South Pentecost
Also known as: Sa
Pentecost is an island in the north of Vanuatu. The people of the southern quarter of the island speak the Sa language, and form a cultural unit. Although most Sa-speakers are now Christian, a substantial number have retained their indigenous religion. The village of Bunlap is famous for 'land diving' a ritual connected with the yam harvest in which men jump from a high tower, to which their feet are tied by strong vines.
Traditional Culture(1900)Expand All +
Belief
+
Supernatural Beings |
| Nature Spirits | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279, 264 | |
| Nature god(s) | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279, 275 | |
| Ancestral spirits | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279, 269-270 | |
| Deified ancestor(s) | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279, 265-266 | |
| God(s) | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279 | |
Supernatural Punishment |
| Supernatural punishment for impiety | Present (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279; 264 | |
Afterlife and Creation |
| One's actions while living can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 263 | |
| The actions of others after one has died can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 269-270 | |
| Myth of humanity’s creation | Present, and evolutionary (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 265 | |
| Primordial pair | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 263, 265 | |
| Culture hero(es) | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279, 265-266 | |
General Features |
| Forces of nature are controlled by or imbued with the supernatural | Present (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 275 | |
Classes of Tapu |
| Social hierarchy tapu | Present (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 258 | |
Mana |
| Mana related to social influence or technical skill | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 257 | |
| Mana as a personal quality | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 257 | |
| Mana as a spiritual or religious concept | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 257 | |
Practice
+
General Supernatural Practices |
| Headhunting | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279 | |
| Costly sacrifices and offerings | Absent (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279 | |
| Largest religious community | Larger than a household, no larger than the local community (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250-279, 268-269 | |
| Political and religious differentiation | Some overlap (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 275-276 | |
Rites |
| Tooth pulling | Absent from culture (Source) |
| Mescam (1989), pp. 29-31, 46-57 | |
| Piercing | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
| Mescam (1989), pp. 29, 46-57 Lane (1965), pp. 250-279 |
|
| Genital cutting | Present in culture, but not a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 274 | |
| Tattooing | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
| Mescam (1989), pp. 29, 46-57 Lane (1965), pp. 250-279 |
|
| Scarification | Absent from culture (Source) |
| Mescam (1989), pp. 28-31 | |
Social Environment
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| Population of largest political community | 100-999 (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 268, 273 | |
| Importance of Patrilateral descent | High (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 263 | |
| Importance of Matrilateral descent | Medium (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 263 | |
| Kinship system | Crow (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 263 | |
| Marital residence | Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 263 | |
Conflict |
| (No) internal warfare | Frequent, occurring at least yearly (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 263 Lane (1965), pp. 268 |
|
Isolation
+
| Contact with other cultures | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 262 | |
| Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 0.0 (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 | |
| Distance to nearest continent | 1894.0 (Source) |
| Lynch & Crowley (2001), pp. 60 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. Map 2.21 | |
| Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
| Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.23 | |
| Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 | |
Subsistence and Economy
+
Land-based means of subsistence |
| Animal husbandry as a source of food | Minor (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 262 | |
| Agriculture / Horticulture | Major (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Jolly (1991), pp. 262 |
|
| Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Medium (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 262 | |
| Land-based gathering | Major (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Jolly (1991), pp. 262 |
