Papua New Guinea on the globe

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

THE MEN’S CEREMONIAL HOUSE: N’GEKO OR HAUS TAMBARAN

The haus tambaran is a monumental ceremonial house widespread in almost all of the villages along the Middle Sepik, where it serves as the epicenter of ritual, governance, and artistic production. This distinctive men’s ceremonial house is not exclusive to any one group, but commonly associated with peoples such as the Iatmul, Abelam, Arapesh, Kapriman, Angoram, Chambri, Sawos, Yessan-Mayo, and other Sepik River tribes.

The terms haus tambaran, men’s ceremonial house, and spirit house refer to the same building type, though names and emphasis may vary across languages and local usages. Haus tambaran is a Tok Pisin term meaning “spirit house.” It is used especially in the East and Middle Sepik to describe traditional ancestral worship and men’s houses. Among the Iatmul, the local term are N’gego or N’geko, especially when referring to a building reserved for male-only rituals, governance, and storage of sacred objects. Women are generally prohibited from entering, and sacred knowledge and objects are kept hidden from them. Thus “spirit house” and “men’s ceremonial house” are synonymous terms often used interchangeably in academic and local contexts.

A haus tambaran’s structure is visually striking. It has an elongated, steeply pitched, saddle-shaped roof that slopes dramatically from a towering front gable to the ground in the back. The front often stands 25 meters tall and displays a massive, painted facade rich in symbolic imagery, such as stylized ancestral figures and masks known as Ngwalndu.

The building is constructed using sago palm thatch, timber posts, and decorative beams. The interior columns and rafters are elaborately carved and painted, reflecting the Iatmul’s renowned skill in woodcarving and painting.

In the Iatmul Haus Tambaran, the prominent ridgepole is a central architectural and symbolic element. It dramatically slopes upward from the rear to the towering front façade and is held aloft by the Meri Post (Female Post). The meri post is an elaborately carved pillar, often featuring a female figure at its base, positioned centrally to support the entire weight and balance of the massive ridgepole, much like a trapeze artist balanced on a beam. Together, the meri post and ridgepole embody the duality of male and female forces central to Iatmul cosmology. The female post represents nourishment, fertility, and the generative force. It anchors the house and connects it to the earth, symbolizing the womb and maternal lineage. The male ridgepole is associated with phallic imagery and represents authority, aggression, and the creative principle. Yet this force is supported and made stable by the female post, expressing mutual dependence.

The architecture is a deliberate metaphor for cosmic and social balance. The Iatmul perceive the house itself as a female entity, with the meri post as its generative anchor and the ridgepole as a masculine force rising above yet wholly dependent on the feminine.

This concept is reflected in artistic motifs as well. Masks and façade paintings in the Haus Tambaran often blend male and female iconography to symbolize the joint powers of nourishment and creativity.

During major rituals, including men’s initiations, the relationship between the ridgepole and the meri post is emphasized in myth, ceremony, and secrecy, dramatizing the inseparable unity of male and female.  Thus, the meri post and ridgepole support more than just the physical weight of the haus tambaran; they are also living expressions of Iatmul ideas about gender, balance, and the cycles of creation and fertility.

LEFT: Haus Tambaran near Apangai, Maprik District, Papua New Guinea. Photo by Ingo Kühl, 2012. Public Domain.

CENTER: Sketch of the Haus Tambaran of the village of Kararau. From a 1912 photo.

RIGHT: Haus Tambaran in the Maprik District, 1962. Photo by John Scofield.

Did you notice the variation in Haus Tambaran architecture—the tall, slender style versus the broader, shorter style? This variation reflects the regional, cultural, and ritual differences among the Sepik peoples of Papua New Guinea, particularly between the Abelam (Maprik) and the Iatmul groups.

Apangai Village is located at the foot of the Owen Stanley Ranges. The Apangai people belong to the Abelam society in the Maprik District, which is located north of the Sepik River. This Haus Tambaran’s structure is high-peaked and cathedral-like, with a mysterious, dimly lit interior. The main entrance is often intentionally low, forcing initiates to crawl, symbolizing their rebirth into full personhood or ritual adulthood. The house is mainly reserved for men. Women appear on painted barks, but they do not participate in the main rituals inside. The interior functions as both a gallery of Abelam masterworks and a living sanctuary of ritual objects, mythic stories, and clan history. These are continually reactivated in yam cult and initiation ceremonies.

Tall, slender structures are typical of the Abelam and other communities in Maprik. Their soaring, pointed rooflines symbolize a connection to ancestor spirits and cosmic forces, emphasizing verticality and sacred protection. The height also serves as a visual marker of prestige and power that is visible from afar in the landscape.

