A History of Matrimonial Institutions, Vol. 1 of 3Howard, George Elliott
History
A History of Matrimonial Institutions, Vol. 1 of 3
Howard, George Elliott
Families; Marriage -- History
In course of time, however, its evils were perceived and the second
form of the family arose. This is the Punaluan,[194] resting on
the intermarriage of several sisters in a group with each other's
husbands; or on that of several brothers in a group with each
other's wives; marriage between brothers and sisters not being
permitted. "The Punaluan family has existed in Europe, Asia, and
America[195] within the historical period, and in Polynesia within
the present century," the most interesting example being afforded by
the Hawaiians. It is an outgrowth of the consanguine family "through
the gradual exclusion of own brothers and sisters from the marriage
relation."[196] With it arose the organization into _gentes_, whose
"fundamental rules" in the archaic form are exogamy and relationship
in the female line. The Punaluan family co-operating with the
gentile organization,[197] produced the Turanian or Ganowánian
system of consanguinity, which is also classificatory.[198] This
is described by Morgan as "simply stupendous," recognizing "all the
relationships known under the Aryan system, besides an additional
number unnoticed by the latter."[199]
[194] _Systems of Consanguinity_, 131 ff., 489, 490; _Ancient
Society_, 424-52. The Hawaiian word _Pŭnalŭa_ means "dear
friend," "intimate companion": _ibid._, 427.
[195] In forty North American tribes the former existence of the
Punaluan family is thought to be proved by the Turanian system
of consanguinity and by the right of the husband of the eldest
sister to the younger sisters also: _Ancient Society_, 432, 436.
[196] _Ibid._, 424.
[197] Since the rule of exogamy as respecting the _gens_ would
permit the intermarriage of brothers and sisters. For convenience
McLennan's term "exogamy" is here used to indicate prohibition of
marriage within the _gens_.
[198] _Systems of Consanguinity_, 131-382. But, curiously enough,
among the peoples with the Punaluan family the Malayan system of
consanguinity survived: _Ancient Society_, 426, 427, _passim_.
_Ganowánians_ are the American Indians, the word meaning
"bow-and-arrow people": _Systems of Consanguinity_, 131. _Cf._
MCLENNAN, _Studies_, I, 253, n. 1.
[199] _Ancient Society_, 387, 435 ff. In all more than two
hundred relationships of the same person are recognized: _ibid._,
436.
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