A battle of languages: Spirit possession and changing linguistic ideologies in a Sepik society, Papua New Guinea
Darja Hoenigman
The Australian Journal of Anthropology December 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1111/taja.12002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Residents of Kanjimei village, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, involved in the 2009 spirit possession event |
| Key findings | The author argues that a spirit possession in which the possessing Christian spirit spoke the local language Awakay, rather than the national lingua franca Tok Pisin used by village authorities, enabled otherwise condemned practices of gossip and public criticism. This, in turn, allowed villagers to challenge and potentially change existing power relations, illustrating the complexity of changing linguistic ideologies. |
Abstract
In O ctober 2009, a dramatic event shook the existing sociolinguistic setting in K anjimei village in E ast S epik P rovince of P apua N ew G uinea. Possessed by a C hristian spirit, a woman harshly reproached the most important village leaders. The ensuing verbal fight between ‘the spirit’ and the village prayer leader became a battle of languages: the C hristian spirit spoke the community's native language, A wiakay, overpowering those in authority, who are the most frequent users of the national lingua franca T ok P isin. As it was believed that it was the spirit of the V irgin M ary who channelled herself through the possessed woman, it was legitimate for people to discuss her words. The spirit possession thus enabled the otherwise condemned social practices: gossip and public criticism, which have the power of changing existing power relations in the village. The analysis of this event shows the complexity behind the ever‐changing linguistic ideologies.