The history of mankind (1896) (14577451617)

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)

Title: The history of mankind

Year: 1896 (1890s)

Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910

Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology

Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.

Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library

Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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rned off the womens bathing-places ; exactlyfor which reason these spots are selected for lovers rendezvous. In this case theman is under the protection of the lady and her friends. A great auxiliary tothese tendencies, which prevail in so many districts, towards giving a higherposition to women, nay, even to the widespread mother-right, is that looseningof the marriage-tie which has progressed to the point of decomposing society. No tic in the whole life of the Polynesians appears to be weaker than thatof marriage. Small reasons arc enough to undo it, and its undoing is takenvery easily on both sides. This goes so far as to make the wifes position one ofsimple thraldom, where she is regarded as the mans property and no more. WhenEuropeans in Polynesia wish to secure the favour of native women the)- have firstto make a present to the husbands, who will hand over their wives, compulsorilyif need be. In Hawaii a kind of incipient polyandry arises by the addition to the :,/•.;; w^jWM^m

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THE FAMILY AND THE STATE IN OCEANIA 277 establishment of a cicisbeo, known as Punahia. Thus in Tahiti women of easyvirtue could call themselves Tedua, which was also the name of ladies of the royalfamily. Very often the main object of matrimony appears to be not at all theprocreation of children, but the husbands comfort ; or, at best, the guardianshipof the wife, or some question of money. Besides this, not only the constraint ofexogamy, but—at all events in the higher classes—political objects have to beconsidered. One thing detrimental to marriage is the view that it is not seemlyto display the wife to the world as being in confidential relations with her husband.Men never allow themselves to be seen on the highway with their lawful wives,though with a paramour they have no objection. If a stranger stays in the housethe wife keeps out of the way. Even the number of children, which is kept as lowas possible, is affected by this corrupting influence. It arises in great part from

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1896

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