Erromango
Also known as: Eromanga; Erromanga
Erromango is a small, high island in the south of Vanuatu. The islanders adopted Presbyterian Christianity in the early twentieth century, after a decades-long process of missionisation during which several missionaries lost their lives. The deaths of these missionaries led to the island becoming popularly known as 'Martyrs' Island'.
Supernatural Beings |
Nature Spirits | Absent (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 Humphreys (1926), pp. 165-167 |
Nature god(s) | Absent (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 Humphreys (1926), pp. 165-167 |
Ancestral spirits | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389 Humphreys (1926), pp. 165-167 |
Deified ancestor(s) | Absent (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 Humphreys (1926), pp. 165-167 |
God(s) | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 Humphreys (1926), pp. 165-167 |
Supernatural Punishment |
Supernatural punishment for impiety | Present (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389 |
Afterlife and Creation |
One's actions while living can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Absent (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389 |
The actions of others after one has died can affect the nature of one's afterlife | One factor in determining one's afterlife (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389 |
Myth of humanity’s creation | Absent (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 186-188 |
Primordial pair | Absent (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 186-188 |
Culture hero(es) | Absent (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 Humphreys (1926), pp. 165-167, 186-188 |
General Features |
Forces of nature are controlled by or imbued with the supernatural | Present (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 401 |
Classes of Tapu |
Social hierarchy tapu | Present (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 173 |
Resource management tapu | Absent (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 150-177 |
Kinship tapu | Present (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 174 |
Mana |
Mana as a spiritual or religious concept | Present (Source) |
Blust (2007) Keesing (1984) Blevins (2008), pp. 255-256 |
Mana as a personal quality | Absent (Source) |
Blust (2007) Keesing (1984) Blevins (2008), pp. 255-256 |
Mana related to social influence or technical skill | Absent (Source) |
Blust (2007) Keesing (1984) Blevins (2008), pp. 255-256 |
General Supernatural Practices |
Headhunting | Absent (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 Humphreys (1926), pp. 148-150, 165-177 |
Costly sacrifices and offerings | Present (Source) |
Robertson (1902), pp. 389, 398 |
Political and religious differentiation | No overlap (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 132-134, 165,177 Robertson (1902), pp. 389-404 |
Rites |
Tooth pulling | Absent from culture (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 134-141, 177-186 |
Scarification | Absent from culture (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 134-138, 177-186 |
Piercing | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 135, 177-186 |
Tattooing | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 136, 177-186 |
Genital cutting | Present in the culture as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 177-178 |
Population | 7000 (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 86 McArthur (1981), pp. 11 |
Population of largest political community | 1,000-9,999 (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 83, 86 |
Importance of Patrilateral descent | High (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 129 |
Importance of Matrilateral descent | Low (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 129 |
Marital residence | Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 141-146 |
Polygamy | Limited polygyny (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 84 |
Conflict |
Conflict between communities of the culture | Common, at least every five years (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 148-150 |
Conflict with other cultures | Common, at least every five years (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 148-150 Robertson (1902), pp. 22-46 |
Contact with other cultures | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 84, 86 |
Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 35.7 (Source) |
Daft Logic Distance Calculator (2014) |
Distance to nearest continent | 1802.0 (Source) |
Daft Logic Distance Calculator (2014) |
Pre-Austronesian population | Absent: No evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement (Source) |
Bellwood (1995), pp. 109 |
Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
Cribb (2000), pp. 2.21 |
Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
Cribb (2000), pp. 2.23 |
Land-based means of subsistence |
Animal husbandry as a source of food | Minor (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 134-141, 150-165 |
Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Absent (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 155 |
Land-based gathering | Absent (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 134-141, 150-165 |
Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 155 |
Agriculture / Horticulture | Principal (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 151 |
Water-based means of subsistence |
Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Major (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 139, 153-155 |
Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Major (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 139, 153-155 |
Water-based gathering | Minor (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 138-141, 150-165 |
Commercial Activity |
Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Minor (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 150-165 |
Metalworking | Absent (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 150-165 |
Geographical Range of Culture |
Number of islands inhabited by culture | One (Source) |
Humphreys (1926), pp. 123-192 |
Features of Island with Largest Culture Population |
Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown) | Volcanic high island (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 70 |
Island Size (km²) | 902.0 (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 70 |
Maximum elevation (meters) | 886.0 (Source) |
Spriggs & Wickler (1989), pp. 70 |
Location |
Latitude | -18.8 (Source) |
Google Maps (2014) |
Longitude | 169.2 (Source) |
Google Maps (2014) |
Conversion |
Use of force in conversion | Low (Source) |
Crowley (2001) |
Adoption of a world religion | Present and predominant (Source) |
Crowley (2001) |
Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Present, and from non-Austronesian societies (Source) |
Crowley (2001) |
Syncretic Movements |
Syncretic religious movements | Absent (Source) |
Crowley (2001) |
Modern Infrastructure |
Air travel | Present, local only (Source) |
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Erromanga) (2014) |
Sea port | Absent (Source) |
Encyclopaedia Britannica (Erromanga) (2014) |
Demographic and Social Changes |
Language shift | Medium (Source) |
Crowley (2001), pp. 241 |
Religious Demographics |
Dominant world religion | Christianity (Source) |
Crowley (2001) |