Rope of Moka
In the Mount Hagen area of central New Guinea, warfare has been replaced since the arrival of the Europeans by a vigorous development of moka, a competitive ceremonial exchange of wealth objects. The exchanges of pigs, shells and other valuables are interpreted as acting as a bond between groups, and as a means whereby individuals, notably the big-men, can maximize their status.
eBook,English, 1971
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, GBR, 1971
1 online resource (282 pages).
9780511558160, 0511558163
958554322
Cover; Half-title; Title; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; List of tables; List of illustrations; Perface; Preface to the New Edition; Abbreviations and orthography ; 1 Introduction; 2 Groups; 3 Ceremonial grounds; 4 Warfare, alliance, and compensation; 5 Moka transactions and media of exchange; 6 Moka chains; 7 Counting pigs and shells; 8 Disputes and struggles precipitated by moka occasions; 9 Moka and the status of big-man; 10 The moka system and the behaviour of big-men; Appendices; 1 Populations of some Hagen tribes in the early 1960s; 2 The size of exogamous units. 3 Terminology for groups used by Vicedom and Strauss4 Songs and spells for attracting shells; 5 A note on kik kapa payments; 6 The evaluation of pearl shells and their preparation; 7 Examples of el-ik style; 8 Ascriptions of big-man status; Index; Bibliography