Contemporary Traditional Asmat Culture, Part 2

The Asmat Creation Story: Fumeripits Creates People From Trees

By: Ismerai Garcia, Culture And Geography

According to Asmat traditon: 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 grew tired of

being alone.

So he chopped down a number of trees, carved them into human figures, and placed

them inside the "Jeu."

However, since the sculptures were inanimate, Fumeripits 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. 

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.