Baramu language
| Baramu | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Papua New Guinea |
|
Native speakers
|
850 (2000 census) |
|
Trans–New Guinea
|
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | bara1378 |
'Baramu' is the name of a place/ village in the Middle Fly District of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. The name generally refers to the villages speaking the Baramu language.
The name Baramu covers four (4) tribes: the eastern tribe Odag or Odai (Zebulon & Yahud) composed of Madame, Wederehiamo, Tirio (Madir) villages, the middle tribe (Levi) composed of Baramu and Tapila villages and the western tribe (Benei) composed of Lewada, Suame and Bitur villages (Gomoga 2007). These tribes are located on the southern banks of the Fly River, between Kouoro and Bitur rivers (Gomoga 2007).
The Baramu speaking people use dugout outrigger canoes for everyday activities such as fishing, hunting and transportation and until the mid-twentieth century, the tribes and clans living in villages typically consisted of a single communal thatched-roof longhouse.
About the mid-century, the Baramu speaking tribes were reduced to just one village that had only one long house because of the battles against the neighboring tribes. To the east with the Kiwai (Zebus or Zebulon) speaking tribes, to the west with Suki (Kamakaram) and Bine speaking tribes (Benei) who called themselves "Headhunters" and to the south with Gidra and Abom speaking tribes. The three (3) Baramu speaking tribes combined as one (1) man and eventually drove out the warriors from the east and the southern tribes and with the help from the Gogodala warriors, Baramu speaking tribe eventually subdued the Headhunters at Kaisaware, Zair (Somogi) Island and saved Weredai or Were (Kiunum) speaking tribe from been annihilated from the tribes in Western Province (Gomoga, 2007).
From oral histories, the Baramu speaking ancestors were part of the other tribes, the Gogodala to the north across the fly river, Kiwai to the east, the Weredai or Were (Kiunum) and Suki (Kamakaram) towards the west and the Bine, Gidra and Abom speaking tribes to the south. Baramu speakers trace their lineage to the original members of the tribe who settled in the area after the break away from Iyasa or Isa (Israel) and Samari (Samara) villages, Kiwai Islands. All of the tribes in Western Province trace their lineage to the two boats which their ancestors used to travel to Western Province, Papua New Guinea (Wilde 2004). It is said that these original boats are still intact, but hidden (Gomoga, 2007).
The Baramu tribes have a tribe-based kinship system and trace their origins to the three tribes said to originate from their ancestors (Wilde 2004). It is said that during the 1st temple period over 2000 years ago, when King Solomon knew that Jerusalem was to be destroyed, he ordered eleven replicates of the Ark of the Covenant Box be made and filled with gold, Silver and iron. These replicates with the original were put on twelve boats with 12 parties composed of Judah, Levites, Benjamin and Zebulon and sent to the four corners of the earth to hide the Ark of the Covenant Box. Three went north, the other three went south, the other three went west and three went east. Out of three destined for the east, only two made it into Papua New Guinea because one sunk at the port of departure (Gomoga, 2007).
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