ding these fairs. Beginning in 1964, dedicated tourism to Komunive began.:?357? In July 1969 a photo of a mudman was included in National Geographic, and in 1970 some mudmen were photographed by Irving Penn. The current elaborate form of the Mudmen tradition, including the mythical backstories, dance, and modern design, likely developed as tourism grew.:?359? Creation legends There are various oral histories regarding the origins of the Asaro Mudmen, with anthropologist Todd Otto observing that "there are as many versions of [the creation legend] as there are sources.":?353? According to one account, the Asaro tribe was defeated by an enemy tribe and sought refuge in the Asaro River. There, they encountered a man who granted them the ability to kill with their eyes. They waited until dusk to escape, but one of them was captured. When the captured member emerged from the muddy banks covered in mud, the enemy mistook him for a spirit and fled in fear, as many tribes in Papua New Guinea are fearful of spirits. Believing they had encountered a supernatural force, the enemy tribesmen fled back to their village and performed a special ceremony to ward off the spirits. The mudmen were unable to conceal their faces because it was believed that the mud from the Asaro River was poisonous. Instead, they crafted masks from heated pebbles and water from the waterfall. Another version suggests that the tradition originated when a wedding guest could not find a traditional wedding costume, and instead "took an old bilum (a string bag), cut two holes for his eyes, dipped it mud and also covered his skin with mud". According to this story, other guests fled believing the wearer was a ghost, inspiring the wearer to use similar costumes to scare away a rival tribe. Commonalities among the origin stories include elements of surprise, warfare, and of resemblance to ghosts. Such elements and their exaggerations in different retellings likely developed local appeal, as well as making an attractive tale for mod
