THE IMPORTANCE OF OTHER ANIMALS

As well as having incredible linguistic diversity, Papua New Guinea also has a level biodiversity and undisturbed rainforest that is one the highest in all the world. The birds of Papua New Guinea are of special note for their colorful physical and unique biological characteristics and their place in the cultures and traditions of PNG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Bird of Paradise, a PNG man in his Bird of Paradise ensemble. The similarity in appearance is quite striking and the overall effect is truly impressive and visually pleasing and interesting.

 

 

Various forms of animism or common in many of the traditional spiritual beliefs, where many types of animals are actually spirits of ancestors or other dead. Of all the animals, crocodiles and especially birds are given the greatest importance and are most often considered to be the spirits of ancestors. While birds are respected greatly and many hope to be a bird after death, in context of matters of the living, with children and food they are avoided. Association with death and the spirit world is not desirable when dealing with children and eating. One source claims that if a pigeon is making sounds like a bird, it will not be eaten, I assume that bird speech is being interpreted as the speech of spirits. Children are discouraged from making bird sounds as they are learning to speech, for it is feared that they will imitate birds and become dead as well.

Art = Religion - A Comparison of Afterlifes, Reincarnation and Spirits