Broad, lower structures like the one in the center are common among the Iatmul and in villages like Kararau. These buildings are wider and are often raised on stilts. They feature multiple entrances and lavish carvings under the eaves. Their design allows for larger gatherings, complex ceremonies, and the storage of ritual objects. The horizontal emphasis reflects a greater focus on communal interaction and proximity to water, specifically the Sepik River, as Iatmul settlements are closely tied to aquatic environments.

Maprik’s hilly terrain allows for tall, freestanding houses. In contrast, Iatmul areas along rivers require raised structures to counter seasonal flooding, which dictates a broader, sturdier design. Each design communicates spiritual, social, and ecological values unique to the respective group, making the haus tambaran a key architectural and cultural landmark in Sepik societies.

Detail of the Haus Tambaran in Apangai, Maprik District, East Sepik Region. Photo by Ingo Kühl, 2012. Creative Commons, Public Domain.

BELOW

The entrance to the Haus Tambaran in Apangai, Maprik District, East Sepik Region. Photo by Belgian photographer Rita Willaert – Flickr.

Rita Willaert is a Belgian photographer and traveler based in Gavere (Belgium). She is best known for her extensive visual documentation of cultures, architecture, and daily life from around the world, which she shares with a wide online audience, particularly through her popular Flickr page, where she has published tens of thousands of photographs from her travels. Rita has kindly agreed to let me publish some of her photos. I thank her warmly and urge you not to copy or use her photos without her consent.

LEFT: Haus Tambaran in the Iatmul village of Kabriman, Sepik river region, East Sepik province. Photo by Marc Dozier | Alamy.

RIGHT: The newest men’s house in Tambanum, a village of the Iatmul people in the Middle Sepik, built around 2010. This men’s house belongs to the Crocodile clan. The rear facade features visible river wave patterns and the face of the building’s female spirit. At the top is an eagle finial. Inside the building, men are engaged in a formal political discussion. 2014. Creative Commons.

Similar to the men’s house in Tambanum, the Haus Tambaran in Kanganaman Village (Wosera-Gawi, Sepik) also belongs to the Iatmul people. Kanganaman is a significant Iatmul settlement, and its spirit house, called Wolimbit, has long served as a ceremonial, ritual, and social center for Iatmul clans in the area. The carvings, artwork, ancestral posts, and ceremonial practices in the Haus Tambaran reflect Iatmul traditions, mythology, and clan histories. This further confirms its status as an iconic Iatmul structure along the Sepik River.

Celebrated as one of the most elaborately carved and artistically significant structures on the Sepik River, this ceremonial house is a remarkable example of Iatmul culture. Even in states of ruin, its artistic features and monumental architecture have left a strong impression on visitors and researchers alike. The building itself was larger and longer than many other ceremonial houses in the Sepik region, with an unusually grand length-to-width ratio of four to one. The massive carved posts, known as tambuna posts, were considered sacred and were linked to major lineages. They featured stylized ancestors, spirits, and animal motifs. Painted bark panels used in initiation ceremonies were also a hallmark of the Kanganaman haus tambaran. Scholars and field researchers have documented motifs from faded screens. The old house’s significance was formally recognized when it was designated a National Cultural Property, underscoring its importance in Papua New Guinea’s heritage and the wider Sepik cultural landscape.

LEFT: Haus Tambaran in the Iatmul village of Kanganaman, Wosera Gawi, Middle Sepik. Photo by Liebert Kirakar, PNGTPA.

RIGHT: The female meri post on  Haus Tambaran in Kanganaman village. Photo by Ursula Wall – Frickr.

The Kanganaman Haus Tambaran during a flood of the Sepik River.

Some of the carvings of the Kanganam haus tambaran. Photo by Belgian photographer Rita Willaert – Flickr.

The carvings in the Iatmul Kanganaman Haus Tambaran are renowned for being some of the most elaborate and symbolically significant in the Sepik River region. Spanning supporting posts, finials, and ritual objects, these carvings serve as a visual archive of clan mythology and ancestral power. Haus Tambaran posts, also known as tambuna posts, are adorned with images of ancestors, crocodiles, snakes, and mythical creatures. These carvings relate to both individual clans and the broader cosmology of the village. These posts are sometimes made of stone, passed down through generations, and imbued with sacred meanings, sometimes tied to specific lineages, such as the Walkam clan. Finials and bird-man forms often adorn the roof or interior, referencing clan totems and spiritual protectors. All carvings and masks are created as both aesthetic works and vessels for spirits that are actively involved in rites and initiations. They are intended to provide protection, guidance, and a connection to ancestors.

The haus tambaran also holds benches, drums, and carved stools, such as the kawa rigit (debating stool), which serve ritual and social functions during clan gatherings and initiations.

Sculptures in the Kanganam haus tambaran. Photo by Belgian photographer Rita Willaert – Flickr.

