On the island of Ambrym, in the Vanuatu archipelago, stones are far from inert. Some of them, known as müyu ne bu, are considered magical. Charged with power, they are used by men in ritual and economic contexts closely tied to the acquisition of castrated male pigs with long tusks—true living currencies in Melanesian society.
These pigs are not mere animals: they are markers of prestige, instruments of exchange, and essential offerings in rituals of social elevation, particularly within the traditional maghe grade system. Their value depends on the curvature of their lower tusks, a process of growth that can take up to eight years. At this stage, the pig becomes a unit of social measurement—a spiritual being endowed with a soul and a language.
The müyu ne bu stones play a central role in this system. They are believed to influence negotiations, attract favorable opportunities, or facilitate the acquisition of rare pigs. During exchanges, each party may rely on its own magical stone, transforming the transaction into a silent struggle between invisible forces rather than a simple agreement between men.
Long kept secret, these stones were often misunderstood by Christian missions, which at times mistakenly perceived them as malevolent. In local culture, however, their power is protective and beneficial: they ensure fertility, prosperity, the health of herds, the success of rites, and social recognition.
Some of these stones are also linked to mythical spirits, regarded as their material manifestations. They carry narratives transmitted orally over generations, embedding each stone within a living history, deeply rooted in the landscape, kinship ties, and alliances.
The magical stones of Ambrym bear witness to a ritual intelligence in which the spiritual and the social are inseparable. They remind us that in these island societies, art is never purely aesthetic: it acts, it connects, it transforms.
