The Family among the Australian Aborigines, a Sociological StudyMalinowski, Bronislaw
History
The Family among the Australian Aborigines, a Sociological Study
Malinowski, Bronislaw
Aboriginal Australians -- Social life and customs; Ethnology -- Australia; Families -- History
[290] _Ibid._, p. 242.
We read in Oldfield, about the West Australian tribes, that there
was an "initiation" ceremony before a female was considered fit
for marriage; in it "all the males of the tribe" partook. Women
sometimes betray their husbands.[291]
[291] _Loc. cit._, p. 251. The tribes in question are those
of the Murchison district.
Mrs. D. M. Bates reports, that among the tribes of West Australia
she had under observation, there exists a "certain tribal morality"
and "bad or loose living women (according to their ideas) occupied
much the same status in a certain degree as our unfortunate sisters
do amongst us." There were even contemptuous names for women of
bad conduct.[292] Unfortunately, this statement says absolutely
nothing of what would be the most interesting thing to know, viz.
the ideas of the natives about sexual matters, in other words,
the code of the "tribal morality." Here, besides the fidelity
which was strictly required, a complete chastity is affirmed. On
the whole it seems to agree roughly with Grey's and Salvado's
statements; he also does not mention any regulated licence. As our
information on West Australia is so scanty, we can hardly decide
whether sex morality stands there much higher than in the Central
and North-eastern peoples; but as we have reason to regard both the
information of Grey and of Salvado as trustworthy and accurate, we
may assume that this difference actually existed.
[292] _Loc. cit._, p. 51.
Similarly Bishop Salvado speaks of the great jealousy of the
natives of South-west Australia and of their morality. "Le sauvage
ne pardonne jamais l'insulte faite à la pudeur des femmes qui lui
appartiennent; c'est un outrage qui se paye cher et le plus souvent
par la mort."[293] "... je n'ai jamais observé autour de nous un
seul acte tant que ce soit peu indécent ou déshonnête parmi eux ...
au contraire j'ai trouvé les mœurs louable au plus haut point."[294]
[293] _Loc. cit._, p. 279.
[294] _Loc. cit._, p. 280.
Scott Nind informs us about the natives of King George's Sound,
that "infidelity is by no means uncommon. The husband keeps a
jealous eye on his wife, and on the least excuse for suspicion she
is severely punished."[295]
[295] _Loc. cit._, p. 39.
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