The Trobriand People.

During the research process for my first abandoned term paper topic, I ran into some info on the Trobriand people. I looked into it further and found quite a few articles that had been written on these primitive peoples. They interested me for a couple of reasons.

First of all, they are a tribe still nearly secluded in the oral tradition. They have texts in their language now after years of western missionaries influencing their society. However, many remnants of the oral tradition still remain. One of these, is the belief that the woman gives a child its body and soul. For them, this means that the male does not have a direct part in the baby making process. Copulation, for the Trobriands, is merely for shaping the baby and feeding it. This belief is also accompanied by many magical traditions where women have much more magical power than the males do.

These beliefs that seem quite strange to us in the literate tradition are quite natural for the oral tradition. The woman in a society that still values the feminine characteristics would probably see the female as a great symbol of fertility that must be protected and exalted for the advancement of their race. It is no surprise then that the Trobriand people trace their lineage through the female lines.

For more info, here is a start at Wikipedia: Trobriand People