Spears, stone axes, war paint, bird of paradise plumes, bare breasted women, Kundu drums, canine teeth necklaces, Kina shell chest plates, war cries, headdresses made of human hair, penis gourds, wild bore tusk nose piercing, warriors in formation, dancers, muscles glistening under a sheen of pig fat, sweat, tropical heat, jungle…boys own adventure story? Hollywood fantasy? Dramatic tourist show?

If you have ever had the privilege of feasting on the aural and visual delight that the Mt Hagen show is, you will know that it is much, much more. The biggest show in Papua New Guinea is a flamboyant expression of an amazingly diverse culture that has thrived for tens of thousands of years.

In late August of each year, over 50 tribes gather at Mt Hagen, to celebrate this diversity. In a riot of colour and to the thudding of drums tribal singsing groups strut around a large grassy arena cheered on by crowds of wontoks (clans men) and a smattering of tourists.

Each tribe has their own distinctive headdresses, war paint and songs. Women, their oiled skin glistening in the sun, sing traditional songs, while the warriors, armed with spears and stone axes, march around the arena chanting war cries.

The wild mix of feathers and weapons makes the singsing (ceremony) feel like a mix between a military parade and a Mardi Gras.

Nation Building

Once a year, since 1961, the Highlanders of PNG congregate and flaunt the extremely diverse cultures that make up this fascinating country.

The singsing was started as a nation building exercise to get the numerous tribes of the highlands to interact peacefully for the first time ever. Previously the only connection they made with each other was with a lethal weapon.

The first contact the highlanders made with the outside world was only in the 1930s. They had no concept of the Napoleonic ideal of a modern nation state that PNG has been moulded into. To this date, political loyalties are only grudgingly extended beyond a tribe’s wontoks.

While many regions of the country are making a successful transition into the modern world, there are others which have serious problems. Democratic institutions are yet to be fully accepted in many regions where traditional Big Man politics continue to dominate. In these parts, votes are either bought with traditional feasts of pigs or forced by gangs of raskols wielding machine guns.

As long as the tribal system remains an integral part of modern PNG, gatherings such as the Mt Hagen Cultural Show will continue to be important instruments in forging a nation out of this island of tribes.

The island of PNG was first settled by humans over 50,000 years ago. It was named Ilhas do Papuas (Land of the Fuzzy Haired People) by Jorge de Meneses, a 16th century Portuguese explorer.

The remote and dramatic nature of the landscape - towering mountains, dense jungle and huge rivers - ensured that most tribes did not have much contact with each other. As a result an amazing number of languages and cultures developed through the country.

There are over 1000 tribes and about 800 languages spoken in PNG. This represents a third of all the languages in the world! While PNG Pidgin, or tok pisin, is the lingua franka of the country, English is also spoken by many of the people.

Four main ethnic groups make up the five million inhabitants of PNG: New Guineans (from the north); Papuans (south); Highlanders (central mountains) and Islanders.

Huli, Mekoes, Chimbus, Menya, Kamea and Anga are some of the tribes of PNG. Until fairly recently, cannibalism and head hunting was a way of life for a number of tribes from the southern gulf regions.

Christian missionaries, who have penetrated even the most remote corners of the country, have had a powerful influence on modern-day PNG.

The Low Down

PNG is known as ‘The Land of the Unexpected”, if anything this is a major understatement.

While a tourist infrastructure does exist, in most places it is very basic. There are a few five star tours that will take you around in the lap of luxury, but going on one of these would be like taking a blind man to the movies.

Although there are few roads in PNG, the country is well connected by air. If you do travel by road get ready for a bone shaking experience and under no circumstances travel at night because hold ups by raskols or bandits are common. Keep in mind that these rascals aren’t Dennis the Menace types. They could be armed with anything from machetes to M16s.

While most of the people are very friendly and hospitable, the bigger cities like Port Moresby, Lea and Medang do have a crime problem.

Dress down, the less you stand out the better. Don’t venture outside after dark and never walk around with a camera hanging around your neck. It’s an invitation to be robbed. A bit of common sense, a respect for the local culture and a sense of humour should be enough to ensure that you experience only the best of the unexpected.