I think I made the Papua New Guineans seem much worse than they are. I mean, their reputation makes knees wobble. And, yes, they often have tribal wars and kill each other. And yes they carry around machetes and make skirts out of the animals they’ve killed. But the point was that I found their cores to be soft and squishy after I peeled away their hard pelt skirts (Figuratively. I didn’t undress any villagers.).
The Huli wigmen are one of the most friendly tribes. They are a well-known tribe in PNG because word of their outrageous human hair wigs has spread on the internet. They are actually the guys I wanted to see most, the main reason for my trip to Tari.
The wigmen wear wigs (hence the name) made out of 2 year’s growth of human afro, grown by the bachelor boys (men who are not allowed to marry because they must stay away from women, who are thought to be follicle blockers I guess).
They decorate these real afros with feathers from all the amazing birds they’ve killed. Then they add colorful face paint, weapons and necklaces made from cassowaries, and even a beak or two from a horn-bill (see the bird from the previous post that looks like a toucan). The men truly become birds themselves. The wigmen then do a sing-sing, which I guess is their version of flying like a bird.
While some dress in the get-up every day, most break out their wigs on special occasions: PNG independence day, christmas, marriage celebrations, etc.
When they performed for me, one of them said, “We usually make our face paint out of clay from the sepik river banks, but since you are just a tourist we are going to use this store-bought tempura.” Right.
At least they were funny. And I felt comfortable in their village.
(Most are younger than this guy,
but I didn’t get to see the real ones since my presence would inhibit hair growth.)
that is cast over a wig-grower’s head to promote growth.
A bachelor boy showing how they drink magic water through a blessed bamboo tube that is imperative in the wig-growing process (kinda sounds like Scientology).
good with my sunglasses on. And I look damn good wearing pig tusks and a
murder weapon made from a cassowary’s toenail.
The front feathers are from parrots.
This is a very special wig made from 2 afros!
