When does the bird kill the hunter?
Legend of a Bird
Alfred Yupi, 2023
Marker on fabric, 43.3 х 33.3
Skeleton Tribe, Papua New Guinea
Marker on fabric, 43.3 х 33.3
Skeleton Tribe, Papua New Guinea
How does the traveller see it?
(Fragment of a post from a Facebook page)
This simple painting, done with marker on fabric, contains an inscription: “Bird change into a man and kill a great hunter”, which is one of the legends of the Skeleton People. The artist, Alfred Jupi, went hunting one day, whether it was for birds or wild boars I don’t know. His wife Christina told me about him; hearing a name familiar to my Ukrainian ears, I knew that they were Christians.
An interesting feature of Christianity in Papua is that Catholics can have many wives, while Protestants cannot!
So, what is the moral of the bird/hunter legend?
Perhaps it is that nature must be cared for; it knows how to take revenge on us.
Or maybe an interpretation that is more relevant to us in Ukraine: if one aggressive force exists, then somewhere there is another force that will destroy it!
Glory to Ukraine!
An interesting feature of Christianity in Papua is that Catholics can have many wives, while Protestants cannot!
So, what is the moral of the bird/hunter legend?
Perhaps it is that nature must be cared for; it knows how to take revenge on us.
Or maybe an interpretation that is more relevant to us in Ukraine: if one aggressive force exists, then somewhere there is another force that will destroy it!
Glory to Ukraine!
And what do you think?