IDNO

P.790.ACH1

Description

On Catalogue Card: “Restoration of ‘kwod’ in Yam.”

Reconstructed drawing of the augud shrines in the kwod (men’s place) at Yam, showing the two thatched huts containing the shrines (top left) and the shrine minus the huts to illustrate their contents. The kwod consists of a fenced open rectangular structure, with bu (trumpet) shells hanging regularly on the side and back fence posts. Inside what would be the huts are two turtle-shell augud (effigy) of a Kodat (crocodile) and of a Kursi (hammer-headed shark), in front of the latter is a turtle-shell Pwkai (a kind of ray); the tail of each large model is supported by a sara kag (forked stake). In front of each augud stretches a augudau te (string) to which are fastened upright tufts of cassowary feathers and a double row of human lower jaw-bones, flanked by Fuscus shells. The shrines faced N.N.E. [JD 16/5/2011]

Drawing of a fenced open rectangular structure (kwod), on some fence posts hang trumpet (bu) shells. In two lines in the centre of the kwod are shells, skulls and at the far end a drawing of a crocodile and a hammer-head shark. To the left is another structure which has two long thatch roofs inside it. [Jude Philp 17/3/1999]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Torres Strait; Iama [Yam]

Cultural Affliation

Torres Strait Islander

Named Person

Photographer

Haddon, Alfred Cort

Collector / Expedition

Haddon, Alfred Cort

Date

24 October 1898

Collection Name

Mounted Haddon CollectionTorres Strait Island Expedition

Source

Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Quarterplate

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Archive: A version of this drawing appears in Haddon’s 1898 journal page 255. Haddon made the sketch with advice and criticism from Maino and Jimmy Tut. The following day they went to the old kwod (men’s place) ground to photograph it. [Jude Philp 17/3/1999]

Publication: A refined version of this drawing is published in Report V, Plate XII, Fig. 2, with the caption
“Restoration of augud shrines in the kwod at Yam (p.373).” [JD 16/5/2011]

Bibliographical Reference: Haddon writes in Reports V, p. 373-4:
“The Cult of Sigai and Maiau.
The kwod lies near the middle of the island of Yam, the open space being surrounded by rocks and trees, a few stones and groups of large shells alone mark the old sacred shrines. With the assistance of Maino and Jimmy Tutu in addition to notes made on the spot, I was enitbled to make a restoration of all the essential features of the totem shrines.
There was in the kwod a low fence (kai) about 3 feet 6 inches (107 cm.) high surrounding an oblong area 33 1/2 feet (10.20 m.) long by 32 feet (9.76 m.) wide. The fence was made of stakes of mangrove wood placed closely together and decorated at intervals with reddened Fuscus shells, at one end were two doorways about 2 feet (61 cm.) wide, placed respectively 4 feet (122 cm.) and 11 feet (335 cm.) from each corner. Within this enclosure were two long huts, consisting practically of a thatched roof made of coco-nut palm leaves with an opening at the end facing each doorway in the outer fence, the opening was protected by a fringe of coco-nut leaves, the gable ends were decorated with Fuscus shells; each hut was about 25 feet (1.62m.) long by about 4 feet (122 cm.) wide, and 4 1/2 feet (137 cm.) high. On Plate XXII. I have represented the probable appearance of these erections, and on the same plate I have placed another restoration in which the huts are not drawn in order that their contents may be seen.
Each shrine (fig. 84) consisted of a turtle-shell effigy (augud) respectively of a crocodile (Kodat) and of a hammer-headed shark (Kursi), in front of the latter was a turtle-shell Pwkai (a kind of ray); the tail of each large model was supported by a forked stake (sara kag), and on the back of each were a couple of crescentic objects made of turtle-shell and decorated with imitation eyes and a fringe of cassowary feathers which simulated eyebrows (baib), the eyes were termed bui or blazing. Several reddened rods decorated along their length with white feathers of the reef-heron and terminating in a tuft of the red plumes of the bird-of-paradise (Paradisea raggiana) projected vertically from the images. Festooned from these was a string decorated with upright tufts of bird-of-paradise plumes and with depending Barbatia shells (tepe), seed-rattles boa, Pangium edzde) and loops made of coco-nut leaflets (gaigai dun) (p. 249). Below each image wibs a stone (waier) in which resided the spirit of that particular augud. The crocodile figure was painted with yellow ochre and the various kinds of scales were indicated. The hammer-headed shark was painted black above and white below, along each side was a row of- ring-markings with a central dot; these were alternately black and red; the body was further decorated with tufts of plumes of the bird-of-paradise. The hammer-snout was painted with transverse bars of red and black, the terminal eyes (like the eyes on the baib) had a black ring and a red pupil on a white ground. The pukai was black with white spots. In front of each augd was stretched a string (augudau te) to which were fastened upright tufts of casowary
feathers and a double row of human lower jaw-bones, these were flanked by Fuscus shells. At the other end of each string a ruddled skull (padakik) rested on a stone and supported a Fuscus shell. That in front of the crocodile was the skull of a Up man, named Udum, who was killed by Kebisu (16); the other was the skull of Malu of Masig who was killed by Uruki, the father of Gididi. The shrines faced N.N.E.
Within the enclosure was a heap of Fuscus shells about 5 feet (152 cm.) in length, this was the shrine of ger (p. 66); fig. 2, P1. VI. is a drawing by Maino of this shrine on which was an image of the large sea-snake which was also described as the “crew of Sigai.” There was a heap of Fuscus shells outside each front corner of the fence, that nearest to the shrine of the hammer-headed shark was the kupai (navel) of Sigai, and that nearest to the crocodile was the kupai of Maiau, the red paint (puma) was kept here; if anyone micturated on the kupai he was punished with retention of urine, or this could be done by proxy to punish another man. Each kupai was about 6 feet (183 cm.) long and 3 to 4 feet (92-122 em.) wide. There were in the immediate neigh-bourhood some other almost obliterated relics associated with the legendary finding of the augud, but these were too obscure for me to work out in the very short time at my disposal; one of these was a small heap of Fuscus shells which was called daia and was said to be the slide on which the kodal canoe was run up, this is about 17 yards (15, 50m.) from the shrines and 100 yards (91, 50 m.) beyond is another. There were also daia for Sigai's canoe close by the others.” [JD 16/5/2011]