熱帯島嶼パラオ共和国における祭祀にまつわる植物利用と空間構成に関する研究

抄録

This study aims to clarify the relations between trees-and plants-use and the ritual space structure in the tropical agroforestry. We gathered some information on traditional ceremony related to first-birth and death, recorded all plants species in certain plats around ritual spaces, and drew down the space structure. As a result, we found that kitchen garden around the house works as a place for both first-birth and funeral events and that a lot of trees and plants for the rituals can be intensively seen around the stone platform. That means Palauan agroforestry have a multi-function including cultural and spiritual meanings. However, the places where these ritual events are held have been changing from time to time. Though the first-birth ceremony is still held near houses, burial place is now chosen from various alternatives, such as tomb near the house, in the forest or public cemetery on hill top. Space structure also differs from place to place. That implies that traditional space structure -united relationship among daily-life, new born, and death ceremony- has collapsed.