Contemporary Traditional Asmat Culture, part 2

"The Asmat Creation Story: Fumeripits creates People from

Trees"

By Daniel Rodarte, 2/6/12 period 8, Culture and Geography

Source: Caglayan, Ph.D., Emily. "The Asmat"

According to Asmat tradition: "Fumeripits was the first being to exist on earth, and he also created the

first men's ceremonial house [called] a "jeu"

"Fumeripits would spend his days dancing along the beach, but after awhile he grew tired of being alone

"So he chopped down a number of trees, carved them into human figures, and place them inside the

jeu"

"However, since the sculptures were inanimate, Fumeripits was still unhappy. He then decides to create a drum, and chopped down

another tree, hollowed out the center, and streched a piece of lizard skin over the top

"As he began to play the drum, the human figures miraculously came to life, their elbows came unstuck

from their knees, and they began to dance

This is how Fumeripits made people from trees. And the first people were Asmat