The Masalai, Spirits of Place
In Papua New Guinea, certain pools, rocks and patches of forest belong to spirits. Go there carelessly, and the masalai may punish you.
What was reported
In many parts of Papua New Guinea, masalai is the word, in the Tok Pisin language, for powerful spirits tied to particular places: deep pools, waterfalls, caves, large trees and rocks. They often take the form of animals such as snakes, eels or crocodiles, or of people.
Those places may be taboo, especially for some people or at certain times. Breaking the rules, by fishing, cutting trees or making noise there, is said to bring sickness, storms or bad luck.
Explanations offered
Masalai beliefs are part of the living traditions of many of Papua New Guinea's hundreds of cultures. Anthropologists note they also help protect important places and resources, such as water sources and forests, by keeping people away from them.
- When
- A living tradition
- Where
- Madang Province, Papua New Guinea
- Witnesses
- Communities across Papua New Guinea
- Status
- Folklore
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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