War and succession in Mangaia from Mamae's texts /
Michael P.J. Reilly.
- 111 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.
- Polynesian Society memoir ; no. 52 .
- Memoirs of the Polynesian Society ; no. 52. .
Includes bibliographical references (pages 103-105).
Introduction -- War and Succession: A Summary -- Texts and Commentary -- Concluding Remarks. Ch. 1. Ch. 2. Ch. 3. Ch. 4.
"War and Succession in Mangaia is a political history of an island in the southern Cook Islands, from its social foundations until the advent of Christianity in the 1820s, as described by the 19th century tribal historian Mamae. Mangaian society was dominated by powerful warrior chiefs who warred with one another for political, social and economic dominance over the island's productive lands and its people. The successful contestant became the holder of the mangaia title and reigned supreme until challenged by another warrior chief who believed he had sufficient supporters to bring about a regime change. The stories of these chiefly battles for supreme power form the basis of this work. Mamae's original manuscripts are reproduced, along with translations, and a commentary discussing the events surrounding each contest for power. The introduction explains the nature of pre-Christian Mangaian society, the various ethnographies written about it, and the form and content of Mamae's narratives of war and political succession. The study concludes with general remarks on the chronology of Mangaian society, and a discussion of local cultural themes found in Mamae's texts: the formation and differentiation of tribes through genealogy and origins, the role of the mangaia titleholders, the respective roles of women and priests, the use of exile from the community as a form of social control, and the nature of Mangaian warfare."--BOOK JACKET.
Text in English, with some Mangaian and Rarotongan.
0908940041 9780908940042
Mangaia (Cook Islands)--History Mangaia (Cook Islands)--Politics and government