Identifier: handbooktoethnog00brit (find matches)
Title: Handbook to the ethnographical collections
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: British Museum. Dept. of British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography Joyce, Thomas Athol, 1878-1942 Dalton, O. M. (Ormonde Maddock), 1866-1945
Subjects:
Publisher: (London) : Printed by order of the Trustees
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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a be J <i 11 I Fig. 137.—Types of spears from Polynesia and Micronesia, a. Samoa.6, c. Niue. d. Hawaiian Islands, e. Caroline Islands. /, g. New Zealand.h. Gilbert Islands (parrying sjiear). i. Gilbert Islands. often men of high birth, Avho performed sacrifices, and kept theroyal genealogies. The priesthood was also the recognizedauthority on the history of the gods. A lower place was occupied POLYNESIANS AND MICRONESIANS 157
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Fk;. 138.—Wooden foot-rest for stilts used in certainceremonies. Marquesas Islands. by the communal and family gods, and by the deities sujjposed towatch over different industries or crafts, such as fishing or canoebuilding. Corresponding to the lower ranks among the godswas a lower grade of priests, who more or less resembled the 158 OCEANIA ordinary medicine-man of primitive peoples. Although thePolynesians made images of their gods in the form of men, theydid not consider the human shape essential. Thus we find pieces ofwood rolled round with sinnet-cord no less venerated than the mostelaborate images (fig. 139). The figures of the greater gods weie r L **■ Fig. )39.—Figure ofthe god of war, Oro,consisting of a piece ofAvood covered ■withwoven sinnet; the eyesand arms are roughlyindicated with sinnet-braid. Tahiti. J^ .^ a^K^J-^^^itkik feLJK^&.^^H N ( I fim^^^k^ •^. f %iC^ ^VT - s > ■ ^liSK^^HK^-^^HK --- - ^AjJ^-^^^ Fig. 140.—Wnoden figure from a sacred

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