The play of powers made visible: Magic and dance in New Ireland

Abstract

To counter an ahistorical emphasis on 'malangan' in studies of New Ireland culture, this paper examines the historical emergence, among the Letel people, of new cultural forms. My example is the dramatic new kinds of dance and associated magic that have been acquired from other parts of Papua New Guinea. These importations have changed people's perception of the world in which they make their lives. I arque that part of the appeal of these new cultural forms is that they open the door to new more potent forms of power, allowing the Lelet to widen their capacity to act as agents in the enlarged regional arena and power networks of the colonial and post-colonial context.