Just Back: The Asaro mud men of Papua New Guinea
The bubble of laughter from our group slowly subsided as an eerie silence filled the air. A dark cloud hid the sun, creating a chilling gloom. It was as if it was warning about our impending encounter.
I can’t quite recall how they arrived, but ghostlike figures began to steal around us. They moved with grace and stealth, not once taking their eyes off us, and holding their spears ready to launch and pointed in our direction.
We all took a step back and yet they stalked us without fear. Their large, grey clay heads with unnerving grins taunted us as we stood motionless. I felt the breath of one on my neck and as I turned he had gone. I looked around hoping for a final glimpse, but they had all disappeared – spirited away as quickly as they had appeared.
This was my first encounter with the Asaro mud men and it still haunts me today. My husband was working on a local coffee estate and had arranged a trip with a guide through his office.
We were picked up in a rusty Land Rover from Goroka’s Paradise Bird Hotel and taken to a local village. The journey took us past a number of neatly kept gardens along the roadside. I mentioned my surprise to the guide and wondered how the interest in gardening started. He explained that locals believe the gardens are inhabited by the ghosts of their ancestors and nature spirits, so they must be safeguarded. Despite the strong hold of Christian missionaries, many are reluctant to abandon their traditional beliefs.
The story of the Asaro stems from a legend that tells how they were defeated by their enemy and fled to the Asaro river to hide. At dusk they rose from its muddy banks covered in mud, giving the impression they were spirits. They were unable to cover their faces with the mud, which they believed was poisonous, so they made masks from pebbles. Most tribes are scared of spirits, so the enemy fled and the Asaro escaped.
On Hallowe’en, I couldn’t help but reflect on this recent spiritual encounter and compare it to a similar cocktail of Christian belief and pagan tradition, with witches, ghosts and goblins. The parallels between the two cultures are uncanny – the ceremony of the Asaro mud men is not much different to that taking place on doorsteps during Hallowe’en.
However, I’m not sure what the Asaro would think of an offer of a treat to make them go away. And I’m not sure what I would offer them anyway – perhaps a packet of bird-of-paradise flower seeds for their gardens?