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.Of the theological views, several orthodox interpretations have been given in the explanations by amagician of his magic.As popular views (barring such as are dogmas at the same time) I may note thebelief concerning spiritism: everybody, even the children, knew well that certain people went to Tumahttp://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/baloma/bal08.htm (11 of 12)31/08/2005 17.57.18 Baloma; The Spirits of the Dead in the Trobriand Islands, by Bronislaw Malinowski: Chapter VIIIand brought back songs and messages to the living.This, however, was in no way a dogma, since it waseven open to scepticism on the part of some exceptionallyp.254sophisticated informants, and since it was connected with no customary institution.The speculations about the nature of the baloma are the best example illustrating the purely individualclass of theology, consisting of private opinions.I wish to remind the reader that local differences, that is the variation of belief according to district, havenot been considered at all in this theoretical section.Such differences belong to the domain ofanthropogeography rather than sociology.Moreover, they affect only to a very small extent the datapresented in this paper, as practically all of my material has been collected within a small district, wherelocal variations hardly exist at all.Only as regards the reincarnation, local differences may account forsome divergencies in belief (see above, VI).From such district variations the above-mentioned localized specialization in certain departments(thunder in Ialaka, shark in Kuaibuola, etc.) must be carefully distinguished, because this is a factorconnected with the structure of society and not merely an example of the broad anthropological fact, thateverything changes as we move over the surface of the earth.All these theoretical remarks, it is plain, are the outcome of experience in the field, and it was consideredwell to print them here in connection with the data already given, because they are also ethnologicalfacts, only of a much more general nature.This, however, makes them, if anything, more important thanthe details of custom and belief.Only the two aspects, the general law and the detailed documentation,make information really complete, as far as it goes.Next: Endnoteshttp://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/baloma/bal08.htm (12 of 12)31/08/2005 17.57.18 Baloma; The Spirits of the Dead in the Trobriand Islands, by Bronislaw Malinowski: EndnotesSacred Texts Pacific Index PreviousNotesBALOMA; THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD IN THE TROBRIAND ISLANDS1 This article contains part of the results of ethnographical work in British New Guinea carried on inconnection with the Robert Mond Travelling Studentship (University of London), and the ConstanceHutchinson Scholarship of the London School of Economics (University of London), with assistancefrom the Commonwealth Department of External Affairs, Melbourne.The writer spent some ten months, May, 1915-March, 1916, at Omarakana and the neighboring villagesof Kiriwina (Trobriand Islands), where he lived among the natives in a tent.By October, 1915, he hadacquired sufficient knowledge of the Kiriwinian language to be able to dispense with the services of aninterpreter.The writer desires to acknowledge the assistance he has received from Mr.Atlee Hunt, Secretary to theCommonwealth Department of External Affairs, and from Dr.C.G.Seligman, Professor of Ethnologyin the University of London.The unfailing kindness and encouragement of Dr.Seligman have been ofthe greatest assistance throughout,p.256and his work, The Melanesians of British New Guinea, provided a solid foundation on which to base thepresent investigations.Sir Baldwin Spencer, K.C.M.G., has been kind enough to read parts of the MS.and to give the writer his valuable advice on several important points.2 For an account of Kiriwina sociology, cf.Seligman's work, The Melanesians of British New Guinea,chaps.xlix-lii, pp.660-707, and chap.lix for a description of the mortuary practices.Prof.Seligmangives also an outline of the native beliefs concerning an afterlife (chap.lv), and his data, which werecollected in a different locality of the district, will be quoted hereafter.3 Seligman, op.cit., p.733.http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/baloma/bal09.htm (1 of 13)31/08/2005 17.54.59 Baloma; The Spirits of the Dead in the Trobriand Islands, by Bronislaw Malinowski: Endnotes4 Cf.below, where the various versions are discussed.The nature of the baloma and kosi, and thematerial of which they are built, so to speak--whether shadow or reflection or body--will also be dealtwith there.It may suffice here to say that the baloma are certainly considered to retain exactly thelikeness of the living individual.5 I have been struck by the enormous difference in this respect obtaining between the Northern Massimand the Mailu, a tribe on the south coast of New Guinea, which I visited during a six months stay inPapua in 1914-15.The Mailu people are conspicuously afraid of darkness.When, towards the end of mystay, I visited Woodlark Island, the natives there, who belong to the same group as the Kiriwinians (agroup called by Seligman the Northern Massim), differed so obviously in that respect from the Mailuthat I was struck with this the first evening, which I spent in the village of Dikoias.Cf."The Natives ofMailu: Preliminary Results of the Robert Mond Research Work in British New Guinea," Trans.Roy.Soc.South Australia, vol.xxxix, 1915.p.2576 Cf.C.G.Seligman, op.cit., chap.xlvii, where similar maleficent women from another district(Southern Massim) are described
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