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IV. Fertility, status and ancestors By means of boat symbolism the islanders are showing that for them the continuation of life is dependent on marriage between man and woman, and also makes manifest their contribution to the process of creation. Men 'produce' by killing, women by means of their capacity to give life. Fertility and status - achieved by killing - are thus the most important values in Southeast Moluccan island cultures. Both are of crucial importance for the continued existence of society, an observation which brings us to ancestor worship. In realizing the two key values, namely, the ancestors play a leading role. In the eyes of the islanders it is they who determine whether there is fertility and status (represented by the trophies of the hunt). Without help from the ancestors the seed in the woman cannot develop and a man will never kill his prey. The ancestors determine the fate of the society. Trunk and top On many islands the dependence on, and alliance with, the ancestors finds expression in botanical terms. The ancestors are regarded as the 'trunk' of a tree of which the living represent the 'top'. And just as the development of new shoots is dependent on the functioning of the base of a tree, so the continued existence of man is in the hands of the ancestors. Logically, the first ancestors of the descent groups are the most worshipped. To their descendants they represent the ultimate sources of fertility and a capacity to kill. Apart from this, they are also a powerful moral force. The most imposing statues in a Southeast Moluccan community, therefore, usually relate to these first ancestors. | |
