SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—H. 447 
SECTION H.—ANTHROPOLOGY,. 
Thursday, September 24. 
PRESIDENTIAL AppRESS by Prof. A. R. Rapciirre-Brown on The Present 
Position of Anthropological Studies (see page 141). 
Mr. C. W. M. Harr.—Tribal Government in Australia. 
Miss C. Wepewoov.—A Critical Analysis of the so-called Avoidance and 
Joking Relationships, with special reference to Melanesia. 
Miss B. Birackwoop.—Puberty Rites and Initiation Ceremonies in the 
Northern Solomons. 
The rites which form the subject of this paper are practised by the natives of the 
northern part of the island of Bougainville. The description given is based partly 
on the personal observation of the writer, who has herself taken part in some of them, 
and partly on accounts given by natives well known to her. 
The ceremonies for boys are connected with the wearing of the wpi, an elongated 
oval structure made of palm leaves, on the heads of the adolescents. It is put on at 
the first ceremony (wapi), when the boys are about seven or eight years of age, and 
worn for ten or twelve years. During this time the boys are not allowed to cut their 
hair, which is pushed up inside the wp. 
The wapi ceremony takes place in the heart of the forest, all women being rigorously 
excluded. The bull-roarer is sounded and mock fighting takes place. Huge wooden 
figures, carried on the shoulders of men, and intended to represent the spirits of the 
dead, appear out of the bush and go through the actions of killing the novices, and 
subsequently bringing them back to life again. At the close of the ceremony the 
upis are put on the heads of the youths. From this time onwards they must never 
be seen without their upis except in the seclusion of the fobar (men’s house). 
They are subjected to many restrictions, the most severe being those connected with 
avoidance of women. They may not enter any hut in which a woman lives, not even 
their own mother’s, but must hold themselves aloof from all but the most distant 
converse with women. 
At a subsequent time, determined by the chief, and dependent largely on the food 
supply, the second ceremony (watawutch) takes place. This is held in the village, 
and is not secret. Each novice in turn climbs a tree set up for the purpose in the 
_ centre of the village, having first removed his wpi to show his hair, which often reaches 
far below his waist. A procession is formed of the novices seated on the shoulders 
of their sponsors, and preceded by wooden figures of men, women and birds. Much 
feasting and dancing ensues. 
After undergoing this ceremony some of the more rigorous restrictions are removed, 
but the novice still wears the wpi and is not entirely free from prohibitions until it 
is officially removed, and his hair cut, at a third ceremony (wasipsip), which is often 
delayed till he is seventeen or eighteen years of age. It is less elaborate than the 
other two, and consists chiefly of the distribution of food. The youth is then regarded 
as a man, with the right to live with the wife to whom he has been betrothed from 
childhood. 
There is also a ceremony marking the first menstruation of a girl, but while every 
boy wears the wpi, the rites for a girl are performed only in the case of a person of rank. 
The girl is secluded in her mother’s hut for five days. During the first two of these 
‘She must fast, and the whole village fasts in sympathy. After this she is given small 
quantities of taro ceremonially prepared. Two smaller girls are appointed as her 
attendants and remain in the house with her. Other women of the village keep her 
company by turns. 
At the end of the five days she climbs a banana palm planted in the village for the 
‘purpose. Thisis then cut down, and she is received into the arms of the village women, 
who must take great care that she does not touch the ground. She then retires into 
the house, and the women indulge in horseplay among themselves. 
