The Accounts of Jong: A Discussion of Time, Space, and Person in Kayan, Papua New Guinea

The author of this book investigates a system of indigenous thought that pervades the life in Kayan, a village at the North-Coast of Papua New Guinea in a multitude of ways. The material is framed from the perspective of the former village elder Blasius Jong. With its roots in pre-missionary time, this system links different spheres of life and constitutes the basis for the organization of religious as well as of daily activities. Emanating from myths and a traditional calendar, the conceptions of person, time and space are discussed and the impact on social structure and religious life is highlighted. Together with historical and astronomical material, the author combines elements of the Anthropology of Person, of the Anthropology of Time and of the Anthropology of Space in novel ways, to reconstruct a fascinating system of thought that still has many consequences for today's life in Kayan.