Primitive Calendars

For earlier societies whose existence was largely supported by farming, it becomes understandable that these societies would measure time around the agricultural periods. Festivals are often intermingled with certain agricultural events. Thus, these festivals will happen at the same time every year, with year being a loose definition of how it is understood in western culture. In Edmund Leach’s essay PrimitiveCalendars, he argues that the Triobanders do indeed have a fixed calendar with an intercalary month every one to three years (1950: 252).

Leach analyzes the works of two giants in the study of Triobandian culture, Malinowski and Austen, to determine whether or not the Triobanders have a functional calendar. Leach fills in the gaps between Malinowski and Austens data to form the decision that a calendar does exist and makes up for the gap between the lunar and solar cycles (1950: 250).

To begin with, Leach defines intercalation as “the means whereby the flexible lunar year is adjusted consciously or unconsciously in relation to the  fixed solar year as it exists in Nature” (1950: 249). In the case of the Triobanders, the insertion of an intercalary month is unconsciously made as there is no definition between the lunar and solar cycles. The Triobanders base their year around the fixed point of the Milamala festival, where in they see the arrival of the palolo worm (1950: 251). Using Malinowskis and Austens information, it is seen that there are four different areas, Vakuta, Kitava, Kuboma, and Kiriwina, that have a scattered time period for the Milamala festival, with each having it one month after the next and the cycle beginning nine lunar months later.

Maliowski originally theorizes that the shift in the festival correslates with the shift in harvesting times throughout the four areas (1950: 253), however then retracts this, showing that there is in fact no shift with the harvest times (1950: 254). This is interesting because it shows that the timing of the festival is not based upon the harvesting times, but rather the arrival of the palolo worm. If there palolo worm does not appear when it is expected, the festival month is doubled (seen as the intercalary month), and the following areas adjust their festival timings as well. Leach produces a table to show the relation of the months between each of the four areas, with the statement “To maintain this system on a regular 12-month cycle all that is necessary is that in addition to knowing the sequence of the four milamala festivals, Kitava should know that their Kuluwasasa coincides with Vakuta Utokakana, while Vakuta should know that their Kuluwasasa coincides with Kiriwina Milamala. This will provide the predictive apparatus for starting Kuluwasasa at the right moment” (1950: 255).

The Trioband Calendar System, Leach 1950: 253.

It is especially interesting to see how Leach was able to determine the calendar system of the Triobanders with information that was already available to both Malinowski and Austen. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is needed to show otherwise looked over information.  

References

Leach, Edmund. 1950. "Primitive Calendars." Oceania 20(4): 245-262.