MARSHALLESE / Republic of the Marshall Islands (Jaluit; 2,2,2,2,2,2;8,8;D3,2;E) (Micronesia)Index→ Pacifics→ Micronesia→ Marshall Isl.
Kohler (1900:p417)[1]stated that on Talmit (Jaluit), a Spoehr (1949:[p197])[8] stated that on Majuro, grandparent-grandchild joking relations, bearing a sexual reference, “permits the grandparents to pass on information regarding the sex functions to their grandchildren, whereas the parents do not do so” (cf. p194, 213); formerly the girls’ puberty hut might have played a role. Children are encouraged to play separately from age five or six, a segregation becoming less sharp at puberty. By the time of “adolescence” unmarried brothers and sisters sleep separated, even in different houses. Children of cross-cousins cannot marry, or joke on obscene subjects. “Sexual relations between boys and girls commence after puberty. Love-making and pre-marital sexual intercourse are concomitants of adolescence and the sex behavior of adolescents is subject to no rigid controls and restrictions except for those associated with incest prohibitions”. Girls married at age 17/18, boys at about 20.
Additional refs:
-- McCartney, J. L. (1947)
Janssen,
D. F., Growing Up Sexually. Last revised: Sept 2004 |
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[1] Kohler, J. (1900) Rechte der deutschen Schutzgebiete, III: Das Recht der Mashallinsulaner, Ztschr f Vergleich Rechtwiss 14:407-55. “Auf die Keuschheit der Mädchen vor der Ehe wird kein Werth gelegt, der Geschlechtsverkehr steht allen frei und beginnt, sobald der Sinn erwacht, also beim Mädchen schon vor der Menstruation. Man glaubt allgemein, dass es kein Mädchen von 12 Jahren giebt, die noch nicht deflorirt wäre, wie denn auch schon durch Ansteckung hervorgerufene Geschlechtskrankheiten bei Kindern von circa 10 Jahren constatirt worden sind”.
[2] Steinmetz,
S. R. (1903) Rechtsverhältnisse von einigen Eingebornen Völkern in Afrika und Ozeanien.
[3]Op.cit.
[4] Hernsheim,
F. (1880) Beitrag zur
Sprache der Marshall-Inseln.
[5] Erdland, A. (1914) Die Marshall-Insulaner.
Münster: Aschendorff. Cf. Ronhaar (1931:p331) and Hartland, E. S. (1909) Primitive Paternity.
[6] The practice was counteracted by parents. Cf. Erdland (1906:p187), as cited by Krämer and Nevermann (1938:p185), cit. infra
[7] Krämer, Au. & Nevermann, H. (1938) Ralik-Ratak (Marshall-Inseln).
[8] Spoehr, A. (1949) Majuro, a Village in the