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Oedipus In Papuan Folklore F. E. Williams Here is an Oedipal story from the Papuans of New Guinea. The characters in the tale include Kambel, who is also known by other names, including Gainjain, his wife Yumar, and his son Gufa. Kambel is the Papuan Originator who lived in the gainjan time, the time ofthe beginning ofthe world. The story does not belong to the Oedipus tale type. For further consideration of the rationale for ritual homosexuality as a means to promotephallic growth in young men, see Alan Dundes, "A Psychoanalytic Study ofthe Bul/roarer," in Interpreting Folklore (Bloomington, 1980), p. 196. For an appr (!ciation ofF.E. Williams (1893-1943) who served as "government anthropologist" in Papuafrom 1922 to 1943, see Erik G. Schwimmer, "F.E. Williams as Ancestor and Rainmaker," in Francis Edgar Williams, "The Vailala Madness" and Other Essays (Honolulu, 1977), pp. 11-47. Gufa, despite good feeding and attention, was a wretched undersized little boy, described as pot-bellied and constipated. He was the despair of his father until one day, ostensibly with the sole idea of promoting his growth, he conceived the idea of sodomizing him. He took him apart from his mother during the night and put his idea into effect, rubbing semen over the child's body.1 The result was a Reprinted from F.E. Williams, Papuans of the Trans-Fly (Oxford, 1936), pp. 308-309, 312- 314. 43 44 F.E. Williams miraculous increase in growth. The boy was instructed to keep this a dead secret from his mother, and when she next saw him she was delighted at the change but attributed it wrongly to the good food which Kambel must have given him, just as nowadays mothers are supposed to attribute the size of initiates to the special feeding they have had at the waramongo2• • • • Kambel once went to work in his garden leaving his wife and son alone in their village. During his absence Gufa entered Yumar's house and saw her lying asleep without her skirt. His passions were aroused and he woke his mother up and had connection with her. Then he went off into the bush. When Kambel returned he also wished to approach Yumar, but found evidence that some one had been with her shortly before. He suspected his son and decided to hide and watch for further developments . In due course he saw Gufa return and repeat his offence, and allowed him to go off without interfering. He then charged his wife with infidelity and she answered, "You fool, to leave me here alone! Your son has possessed me!") Kambel now proceeds to his revenge. He takes a taro of the kind called bonjikaka, cooks it, and affects to share it with his son. He refrains from eating his own share, but Gufa eats his and dies in consequence. Then Kambel goes off to his garden. The dog Natekari has meanwhile missed the boy Gufa and gone in search of him. Natekari was the first possessor of a moin, or crocodile tooth, such as has since been used by many Keraki sorcerers . Now he has swallowed it and shot it forth from his body and, following its lead, is thus brought to Kambel sitting in the garden. Natekari in this gainjan time has the power of speech and he immediately accuses Kambel of having done his son to death, and tells him to give up the pretence of weeping. Kambel is alarmed. Taking some feathers of the owl (burere) he stuffs them into the dog's .ears, and transfixes its tongue with a cassowary quill. Then he cries "Now you know me for what I am! Go and tell Yumar!" Natekari speeds off, bursting with his news of what Kambel had done to Gufa and, when he opens his mouth to tell it to Yumar, emits only the howl of a dog. Since that time dogs have lost the power of speech. But Gufa has in the meantime come to life again. He leaves Kuramangu and goes to his maternal uncle in the Kaunje tribe. His Oedipus in Papuan Folklore 45 bava asks why he has come and the boy answers, "My father hit me." But when asked why his father has so treated him he refuses to answer. His bava then tells him to go back and Gufa obeys. When Gufa shows himself again at Kuramangu Kambel exclaims "Why have you come back? You are dead," and then in his annoyance turns...

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