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by Vilsoni Hereniko In this unconventional ethnography, artist/scholar Vilsoni Hereniko celebrates indigenous and western ways of knowing, fusing them together in a manner that reflects his multicultural experience. A western-educated native of Rotuma, Hereniko uses early scattered reports on Rotuman society and culture and his own knowledge of female ritual clowns to unravel the sacred origins of the Rotuman han mane'ak su 'woman who plays the wedding' and her central role in women's production of fine mats and in the celebration of marriage.
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Woven Gods combines ethnographic accounts of clowning's context in Rotuma with fictional narratives that capture the feel of a live performance--thereby uncovering emotional truths about clowning that cannot be conveyed by an objective account. Hereniko even creates his own myth of the origins of the han mane'ak su, which provides inspiration for the study. Clowning in Rotuma, he concludes, is linked with the world of the dead, and the highly prized mats are woven gods, imbued with mana. In addition to providing understanding of a much neglected topic, Hereniko offers a masterly review of the literature on clowning and satire in Polynesia, which he succeeds in relating to important aspects of culture such as religion, social hierarchy, gender relations, and conflict management. Vilsoni Hereniko is professor of Pacific Studies at the University of Hawai'i, and is editor of The Contemporary Pacific, a twice-yearly journal published by the University of Hawai'i Press. |
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Woven Gods was published jointly by the University of Hawai'i Press and The Institute of Pacific Studies (IPS), University of the South Pacific. It can be ordered from the University of Hawai'i Press, Order Department, 2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. Call (800) 956-2840 or (808) 956-8255; Fax (808) 650-7811 or (808) 988-6052; Toll free from the Americas only. US$32 per copy + shipping. or from the Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific, P.O. Box 1168, Suva, FIJI: Ordering Information |
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