Beyond the Norms
Beyond the Norms
Marriage and Incest among the Ye’kwana
This chapter focuses on the norms that lead to qualifying marriage as permitted versus “incestuous” (incorrect or prohibited) in the Ye’kwana marriage system. The Ye’kwana live in lowland South America/Amazonia, have a Dravidian kinship system, and a very high proportion of incestuous marriages. This chapter works with a rich data base; 200 marriages drawn from 2,366 people of whom 820 marriages were registered. The material collected by Silva Monterrey, together with that collected by de Barandiarán in the 1950s, shows that over a quarter of marriages were incestuous and that this pattern is old. Moreover, variations in the frequency of incestuous marriages cannot be explained as a consequence of demographic changes. One could not hope for a firmer demonstration of the importance of looking beyond the formal rules of marriage and exploring actual behaviour. Silva Monterrey throws down the challenge and asks, why do the Ye’kwana apparently commit marital incest with such astounding frequency?
Keywords: Ye’kwana, Dravidian kinship system, incest
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