Now, let’s reach the village of Yamok. It is often described as an Iatmul village in scholarly and artistic contexts. However, it is also closely associated with Sawos communities. This reflects the intertwined culture and geography of the Middle Sepik floodplain. Here, cultural boundaries blend fluidly, and artistic repertoires and clan identities overlap.

Yamok lies several hours’ walk inland from the main course of the Sepik River. Accessible by swampy trails and side streams, the village is well known for its vibrant cultural life, which is rooted in Sepik traditions. Yamok is renowned for its ancient creation stories and the unique carved bird figures known as subut, which play a central role in myth and ritual. According to their foundational myth, a bird protected a woman from a crocodile, and the resulting offspring included humans and the “crocodile man,” who is believed to inhabit nearby lakes and channels.

The village’s craftsmen are especially noted for their woodcarvings, masks, and ancestor figures, which blend Iatmul and Sawos artistic styles.

The social and ritual heart of Yamok is the Haus Tambaran, adorned with masks, carved posts, and totemic wildlife symbols. All major ceremonies, council meetings, and traditional events are held within or around this structure to maintain the continuity of ancestral beliefs and social structure.

A detail of the front masks of the haus tambaran in Yamok, several hours walk off the Sepik river. Photo by Rita Willaert – Flickr.

LEFT: Detail of a Haus Tambaran, 2009. Photo by Kim Gordon Bates | Alamy.

CENTER: A mask decorating a Haus Tambaran in Tambanum, along the Sepik River, 2009. Photo by Efrat Nakash.

RIGHT: This impressive painted and carved mask is a classic Ngwalndu (“spirit face” or “mother of the men’s house”) from the Haus Tambaran of the Abelam people in the Maprik area of the Sepik, East Sepik Province.

Every aspect of the Haus Tambaran’s architecture has mythological significance. Its form dramatizes the transition between chaos and order and the realms of the living and ancestral spirits. The inner space is a sacred, male-dominated area lined with carved totems, drums, skull racks, suspension hooks, and paintings and carvings that serve as representations of ancestors and stylized depictions of women’s bodies. This art is sacred and central to Sepik identity. The gabled ends bear female masks adorned with feathers, but painted with male flying fox motifs, expressing composite gender symbolism.

The interior is supported by massive, elaborately decorated beams and posts, especially the central meri post.

The vast open floor is dominated by ritual furnishings, including large carved totems, slit drums (garamut), masks, ceremonial stools, and string bags (bilums), all of which have strong symbolic and aesthetic significance.

Woven screens or bark paintings (ngwalndu) adorn the gabled ends, representing ancestral spirits or stylized female figures. These screens serve as both sacred icons and boundaries, concealing the inner sanctum from uninitiated eyes.

The entire space is considered the “belly” of the house, reinforcing its role as a female entity. The display of masks, carvings, and musical instruments dramatizes the cycles of birth, death, and renewal.

The objects and paintings inside are believed to house spiritual power. The sound of drums and flutes signifies the presence of spirits. These rarely seen treasures are essential for maintaining ancestral connections and social order.

Thus, the interior becomes a powerful manifestation of Sepik artistic achievement, ancestral worship, and community identity and hierarchy as enacted through ritual and social practices.

Now, let’s enter the Haus Tambaran near the Iatmul village of Palimbei (also spelled Palimbe or Palambei) on the Sepik River.

The Haus Tambaran of Palimbei, 2009. Photo by Rita Willaert – Flickr.

Inside the Haus Tambaran near Palimbei, on the Sepik river, 2014. Photos by Carsten ten Brink – Flickr.

Art pieces on the attic floor of Haus Tambaran near Palimbei, 2009. Both photos by Rita Willaert – Flickr.

Now, let’s take a look inside the Haus Tambaran in the small village of Yessam (also known as Yessan-Mayo) in the hills north of the Sepik River. Yessam is home to the Yessan-Mayo people, a distinct group closely related to the Kwoma and Nukuma peoples. Together, they form a distinct ethnolinguistic community within the Sepik cultural mosaic.

The Haus Tambaran of Yessan-Mayo. Last photo in the right corner by Rita Willaert – Flickr.

The Haus Tambaran of Yessan-Mayo. Photo by Rita Willaert – Flickr.

Now, let’s move to Yamok. Located north of the Sepik River, slightly inland from the riverbank, Yamok lies in an area known for its mix of riverine and swamp environments. These environments facilitate agriculture, notably yam cultivation, as well as sago production. As I wrote, Yamok is often described as an Iatmul village in scholarly and artistic contexts. However, it is also closely associated with Sawos communities, reflecting the intertwined culture and geography of the Middle Sepik floodplain.

Alyx Becerra