Abstract
Totemism of the Wik-munkan Tribe, Gulf of Carpentaria.—Miss Ursula McConnel continues her study of the Wik-munkan tribes in Oceania, vol. 1., pt. 2. Each clan has a number of totems of varying importance which are common to all members of the clan. These are mostly drawn from objects of utility round which daily interest centres, and in the case of natural supplies, from those found in the locality, thus reflecting their economic interests. Thus, totems of the coastal tribes include dugong, sea turtle, sharks, and other fish; ‘thunder’ which heralds the north-west season, ‘high-tide’ which brings food, and a ‘small bird’ which is supposed to guard the fishing operations of a clan; bark-canoes and spears, necessary to the success of the hunt; pelicans, geese, pigeons, flying-fox, and so forth. The Wik-mean tribes include milk-wood trees, porcupines, and swamp turtle, all belonging to the Wik-mean country. The totems of other tribes are similarly differentiated according to their economic resources. Dangerous and disagreeable objects also figure in the lists—for example, crocodiles and flies; and objects of social significance such as fire, which is not only useful, but is also the centre of social life as well as the means of disposing of the dead; the bull roarer, and the shooting star or meteor, which is supposed to signify the death of a relative. The ‘baby’, ‘sweetheart’, and ‘ghost’ totems reflect the chief phases of human life—birth, mating, and death. Personal names are derived from the characteristics of the clan totems, or reflect their social value to the clan, sometimes their occupations in association with the totem. Thus, men take their names from the spear handle, women from the fishing-net and dilly-bag which they make and use. Women of the dilly-bag totem take a special pride in their string work, as if they were mistresses of the art. Or again, women may be called after the crab which they hunt, while men are called after the barramundi fish which they spear. Where totems are animals, women often take their names from the female of the species and its feminine functions.
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Research Items. Nature 127, 107–109 (1931). https://doi.org/10.1038/127107a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/127107a0