File:Handbook to the ethnographical collections (1910) (14596709848).jpg

Identifier: handbooktoethnog00brit (find matches)
Title: Handbook to the ethnographical collections
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: British Museum. Dept. of British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography Joyce, Thomas Athol, 1878-1942 Dalton, O. M. (Ormonde Maddock), 1866-1945
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Publisher: (London) : Printed by order of the Trustees
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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mall idols. Ruriitu Island, Austral Gri)up. IFace p. 158 POLYNESIANS AND MICRONESIANS 159 The chiefs and priests were themselves sacred or tabu, and thecommon people might neither touch their persons, their garments,or their utensils. The tabu was regarded as contagious, and ashighly dangerous to those of low rank. If a slave touched thehead of a high-priest or chief he might either be killed if detected,if not, die of fright at the imaginary consequences of his action.Everything in the world was divided into two great classes, moaor under tabu, and noa or free, the first being entirely reserved forthe gods, the privileged nobles, and priests. Thus many kinds offood were often moa, and might not be eaten by women or slaves.A man who had incurred fahu might not feed himself. A kingsIjarber might not use his hands in eating, because the kings headwas sacred. In Tahiti, upon the sickness of a man of rank, hiswhole district was declared fabu ; no food might be cooked or firelighted in it.
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Fio. 141. —Shrine for the fisjcure ol a goddess. Tahiti. After death the noble Polynesian was supposed to go to a futureworld, generally imagined to lie below the earth or in the westl>eyond the setting of the sun. There he led an existenceresembling that which had been his lot on earth. The soul wasnot suppo.sed to reach the other world easily or at once. Itlingered for a time about its former home, and was conceived asa possible source of danger to tlio living. The bodies of un-important persons were treated with little ceremony after death.Noljles and chiefs were sometimes exposed on a platform ina half-mummified condition, until the flesh could be scraped away:the bones were then tied in a bundle and deposited in some safeplace such as a temple: sometimes the body was actually buriedin the house ; sometimes in a sacred place, where a terracedmound was raised over it. It was a common custom on the deathof a king for the whole po)>ulation to mutilate themselves bygasliing th

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