frequent wars, which often arose from trivial causes, were frightful—not, indeed, on account of the bravery of the Polynesians, for they are not at all brave, but rather on account of the stratagems they employed, the secret nocturnal attacks, especially on the defenceless, and the terrible slaughter after victory, which spared neither woman nor child, and which was perpetrated with the most atrocious cruelties. The Maoris alone pos sessed a certain heroism. Jeering challenges, insults of the enemy, wild war-songs, and religious consecrations preceded every battle, at which cer tain priests were always present. Cannibalism no longer prevailed in Micronesia at the time of its discovery; still, specially-valued ornaments— for example, bracelets, which only the chiefs were allowed to wear (pl. to, fig. 8)—were made of human bones. In Polynesia, however, cannibalism still existed in many places, especially in New Zealand; but it was almost extinct iu the island-groups of Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, and Hawaii.
Social L. .marriage and women, on the whole, were not badly treated, although, in comparison with the men, they were con sidered profane, and consequently were deprived of the best parts of the food. Tlleir position differed in the different islands. Before marriage absolute freedom existed everywhere, which in some parts of Polynesia degenerated into an extreme licentiousness that was not improved by the arrival of the Europeans. Marriage itself was strict, but, being contracted without any special ceremony, it was easily dissolved. It seldom received religious consecration, and then only among the higher ranks. Stealing away the bride was not unusual in New Zealand.
Polygamy appertained to the rich; frequently a poor man could not marry, being unable to support a wife. Family life, though close among the better classes and in individual groups, was, on the whole, very loose. Infanticide, especially of girls, prevailed to a frightful extent. Neverthe less, rank was inherited through the female, and nowhere was there a stricter separation of classes than here. Properly, there were but two classes—people of rank and common people. A third class, the land holders, had grown up between them, sprung by collateral descent from the former; and a fourth class, the slaves, was formed below the common people. The first class alone possessed souls, for they were directly de scended from the gods; consequently, they had a claim on all property and on the lives of the people; they alone were connected with the gods, gave judgment, etc. All learning also was in their hands—a fair know
ledge of geography, sonic astronomy, nautical information, knowledge of the year of ten or twelve lunar months, in all of which branches the sons of the nobility were instructed, generally by means of poetry.
Originally this nobility was also the priestly caste; later on the secular power was separated from and gained superiority over the spiritual, often through the efforts of a single sovereign or of all-powerful families; in New Zealand alone the differences of rank were more equalized. Intermar riage of the classes was a crime; consequently, the children of such intermar riages most be killed at once. Here we see the religious views of the Poly nesians put into actual political practice. Everything else relating to the gods was withdrawn from the people, and hence the extraordinary power of the taboo—i. c. the religious interdict which the chiefs and the priests could pronounce over every object; for whatever belonged to the gods, temples, pictures, etc., was taboo. Every one had the greatest moral dread of violating such a taboo.
Religious religion of the Micro-Polynesians was also dis figured by the sanctity ascribed to their chiefs. In earlier times they had powerful individual deities, amongst which Tangaloa, the god of the sky, and Maui, the god of fire, both honored as creators of the world, were specially prominent. Besides, every act, every train of ideas, had its special divinity. In addition to these, they venerated the guardian spirits, whose images were placed or erected everywhere—on the edge of the temple squares OM zo, fig. r), at the entrances of the villages, on houses (fii. zo, fig. 2), ships OM zo, fig. 15), arms, and utensils (6/. 19, fig. 8). Even entire islands were surrounded with them; the famous colossal statues of Easter Island (fl. 20, fig. II) are nothing but images of such guardian spirits. Even in early times the souls of the departed were venerated; and this worship took such dimensions that they were not only numbered among the tutelary divinities, but obscured the chief gods, while in Micronesia they even supplanted them. The people believed that the soul after death, in order to become clean, had to be devoured and voided by a god. This piece of friendship was generally rendered to an individual by his guardian spirits, who were consequently always represented with horrible mouths and projecting teeth (fl. zo, figs. I, 2, 15).