The Asaro Mudman

The mystical and intriguing Asaro Mudman dancers are a phenomenal attraction that pulls visitors from the world over to visit Papua New Guinea just to get a glimpse of this unique cultural display. This dance has a rich ancestral story behind it and originates from a remote village in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. The exact location as to where the story originates from is disputed however most will confirm that its origins is from an area in the Eastern Highlands called Komunive.

Legend has it that a tribe from Komunive were defeated by an enemy tribe and forced to flee into the Asaro River.In order for the men from the Komunive tribe to escape, they had to wait in the river till nightfall to attempt to dash for safety.

Legend has it that they were defeated by an enemy tribe and forced to flee into the Asaro River. They waited until dusk before attempting to escape. The enemy saw them rise from the muddy banks covered in mud and thought they were spirits. Most tribes in Papua New Guinea are very afraid of spirits, so the enemy fled in fear, and the Asaro escaped. They then went into the village to see what had happened, not knowing the enemy tribesmen were still there. The enemy were so terrified they ran back to their village and held a special ceremony to ward off the spirits. The mudmen could not cover their faces because legends say that the people of Papua New Guinea thought that the mud from the Asaro river was poisonous. So instead of covering their faces with this alleged poison, they made masks from pebbles that they heated and water from the waterfall, with unusual designs such as long or very short ears either going down to the chin or sticking up at the top, long joined eyebrows attached to the top of the ears, horns and sideways mouths.