Bong Maloto is the prime feast and follows from Hatsinlehana and Bong Lima. Hatsinlehana is a small ritual purification kaikai of the immediate family and clan hosts after day one of burial. Bong Lima is also a kaikai thatfalls on the fifth day and has the same concept as Hatsinlehana.

I have long pondered on why a funeral in Buka has certain stages or processes that lead to Bong Maloto. The reason is that the people of Buka value human life and have great respect for the person.

An elder shared with me that Bong Maloto can also be translated to mean ‘a long time’, thus it is not strictly 10 days. So 10 days symbolises the long period of mourning and celebrates the revival of joy from sorrow and the appreciation of life after death.

The ceremonies leading to Bong Maloto (Hatsinlehana and Bong Lima) are ritual purification feasts. They symbolise the act of removing the uncleanliness of death prior to eternal judgement before the creator, God.

They carry with them the concept that, by nature, human life is balanced and living a balanced life on earth in a balanced natural environment will result in peace and harmony.

The ritual purification expressed through Hatsinlehana and Bong Lima anticipates the hope that the deceased truly experiences lasting peace together with all those who have gone before into a world of eternal happiness.

During the preparations for Bong Maloto, hard work, respect, discipline, generosity, openness and sacrificial love thrives.

The feast begins the night before with hahur (singsing tulait), a vigil that is accompanied by traditional chants.

The hahur is accompanied by the beat of the garamut all night until morning. During the hahur the women dancers imitate the life of the deceased. They emulate character and things the person was well known for.

In other words, the hahur is a physical expression in the form of drama of the eulogy.

Following the hahur is the visitation: a procession by family and clan members to the deceased’s grave early in the morning.

This visit also gives to those who missed out on the funeral an opportunity to see the grave and pay their last respects.

Gifts such as clothing and money are laid on the grave. In most cases, it is usually the deceased’s children or brothers and sisters who come with gifts.

Since Buka is a matrilineal society, the fathers of the deceased also takes gifts.

‘Fathers’ are not literally mean men; they can be aunties and uncles or brothers and sisters of the deceased as long as they are from the father’s side.

The presenting of gifts is also a way of saying thank you to the deceased’s father for the upbringing.

The procession is followed by the actual Bong Maloto thanksgiving feast or ‘kaikai bilong pinisim sori’.

Betel nut is part of every feast or any cultural activities as is common in almost all Melanesian societies. It is distributed with mustard to every person, and especially the elders, as a way of saying welcome before the big feast starts.

Chiefs are seated and served in the ‘Tsuhana’ (chiefs’ house or sacred house) by women who are responsible for the preparation and distribution of the food.

Food is served in baskets and distributed to all present. In Buka a feast must have pigs otherwise it is invalid or requires some compensation for the pigs.

During the kaikai, the deceased’s family prepares a special food basket known as baku or ‘the head’. The baku is given to the fathers of the deceased by the deceased’s brothers and sisters or aunties and uncles.

It is simply an act of saying thankyou.