Aspects of social stratification and honour on pre-Christian and modernMungiki(Bellona)

Abstract

Abstract This paper analyses some important aspects of social stratification and honour on pre-Christian and modern Mungiki (Bellona), a Polynesian Outlier in the Solomon Islands. Opposite other traditional Polynesian societies, honour on Bellona was not part of a complex and prominent mana-taboo system. Honour was part of an incessantly social evaluation of a man's achievements, distinctiveness, and kin-related history. A man bestowed with honour not only had the right to, but was also expected to demand respect from significant others. Any severe challenge of his honour had to be vigorously counteracted in order to maintain and defend his and his kin group's social positioning as a deferential group. In revenge lies a rehabilitation for lost honour. He who renounced vengeance started on the path to insignificance, the quality of his life dwindled. Although important parts of practice have changed today, the basic idea of honour and competition for high status has remained fairly constant. We shall demonstrate how present day competition for social status in many respects is closely related to the traditional perception of honour which mirrored society's ideal values. What we shall present here is a set of propositions concerning some important aspects of the Bellonese philosophy concerning honour. In the strictest sense of the word, this paper is an attempt to present a social and cultural translation of some aspects of the Bellonese way of thinking.

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