Garamut slit Drum/Gong
Pacific Islands Room
Long before telephones or electronic alarms, people used sound to carry information through a community or over distances - sometimes surprisingly long. In some Sepik and Ramu Rivers in New Guinea, the Garamut, a hollowed log with a large slit at the top, used recognizable rhythmic patterns to communicate. Listeners could understand announcements, such as the arrival of visitors, a death, an invitation to a ceremony, or a warning of danger. These messages depended on shared knowledge. To someone unfamiliar with the rhythms, it might sound like repeated beats, but to the community, the message of the drums could be specific and important.
Waikoloa Museum Walkway's pieces
The Garamut, a large, hollowed wooden drum was hand carved by craftsmen in the Sepik River area on the north side of Papua New Guinea. The Museum Walkway holds two of these drums, located on either side of the Pacific Islands Room.
Don't have a tablet? See below for rental information.
Garamut slit drum from above.
Two carved Garamuts (Slit drums)
THE STORY
The Garamut or slit drum is a percussion instrument that has multiple roles in Papua New Guinea and the other islands in the region. Carved from a single log and hollowed out with fire and stone tools, the garamut was used for communication between villages and islands as well as for ceremonies or to announce danger or other important events. Struck with a wooden stick, garamut's sound could carry long distances and users had rhythms that were distinctive to individual drummers or families.The carved projections at either end were handles used for moving or transporting the garamut. Garamuts are usually made with decorative carvings, and the elaborate projections on each end are used as handles for moving the drum. These sometimes represent animals or spirits.
Detail of carvings on the garamut
Explore more. Discover the stories all around you. Rent a tablet from the Concierge in the main lobby and open the Museum Walkway's many stories.
Scan any QR code on the Museum Walkway to begin.
