australia - C. BALLARD is Professor of Anthropology at the Australian National University.

Reviews

"This collection of essays on the mythology of Highland peoples of Papua New Guinea is the first of its kind. The fresh perspective on Highland Papua New Guinea cultures which these essays jointly provide makes this book an important contribution to Melanesian studies. And the rich diversity of theoretical perspectives which the essays exemplify should make this book appeal to students, scholars, and others interested in the understanding of myth."-Simon Harrison University of Ulster

?This group of papers is scholarly in ways one rarely sees in more typical ethnographic projects, and the result is a commendable one....This short volume could be useful in seminars about myth, religion, or culture change, not because the authors provide answers but because they raise questions. The myths discussed are enjoyable and well contextualized and the ethnographic background for each society is readily available for both students and teachers. But what I feel is most important about this book is its attempt to develop a regionally and historically sensitive anthropology, one that deals with what must be the most challenging venue for spatial and temporal analysis: local renderings of myth.?-American Anthropologist

"This group of papers is scholarly in ways one rarely sees in more typical ethnographic projects, and the result is a commendable one....This short volume could be useful in seminars about myth, religion, or culture change, not because the authors provide answers but because they raise questions. The myths discussed are enjoyable and well contextualized and the ethnographic background for each society is readily available for both students and teachers. But what I feel is most important about this book is its attempt to develop a regionally and historically sensitive anthropology, one that deals with what must be the most challenging venue for spatial and temporal analysis: local renderings of myth."-American Anthropologist