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Anthropology and Religion

Social Changes

Social Changes

In addition to religious changes, the new religion effected drastic changes in social matters. At the last battle between the converted and the unconverted, Numangatini with the combined offices of two high priests was the highest ranking chief on the Christian side. He was regarded as having acquired the position of Dictator, but he could not be installed with the ancient rites that had been abandoned on the acceptance of Christianity. However, he was regarded by the converted Christians and the missionaries as the king of Mangaia. Hence a new title was created and, war having been ended by the last battle, the office became hereditary instead of depending on the varying fortunes of battle. Similarly, the offices of district and subdistrict chiefs also became hereditary instead of being redistributed after each conquest.

After the way had been paved by the native Tahitian missionary, a white missionary took up his residence in Mangaia, and three native pastors were appointed to minister to the increasing number of converts. The manner in which the missionaries had taken page 85precedence in social matters is shown by the order of precedence in calling the distribution of food at the public feasts. In the original culture, the order was: (1) tribal priests, (2) high priests, (3) military dictator, (4) district and subdistrict chiefs. In the new society, the order was (1) white missionary, (2) three native pastors, (3) king, and (4) district and subdistrict chiefs.

A drastic change was also introduced in the native marriage customs. In the native culture, the chiefs could have more than one wife, and they could add a wife's sister to the ménage. It was also considered the correct thing for a man to marry his brother's widow and so keep her children in the deceased's family. In the old order, the marriage was made by the mutual consent of the two families concerned and there was no religious ceremony. The new order demanded that all marriages should be conducted with a religious ceremony by the church and, furthermore, that only one wife be allowed. Men with plural wives were ordered to select one and abandon the others, even though they had had children by them. Some heartrending separations took place for, if the husband did not make his choice, he was refused admission to the church by adult baptism. The one marriage was legalized by a church service. If a church member took back another wife, he was excommunicated by the church page 86and ostracized by the church members. As a result of monogamy, the sororate custom disappeared, for a man could not take his wife's sister while his wife was alive. The levirate custom also was abandoned because, even for the sake of fatherless orphans, a man could not take his brother's widow into his household if he already had a wife. The restriction to one god was accompanied by a restriction to one wife. In the native culture, there was no connection between gods and wives.

Furthermore, the native marriages were arranged by parents on either side, with due regard to family alliances and to keeping the chiefly stock pure. The church, however, stepped in and refused to marry any couple until they had discovered the real wishes of the pair to be married. If a young couple disagreed with their parents, the church opposed the wishes of the parents and thus helped to break down parental and family control.

The church, as guided by the white missionaries, appears to have regarded most of the ancient customs as relics of heathenism and therefore to be abolished. One of the white missionaries, on going to the church to marry a couple, found the bridegroom's tribe lying stretched across the road for a distance of a hundred yards, while the intended bride tripped merrily over their bodies on the way to the church. She was being page 87honored by her prospective husband's tribe with the ancient custom termed maninitori. However, the missionary could see nothing in it but the revival of a heathen custom and, as punishment, he postponed the marriage until the following day.