IDNO

T.151253.RPT

Description

On Catalogue Card: "227. S.P. New Guinea. Gumine. Bride price. 35mm. Ekta." [Poignant's manuscript]
"30. Women of Kaluagula line the ridge and howl and weep after the lost girl [the bride, Gimbol]." [Poignant's typed text]

Place

Oceania Melanesia; Papua New Guinea; Highlands Region; Chimbu Province; Gumine District; Gumine; Kaluagula [Simbu Province]

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Gimbol

Photographer

Poignant, Axel

Collector / Expedition

Date

1969

Collection Name

Poignant Collection

Source

Poignant, Roslyn

Format

Colour Transparency

Primary Documentation

Other Information

T.148696.RPT - T.152693.RPT were located in the drawer file of transparency sheets, numbered C1021/.

T.151252.RPT - T.151275.RPT were located in a transparency sheet, numbered C1021/109.

Bibliographical Reference: Poignant, Axel and Roslyn. 1972. Kaleku. London: Angus and Robertson, p.29 - 33. The publication is a children's book, written about a boy named Kaleku and his family in Gumine, and includes the following extract:
"There was much excitement in Gumine because Kaleku's cousin, Gala, was to marry a girl called Gimbol who lived in another hamlet, high on the mountain above Gumine. All the men of Gala's men's house had to help him collect the valuables he would exchange for his bride. For many days they had been selecting pigs and waiting for the vegetables to ripen. On the day before the wedding Kaleku watched as the men gathered the food in front of the men's house. There were bilums of kau – kau, bundles of sugar – cane, bunches of bananas and tall pandanus fruit. "What fine food we grow in Gumine", thought Kaleku. Seven pigs were to be cooked in the earth ovens. Kaleku hoped somebody would give him a piece. It would be a change from eating kau – kau every day. Pigs were eaten only on special occasions.
Kaleku's mother, Kuma-ire, like so many other women in Gumine, had been born in Gimbol's village, and she had been looking forward to the visit to bring back the new bride. She and the other women had already gone to the bride's place to sing with her through the night. The following day, the sun was high before Gala and the friends attending him were ready to climb the mountain. Gala wore a head – dress of cockatoo feathers and bird of paradise plumes and a necklet of cus cus fur.
Most of the men had already made the steep climb to Gimbol's village in the early morning and Kaleku had gone with them. As soon as they arrived they were challenged by the local big – man. Visitors must give no trouble.
While the bride was being dressed, the men of both groups began to bargain about the Bride Price. The bird of Paradise plumes were set out and each one was considered carefully.
How many plumes was she worth?
She was a good worker.
They agreed on fifteen.
How much would they pay?
There was one hundred dollars in the cash box. Could they afford to pay that back if she ran away?
Perhaps sixty dollars was a fair exchange.
Then the bride's people gave seven plumes and some of the tallest ones were placed in the bride's head – dress.
There was a shout. The bridegroom's party had arrived. Everybody formed a big circle, and Gimbol stood next to Gala while the men made speeches. The big – man talked a long time.
'My people will give back as many pigs and as much food as the people of Gumine have given," he said. Then he named all the women his people had sent to marry Gumine men. 'You are fortunate," he said, 'you should give more food from Kuman's big garden and two more pigs to Gimbol's mother.'
At last, in a strong voice, he called:
'GALA!'
'GIMBOL!'
The couple ran forward and ate a piece of pork together.
All the women began to cry.
Almost at once, the women of Gumine led Gimbol away, and began to return to their own place. They had not gone far along the track when Gimbol's mother and her sisters rushed out and pretended to attack the party, trying to take Gimbol back.
At last they let her go, and, standing on the ridge near the last house in the village, they wailed as they watched her cross the gardens and go down the mountain away from her home.
Kaleku set out for Gumine with his father, the bridegroom and the other men. As they walked they sang:
'We are men of Gumine,
We are men of Gumine.'
That was the best part of the day." [KK 11/08/2022]