{"id":3284,"date":"2025-11-08T21:57:06","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T21:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyagesenpapouasie.com\/the-sepik-crocodile-men\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T21:09:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T21:09:53","slug":"the-sepik-crocodile-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyagesenpapouasie.com\/en\/the-sepik-crocodile-men\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Sepik crocodile men"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Sepik is not only one of Papua New Guinea’s longest rivers, it’s also a mystical artery where man and crocodile are one. Here, in the heart of a swampy jungle, beats the pulse of a tradition as fascinating as it is secretive: that of the Crocodile Men<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

The Sepik River: An open-air art gallery<\/h2>\n\n

To sail the Sepik is to immerse yourself in traditional life. What makes this region unique in the world are the Haus Tambaran<\/strong>, the “Houses of the Spirits”. These majestic structures with their slender prows house the secrets of the ancestors and the most refined wood carvings in Oceania. <\/p>\n\n

The myth: Why the crocodile?<\/h2>\n\n

For Middle-Sepik ethnic groups such as the Iatmuls, the crocodile is much more than a predator: it is the creator of the world<\/strong>. Legend has it that the river was formed by the movements of a giant crocodile. <\/p>\n\n

To honor this ancestor and acquire his strength, the young initiates undergo a rite of passage of rare intensity:<\/p>\n\n