|
| Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 262 | |
Water-based means of subsistence |
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Minor (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Jolly (1991), pp. 262 |
|
| Water-based gathering | Medium (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Jolly (1991), pp. 262 |
|
| Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Medium (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Jolly (1991), pp. 262 |
|
Commercial Activity |
| Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Medium (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 262 | |
Physical Environment
+
Geographical Range of Culture |
| Number of islands inhabited by culture | One (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 | |
Features of Island with Largest Culture Population |
| Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown) | Volcanic high island (Source) |
| 'Pentecost' (2012) | |
| Island Size (km²) | 438.0 (Source) |
| 'Pentecost' (2012) | |
| Maximum elevation (meters) | 946.0 (Source) |
| 'Pentecost' (2012) | |
Location |
| Latitude | -15.9 (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Google Maps (2014) |
|
| Longitude | 168.2 (Source) |
| Lane (1965), pp. 250 Google Maps (2014) |
|
Post Contact History(1900-2014)Expand All +
Religious History
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Conversion |
| Use of force in conversion | Low (Source) |
| Jolly (1982), pp. 344-347 | |
| Adoption of a world religion | Present and predominant (Source) |
| Jolly (2003), pp. 190 | |
| Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Present, and from non-Austronesian societies (Source) |
| Jolly (1982), pp. 344, 345 | |
Syncretic Movements |
| Syncretic religious movements | Absent (Source) |
| Jolly (1982), pp. 344-347 Lane (1965), pp. 278 |
|
Secular History
+
Demographic and Social Changes |
| Foreign government systems | Present, but of low importance (Source) |
| Jolly (1982), pp. 341-344 Jolly (1991), pp. 263 |
|
| Language shift | Medium (Source) |
| Jolly (2003), pp. 190 | |
| Foreign education systems | High (Source) |
| Jolly (1982), pp. 346 Jolly (1982), pp. 190 |
|
Economic Changes |
| Changes in means of subsistence | Medium (Source) |
| Jolly (2003), pp. 190 Jolly (1991), pp. 262 |
|
| Exportation of goods to other cultures | Present and substantial (Source) |
| Jolly (1991), pp. 262 | |
Modern Infrastructure |
| Air travel | Present, local only (Source) |
| Lonely Planet (2014) | |
| Sea port | Absent (Source) |
| National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2009), pp. 180 | |
Loss of Autonomy |
| Loss of political autonoomy | Medium (Source) |
| Jolly (1982), pp. 341-344 | |
Current Culture(2014)Expand All +
Belief
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Religious Demographics |
| Dominant world religion | Christianity (Source) |
| Jolly (2003), pp. 190 | |
External Links
References
Bellwood, P. (1995). Austronesian Prehistory in Southeast Asia: Homeland, Expansion and Transformation. P. Bellwood, J.J. Fox, & D. Tryon (Eds.), The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives (pp 113-114). Canberra, Australia: ANU Press.
Churchill, W. (1916). Sissano: Movements of Migration Within and Through Melanesia. Washington, D.C.: The Carnegie Institute of Washington.
Cribb, R. (2000). Historical atlas of Indonesia. Surrey, UK: Curzon Press.
Daft Logic Distance Calculator. (2014). http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm.
Google Maps (2014). Retrieved from maps.google.com
Jolly, M. (1982), Birds and Kastom Banyans of South Pentecost: Kastom in AntiColonial Struggle. Mankind, 13: 338–356. DOI: 10.1111/j.1835-9310.1982.tb00999.x
Jolly, M. (1991). "Pentecost". In T.E. Hays, Encyclopedia of World Cultures (Volume 2 - Oceania) (pp 261-264). New York, NY: G. K Hall and Co.
Jolly, M. (2003). Spouses and Siblings in Sa Stories. The Australian Journal of Anthropology, 14 (2), 188-208. DOI: 10.1111/j.1835-9310.2003.tb00230.x.
Lane, R.B. (1965). The Melanesians of South Pentecost, New Hebrides. In Lawrence, P. & Meggitt, M.J., Gods, Ghosts and Men in Melanesia: Some Religions of Australian New Guinea and the New Hebrides. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Lonely Planet. (2014). Pentecost: Getting there & around. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vanuatu/pentecost/transport/getting-there-around.
Lynch, J. & Crowley, T. (2001). Languages of Vanuatu: A new survey and bibliography. Canberra, Australia: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
Mescam, G. (1989). Pentecost: An Island in Vanuatu. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers Ltd.
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (2009). World Port Index Nineteenth Edition. Bethesda, MD: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Pentecost (2012). Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Pentecost-island-Vanuatu.