The secret of the totem / by Andrew Lang.

Andrew Lang

Date:: 1905

Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The secret of the totem / by Andrew Lang. Source: Wellcome Collection.

29/236 page 13

MATRIMONIAL CLASSES animal names) as if two generations had totems. The mothers of Muri class in Dilbi would have Turtle, the mothers in Kupathin (Ipai) would have Carpet Snake. Their children, in Kupathin, would have Cat. Not only the phratries and the totem kins, but each successive generation, would thus be delimited by bearing an animal name, and marriage would be forbidden between all persons not of different animal-named phratries, different animal-named totem kins, and different animal-named generations. In many cases, we repeat, the names of the phratries and of the classes have not yet been trans- lated, and the meanings are unknown to the natives themselves. That the class names were originally animal names is a mere hypothesis, based on few examples. Say I am of phratry Crow, of totem Lizard, of generation and matrimonial class Turtle; then I must marry only a woman of phratry Eagle Hawk, of any totem in Eagle Hawk phratry,^ and of generation and class name Cat. Our children, with female descent, will be of phratry Eagle Hawk, of totem the mother's, and of generation and class name Carpet Snake. Their children will be of phratry Crow, of totem the mother's, and of generation and class name Cat again; and so on for ever. Each generation in a phratry has its class name, and may not marry within that name. The next genera- tion has the other class name, and may not marry within that. Assuming that phratry names, totem names, and generation names are always names of animals (or of other objects in nature), the laws would amount, we repeat, simply to this : No person may marry another person who, by phratry, or totem, or generation, owns ^ Sometimes members of one totem are said to be restricted to marriage with members of only one other totem.

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