Wogeo · Vokeo Island, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Oceania
Slit Gong
Idiophone (struck)Slit-Log DrumMultiple instruments
Summary
Slit-log drumming system of the Wogeo people of the Wewak Islands, Papua New Guinea, mentioned by Hogbin (1996):At the last beat the members of the company utter piercing shrieks, and one of the goes outside and tolls the death signal on the slit gong. The beat varies according to the person's age and sex, and identification is therefore easy—provided, of course, that the hearers are aware of the circumstances. All the settlements within earshot repeat the message, thus allowing the more distant kin to start preparations immediately."
Bibliography
Hogbin, I. (1996). The Island of Menstruating Men: Religion in Wogeo, New Guinea. Waveland Press.