CHAPTER XII. 

 RELIGION. 



However difficult it may be to obtain correct information regarding the social life of 

 the Papuans, it is much more difficult to form an idea of the nature of their religious con- 

 victions. The expérience, already gained before, and recently confirmed by Van DlSSEL 

 [1904a, 942] with regard to the western parts, was also gained by the expédition, that the 

 Papuan, in sharp contrast with the propagandism and proselytism of other cuits, is not 

 inclined to talk to strangers about his religious sentiments. Temporary visitors very seldom 

 get to know anything about them, and even most missionaries are unable to form a fairly 

 clear opinion. 



I must therefore limit myself to the statement of acts, which bore the character of a 

 religious service. It will then appear that in a good many respects, there exists a similitude 

 with the rites of Tumleo Island, situated near Berlin Harbour, and that the large pyramidical 

 buildings, which occur in Humboldt Bay and neighbourhood, take the place of the 

 "Geisterhàuser", parâk, reported of the Berlin Harbour district. Both kinds of buildings 

 differ much in construction, and PARKINSON [1900, 33] is justified in writing that the parâk 

 is not met with outside the said district ; still the nature of the religious rites and cérémonies 

 employed resembles closely those of H. B.. MEYER and PARKINSON use the term karawari 

 for the community houses [1894, 12, PL 43] as well as for the sacred houses [Le, 13, PL 49] 

 of K. W. Land. BlRO calls the "Geisterhàuser": churches, giving the native names of 

 karowara [1899, 45] and karowari [Le, 51]. In H. B. the Jôtéfa people generally indicated 

 the building by the name kâ%êw<iri (probably the name of the principal spirit worshipped 

 inside), the name of the building proper being uh&b, given by DE CLERCQ [1889, 1266] as 

 otiggi, by MEYER and PARKINSON [1900, 1, PL 1] as well as by KONING [1903, 258] as matt. 



I will call thèse buildings "temples", evading the nàmes, ru m sëram, missigit, tabu- 

 house, which are ail connected with représentations, which stand in the way of a correct 

 judgment. However, inside thèse temples, some things are found and cérémonies take place, 

 of which I cannot indicate the connection with religion. This has evidently induced FlNSCH 

 [1888, 356] to deny to the kûrêivâri every religious meaning, assuring [1903, 133] that thèse 



