soul ship
religion
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comparison with bisj pole
- In bisj pole
…as another form of the “soul ship,” a large ceremonial dugout canoe filled with carved figures said to possess special powers. The ships are intended to carry the souls of the recently dead away from the villages and to impart magical powers to novices during initiation rites. The rituals surrounding…
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development of Asmat art
- In Oceanic art and architecture: The southwestern coast
…northwestern Asmat are enormous “soul ships” displayed at initiations. They follow the general form of canoes, except that they do not have bottoms. They do have elaborate prow and stern carvings, and a number of carved figures representing water spirits sit in the body of the canoe.
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