G
Gertrudes
Guest
Papalagui is a book that I must have read about 15 years ago but it came to mind while reading the Creating a New World thread (http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=13795.0). I haven't managed to read the whole thread yet, but the book has been on my mind ever since. The forum's search function didn't show anything on it, hence the post.
I was initially not sure whether to post this because I haven't found any english translation, my apologies for that. I have read it in portuguese, Amazon sells a french version, and I thought I might just give it a go and post this...you never know, it might be useful for any of the portuguese or french forum members, or someone might even find it in english.
The book is a compilation of discourses by Toiavii the chief of a tribe called Tiavéa. Apparently this tribe had never had any real contact with the "civilized" white man until they were visited by a journalist (if I remember correctly). The cultural exchange leads Tiavéa on a journey to meet this apparently amazing and so full of technologies white man, which he called Papalagui. As an amazon reviewer tells us: "Papalagui means, in Samoan, "Skybreaker" as the first time Samoan people saw us, "white people" their thought were that we make hole in the sky with our white sailing boat. "
I might be off on a few things
... my perceptions were different at the time I read it and I no longer have the book. But from what I remember, Tiavé returns with a lot to tell, and his perceptions from the world of the white man (papalagui) are very interesting. His speech denotes a mix of innocence and wisdom.
Seeing our world through is eyes is fascinating. He speaks about the white man's self importance manifested in its arrogance and in its concept of ownership. For example, he found it very odd the fact hat we have words such as mine and yours, which implies a sense of owning and controlling things that for him, belong to the world themselves, and are therefore there to be used and shared when necessary. He found that sharing, a way of living in his tribe, was nonexistent in papalagui's world.
He also has curious remarks about time and how papalagui manages to get himself completely trapped in it, treating his wrist watch as something sacred.
For another example and as an amazon reviewer points out, he sees our education system as brainwashing.
He goes on speaking about the various aspects of papalagui's life, and the disappointment he felt with the race his tribe had been so curious about. He basically sees white man's life as something like a giant self made trap.
I am not sure whether this man really existed or this book is the fruit of the mind of the journalist who supposedly compiled the text. In any case, it is a very intersting read, and it certainly gives food for thought in the context of creating a new world, and conceiving of a different way of living.
I was initially not sure whether to post this because I haven't found any english translation, my apologies for that. I have read it in portuguese, Amazon sells a french version, and I thought I might just give it a go and post this...you never know, it might be useful for any of the portuguese or french forum members, or someone might even find it in english.
The book is a compilation of discourses by Toiavii the chief of a tribe called Tiavéa. Apparently this tribe had never had any real contact with the "civilized" white man until they were visited by a journalist (if I remember correctly). The cultural exchange leads Tiavéa on a journey to meet this apparently amazing and so full of technologies white man, which he called Papalagui. As an amazon reviewer tells us: "Papalagui means, in Samoan, "Skybreaker" as the first time Samoan people saw us, "white people" their thought were that we make hole in the sky with our white sailing boat. "
I might be off on a few things
... my perceptions were different at the time I read it and I no longer have the book. But from what I remember, Tiavé returns with a lot to tell, and his perceptions from the world of the white man (papalagui) are very interesting. His speech denotes a mix of innocence and wisdom.Seeing our world through is eyes is fascinating. He speaks about the white man's self importance manifested in its arrogance and in its concept of ownership. For example, he found it very odd the fact hat we have words such as mine and yours, which implies a sense of owning and controlling things that for him, belong to the world themselves, and are therefore there to be used and shared when necessary. He found that sharing, a way of living in his tribe, was nonexistent in papalagui's world.
He also has curious remarks about time and how papalagui manages to get himself completely trapped in it, treating his wrist watch as something sacred.
For another example and as an amazon reviewer points out, he sees our education system as brainwashing.
He goes on speaking about the various aspects of papalagui's life, and the disappointment he felt with the race his tribe had been so curious about. He basically sees white man's life as something like a giant self made trap.
I am not sure whether this man really existed or this book is the fruit of the mind of the journalist who supposedly compiled the text. In any case, it is a very intersting read, and it certainly gives food for thought in the context of creating a new world, and conceiving of a different way of living.
