1. Contemporary Traditional
Asmat Culture, part 2
"The Asmat Creation Story:
Fumeripits creates People
from Trees"
By Zhi Huang 2-2-12 Period 6,
Culture and Geography.
2. According to Asmat tradition: "Fumeripits was the first
bring to exist on earth, and he also created the first
men's ceremonial house called a jue.
3. Fumeripits would spend his days dancing along the
beach, but after awhile grew tired of being alone."
4. So he chopped down a number of trees, carved
them into human figures, and placed them inside the
5. However, since the sculptures were inanimate ,
Fumerripits was still unhappy. He then decided to
create a drum, and chopped down another tree,
hollowed out the center, and stretched a piece of lizard
skin over the top."
6. As the began to play the drum, the human figures
miraculously came to life, their elbows came unstuck
from their knees, and they began to dance.
7. This is how Fumeripits made people from trees. And
the first people were Asmat.
