“Head-He-Go-Round”

N. G. Natives See Visions Vailala Madness Recalled

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, June 1.

FOUR natives living near Wau, an in land village near Sumup, in the Wewak Sub-district of Aitape, have developed hallucinations some what akin to the Vailala madness, which caused the Administration of Papua considerable trouble some years ago.

The natives in the Aitape district were very concerned with the rumors which reached them of these natives, so much so that the District Officer decided the matter was one that re quired looking into.

These four natives declared that they were miraculously born and came out of the ground, and, as a result, were endowed with supernatural powers.

They informed the local natives that they had the power to stimulate or retard food and plant growth. They advised the destruction of all cooking utensils, as they stated they could make new ones out of nothing. They went further, and apparently got them selves into trouble, when they told the natives that all of the white men would shortly be leaving the Territory, that luluais and tul-tuls were of no im portance, and also that they were be yond the power of such people as District Officers and Police.

These four natives were found to be unsophisticated and harmless. They had really convinced themselves they could see visions and believed in their inherited powers to perform the super natural. This sort of talk preys upon the natural superstitions of natives, and in this case they had really fright ened many of the natives in the Aitape

District. Had the situation not been dealt with so promptly by the District Officer, it is possible that these four natives might have acquired many fol lowers and disciples, thus creating an embarrassing situation.

They were arrested and dealt with under Native Administration Regula tions, in which due provision has been made for matters of this nature. They

are now on their way to another dis trict, remote from Aitape, where it is considered they cannot do any harm.

The whole case shows similarity to that of the Vailala madness, with its “head-he-go-round” men. This is interestingly described in a Handbook published by the Administration of Papua, entitled “Anthropology Report No. 4,” by P. E. Williams, B. A.