Studying the courting
p. 57 · Read in the full issue
songs of the Chimbu
Pop music is weaving its inevit able (and some say, execrable) spell among young people in the Pacific just as much as in the rest of the world but, says Leo Scheps, a journalist who specialises in the affairs of the PNG Highlands, the old traditional courting songs re main very much alive and well, and apparently proof against the ministrations of such as Marilyn, Boy George and others of their highly-promoted ilk.
Scheps recently wrote and presented for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation a program of courting songs of the Chimbu region in the High lands. It was broadcast in Radio Helicon on June 18.
Songs recorded in a village in the mountains illustrated the age-old courting ritual: The stars and moon light up; move, move; The little stars light up; move, move; Go collect the water lilies, Go collect the breadfruit leaves, move.
Scheps described the scene inside a village hut: ’’The boys file inside one by one and sit down quickly on the straw-covered floor, well away from the girls, who are sitting in a straight line against a far wall,
giggling and mocking. The boys hide their faces in mock shame.
Eventually one boy moves up and sits himself opposite one of the girls. The other boys follow, still shy and reluctant. The girls compose themselves quickly, satisfied that their favorite cour ting partners are there. They launch into their first song...”
The imagery of the lyrics provides insights into many aspects of Highlands life. Many of the songs refer to the kokun, the Kuman word for a particu lar kind of breadfruit tree. Peo ple are very fond of its leaves which are a delicacy when cooked with pork. Since it is a woman’s job to raise pigs, a reference to this leaf is simul taneously a reference to women, to pork and to wealth ...all highly-prized and desired.
Scheps said that none of the Chimbu songs he has heard rever directly to sex, not be cause the Chimbu are prudish, but because of their habit of speaking indirectly.
For example, says Scheps, one of the girls’ songs begins: ”My Komboglo creek is flooding”...is it a metaphor for passion, or something quite different? The listener is free to interpret the songs as he or she desires, says Scheps.