01/27/2026
The Bugamo tribe lives in the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea where I witnessed a recreation of a part of their heritage in which they paint themselves as skeletons. There are at least two legends that explain the origin of this strange custom, and you may hear several versions of each, depending on who is telling the story. One version explains the origin from hundreds of years ago, when they believed that a monster lived in the nearby woods. They needed to go into those woods to hunt and fish, but they were afraid that the monster would eat them. They needed a way to protect themselves from the monster, so they decided to try to scare it by painting themselves like skeletons. This apparently worked, because no one was eaten by the monster, and they have continued to paint themselves in the same way. Another less fanciful explanation is that it was doner to strike fear in enemy tribes.
Whatever the real reason is, the effect is chilling. The sight of these guys approaching me, even though I was (almost) sure they meant me no harm, was alarming at best. I could see some of them in the thick vegetation, while others approached me in a haphazard fashion with their eyes fixed on me. Others jumped out from the jungle and they all were equally frightening.
Their red tongues added to the eerie sight, but actually have nothing to do with the Skeleton Men. It is very common in PNG to chew betel nut. It is a nut that gives a mild high and they seem to love it here. The problem is that it turns their mouths red and eats away the enamel on their teeth. You often see red patches on the ground where they have spit out the juice. Even with all of the warnings about health hazards, they are undeterred and continue to chew it.
If you like this image, please share it with your friends. Thanks. Rob
