CHAPTER V
MARRIAGE RULES
The state of society among the early Australians was that of an Undivided Commune—The simplest existing form of social organisation is the division of a tribe into two intermarrying moieties—The Dieri as an example—The Noa relationship—The Tippa-malkii marriage and the Pirrauru marriage—Intermarrying totems of the Yendakarangu tribe—Urabunna marriage rules—Class rules have been intentionally altered to meet difficulties arising from male descent in one tribe and female in another—Marriage rules of tribes in Western New South Wales—Female captives were the property of the captor if class rules allowed the marriage—Infant betrothal was the general rule, but elopements frequently occurred—Tribes with four sub-classes and female descent—The Kamilaroi—The "half-sister" marriage of the Kamilaroi—Table of anomalous marriages—Table of Wiradjuri marriages—Peculiar marriages of the North Wiradjuri—Marriage by capture at Wakelbura ceremonies—Tribes with four sub-classes and male descent in Southern Queensland—Tribes with anomalous class systems and female descent—Tribes with two-class system and male descent—Tribes without class systems—The Kurnai of Gippsland—Marriage by elopement—The Chepara of Queensland—All regulations were made to prevent near marriages and with intention to meet a sense of tribal morality—Female descent was an earlier form than male—Maternal descent and the Salic law.
A study of the evidence which has been detailed in the last chapter has led me to the conclusion that the state of society among the early Australians was that of an "Undivided Commune." Taking this as a postulate, the influence on marriage and descent of the class division, the sub-classes and the totems may be considered on the assumption that there was once an Undivided Commune. It is, however, well to guard this expression. I do not desire to imply necessarily the existence of complete and continuous communism between the sexes. The character of the country, the necessity of moving from one spot to another in search of game and vegetable food, would cause any Undivided
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