Malagan ceremonies are large, intricate traditional cultural events that take place in parts of New Ireland province in 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...

. The word malagan also refers to wooden carvings which are prepared for the ceremonies, and to an entire system of traditional culture.

Malagan ceremonies

Malagan ceremonies are the most large-scale and famous of the many events that take place within the malagan culture. They take place irregularly, and are typically large and complex events, taking several days, and requiring months or years of preparation.

While a malagan ceremony is always held in the name of one or more people who have died in recent years, it is not at all merely a mortuary rite. Many other interactions take place within the overall event, including announcements, repayment of debts, recognition of obligations, resolution of disputes, and many other customary activities.

Malagan carvings & carvers

Malagan carvings

Wood carving

Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation of a wooden object...

, now world-famous, are the wooden carvings which are created for use in malagan ceremonies. Traditionally these were burnt at the conclusion of the event; in modern times most are now retained, as the carving tradition is now only known by a few. Contemporary masters of malagan form include Ben Sisia of Libba Village (northern New Ireland) and Edward Salle of Lava Village (Tatau, Tabar Islands, New Ireland). Many malagan carvings are held in European and other museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

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Malagan culture

Malagan culture is the general term for the traditional culture in the area where malagan ceremonies take place, covering much of New Ireland province. There are many other ceremonies and customary practices within this large and complex cultural system.

The word malagan comes from the Nalik language

Nalik language

The Nalik language is spoken by approximately 5,000 people, based in 17 villages in Kavieng District, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.It is part of the New Ireland languages group, one of the many Austronesian languages of Papua New Guinea. The language has an SVO phrase structure. Its ISO code is...

 of northern New Ireland

New Ireland (island)

New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...

. Alternative spellings include malangan and malanggan.

External links

• Alcheringa Gallery - Canadian gallery representing some malagan carvers