book chapter

The Marshall Islanders: life and customs, thought and religion of a South Seas people

[s.n.] • 2 (1) • Published In 1914 • Pages: HRAF ms: iii, 296 [original: xiv, 376 ]

By: Erdland, August, Neuse, Richard.

Abstract

This source is a classic example of the well organized, meticulously detailed ethnographies typical of German workers in the first part of the twentieth century. The author, a missionary, divides his study into four parts, the first of which is entitled 'Ergology, or Life and Work,' and deals primarily with the geography, history and natural environment of the islands, the population and physical characteristics, body decoration, clothing and ornament, dwellings, food, fishing, canoe building, weapons, and knowledge of weather, stars and waves. Part 2 is concerned with the social structure of the people, their laws and customs, and gives abundant data on Marshallese social and political structure, rights and special privileges of chiefs, kinship, marriage, position of women in the society, birth customs, status of children, sexual morality and individual character and psychology. Part 3 is almost entirely devoted to a study of Marshall Island mythology, with only incidental information being given on the language itself, poetry and proverbs. The concluding section of this source, part 4, deals with the religion and magic of the Marshall Islanders, and contains valuable data on the concept of the soul in life and death, care and treatment of the sick, and on the origin of the kin group and totemism.

HRAF PubDate

2010

Region

Oceania

Sub Region

Micronesia

Document Type

book chapter

Evaluation

Creator Type

Missionary

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle ; 1961

Field Date

ca. 1900

Coverage Date

1900-1914

Coverage Place

Marshall Islands

Notes

August Erdland

Translation of: [Die Marshall-Insulaner, Leben und Sitte, Sinn und Religion eines Südsee-Volkes]

Partly translated from the German into English in 1942 for the Yale Cross-Cultural Survey, with the remainder being translated for HRAF by Richard Neuse in 1961

Appendices I and II, on Nauru Island and Civilization and Missions, have not been translated for this file

LCCN

14014886

LCSH

Marshallese

Ethnology--Marshall Islands