Day Four Hundred and Ninety - Enticing Wild Pigs


A special day today - a long ritual to lure the wild pigs of the mountains into the village where they can be easily hunted and roasted! The day starts with the making of the grass skirts, out on a rock near the forest. Once the skirts are ready then the procession begins. Hollowed bamboo horns are blown towards the areas where the bakuru, the hairy pigs, roam. The procession then moves off, singing and chanting, winding its way over the savannah and through all the local creeks. At each creek the procession troops through the deepest part and everyone whoops and gurgles, enjoying the cool water after the long walk. At some points on the route the procession is refreshed by girls carrying parakari, local homebrew. The girls wear bright green grass skirts and decorations. They are known as the hummingbirds, darting around and providing the nectar that keeps the pig enticers refreshed.

Difficult to pick just one for today... Should be some alternatives up soon!

2 comments:

  1. I like these "rituals" this one reminds me of one we had witnessed a few years ago, but the name of it eludes me now... :-) Nice shot.

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  2. Nice shot. For a brief moment there I wondered how you'd gotten the yellow "burn" at the bottom :)

    I like the story that goes with the photo too.

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