A song was presented in the Kaweinag-Asmat language by people living in the south of the Asmat
region in Papua in 1984. It conveyed parts of the story of Saunat one of their mythical
heroes. Several years later a recording of this song served as the source for a research
project. A presupposition for this project was the translation of the song-text. In 2007 the
place where the recording was made was the locality for the attempt to translate the text.
Elaborating a transcription and translating this transcript proved to be far more of a
challenge than expected. The difficulties of this work and the uncertainties its results
contain will not be concealed. On the contrary they will become evident in the documentation
of this scientific project. The elaborated transcription and translation versions of the song
are reproduced in this book. The stories of Saunat belong to the wonderful testimonies of Asmat
mythology. They illustrate a socially animating and innovating concept of surmounting dividing
lines.
