Biritululo (Kiriwana, New Guinea)This puts a new take on "mine is bigger than yours" ... though I never understood that argument either.
Comparing yams to settle disputes. In New Guinean culture, the code of behavior is that nobody talks about what everybody knows concerning sensitive subjects. Breaking this code results in violent disputes. They present their yams at these moments. Yams are so important in Kiriwana that people boast about their own supply to the point of violence. Settling the fights with yam displays calms everyone down.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
They Have a Word for It ... And We Don't
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