Baining
Encyclopedia
The Baining people are among the earliest and original inhabitants of the Gazelle Peninsula
of East New Britain
, Papua New Guinea
. They currently inhabit the Baining Mountains
into where they are thought to have been driven by the Tolai
tribes who migrated to the coastal areas in comparatively recent times. Another factor that might have influenced their migration inland was major volcanic activity that took place over centuries. (As recently as 1994, the nearby town of Rabaul
was almost completely destroyed by two volcanoes, Tavurvur
and Vulcan
)
The Baining tribes get their name from the Baining mountains which they inhabit. Their language is also called Baining
of which there are a few different dialects.
The origin of these firedance ceremonies was to celebrate the birth of new children; the commencement of harvests and also a way of remembering the dead. The Baining firedance is also a right of passage for initiating young men into adulthood. The fire dance is a men-only event and traditionally the Baining women and children neither partake nor watch.
Gazelle Peninsula
Gazelle Peninsula is a large peninsula in northeastern New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at ....
of East New Britain
East New Britain
East New Britain is a province of Papua New Guinea, on the north-eastern part of the island of New Britain and it also includes the Duke of York Islands. The capital of the province is Kokopo, not far from the old capital of Rabaul, which was largely destroyed in the 1994 volcanic eruption...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. They currently inhabit the Baining Mountains
Baining Mountains
Baining Mountains is a mountain range on Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at about . Highest point of the mountains is Mount Sinewit ....
into where they are thought to have been driven by the Tolai
Tolai
The Tolai are the indigenous people of the Gazelle Peninsula and the Duke of York Islands of East New Britain in the New Guinea Islands region of Papua New Guinea...
tribes who migrated to the coastal areas in comparatively recent times. Another factor that might have influenced their migration inland was major volcanic activity that took place over centuries. (As recently as 1994, the nearby town of Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
was almost completely destroyed by two volcanoes, Tavurvur
Tavurvur
Tavurvur is an active volcano that lies near Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. It is a sub-vent of the Rabaul caldera and lies on the eastern rim of the larger feature...
and Vulcan
Vulcan (volcano)
Vulcan is a pumice cone in Papua New Guinea. It is a sub-vent of the Rabaul caldera and lies on the western rim of the larger feature. Its most recent eruption was in 1994, when in conjunction with another vent, Tavurvur, the eruptions of Vulcan forced the abandonment of the city of Rabaul and the...
)
Baining languages
The Baining or East New Britain languages are a small language family spoken by the Baining people on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea...
of which there are a few different dialects.
Art
The Baining people's artworks are usually produced for limited uses only. The masks are laboriously made from bark cloth, bamboo and leaves and used just once for the firedance ceremony before being thrown away or destroyed.The origin of these firedance ceremonies was to celebrate the birth of new children; the commencement of harvests and also a way of remembering the dead. The Baining firedance is also a right of passage for initiating young men into adulthood. The fire dance is a men-only event and traditionally the Baining women and children neither partake nor watch.