Rennell
Traditional Culture(1908-1933)Expand All +
Belief
+
Supernatural Beings |
Ancestral spirits | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 59-60, 115-116 Elbert & Monberg (1965), pp. 17 |
God(s) | Present, and a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 22-23, 50, 59-60 |
Supernatural Punishment |
Supernatural punishment for impiety | Present (Source) |
Monberg (1962) |
Afterlife and Creation |
One's actions while living can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Absent (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 115-116 |
The actions of others after one has died can affect the nature of one's afterlife | Absent (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 115-116 |
Culture hero(es) | Present, but not a major focus of supernatural practice (Source) |
Monberg (1991), pp. 24, 63-71, 98-106 |
General Features |
Forces of nature are controlled by or imbued with the supernatural | Present (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 22-23 |
Classes of Tapu |
Social hierarchy tapu | Present (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 41, 44 |
Resource management tapu | Present (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 44 |
Mana |
Mana as a spiritual or religious concept | Present (Source) |
Blust (2007) |
Mana as a personal quality | Absent (Source) |
Blust (2007), pp. 412 |
Mana related to social influence or technical skill | Absent (Source) |
Blust (2007) |
Practice
+
General Supernatural Practices |
Headhunting | Absent (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 127 |
Political and religious differentiation | Considerable overlap between religious and political leaders (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 41, 45 |
Rites |
Tooth pulling | Absent from culture (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 22-38, 105-116 |
Scarification | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 105-116 |
Piercing | Present in culture, but not as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 38, 105-116 |
Tattooing | Present in the culture as a rite or feature of a rite (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 107-111 |
Genital cutting | Absent from culture (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 111 |
Social Environment
+
Population | 1000 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 30 |
Population of largest political community | 100-999 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 18, 30, 38-41, 116-117 |
Importance of Patrilateral descent | High (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 112 |
Importance of Matrilateral descent | Low (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 112 |
Marital residence | Patrilocal or virilocal - with husband's kin (Source) |
Hays (1991I), pp. 277 |
Polygamy | Limited polygyny (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 112 |
Conflict |
Conflict between communities of the culture | Frequent, occurring at least yearly (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 116-117 Elbert & Monberg (1965), pp. 16 |
Conflict with other cultures | Occasional, at least every generation (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 116 Kuschel (1988a) |
Conflict within communities | High (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 44 Elbert & Monberg (1965), pp. 16 |
Isolation
+
Contact with other cultures | Frequent, through trade, warfare, travel, etc. (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 116 |
Distance to closest landmass inhabited by a different culture (km) | 23.0 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 Daft Logic Distance Calculator (2014) |
Distance to nearest continent | 1543.0 (Source) |
Daft Logic Distance Calculator (2014) |
Pre-Austronesian population | Absent: No evidence of human occupation prior to Austronesian settlement (Source) |
Bellwood (1995), pp. 109, 123 |
Hindu / Buddhist influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.21 |
Islamic influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence and not in region of known contact (Source) |
Cribb (2000), pp. Map 2.23 |
Christian influence on supernatural belief | No evidence of influence but in a region where contact is likely (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 15 |
Subsistence and Economy
+
Land-based means of subsistence |
Animal husbandry as a source of food | Minor (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 76-77 |
Land-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 75-81 |
Land-based gathering | Medium (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 80, 81 |
Land-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Absent (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 75-81 |
Agriculture / Horticulture | Principal (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 56-57, 81 |
Water-based means of subsistence |
Fishing and water-based hunting performed by one or more groups | Medium (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 64-75, 80-81 |
Fishing and water-based hunting performed by individuals | Minor (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 64-75 |
Water-based gathering | Medium (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 14, 80-81 |
Commercial Activity |
Trade / wage labour as a source of food | Absent (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 16 |
Metalworking | Absent (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 89-104 |
Physical Environment
+
Geographical Range of Culture |
Number of islands inhabited by culture | One (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 |
Features of Island with Largest Culture Population |
Island type (island with largest culture population or largest island if unknown) | Atoll (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 |
Island Size (km²) | 650.0 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 |
Maximum elevation (meters) | 160.0 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 |
Location |
Latitude | -11.6 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 |
Longitude | 160.3 (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 8 Google Maps (2014) |
Post Contact History(1933-2014)Expand All +
Religious History
+
Conversion |
Role of social status in conversion process | Primarily a top-down process. (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 16-17 Monberg (1962) |
Use of force in conversion | Low (Source) |
Monberg (1962) |
Adoption of a world religion | Present and predominant (Source) |
Birket-Smith (1969), pp. 21 |
Resident missionary involvement in conversion process | Absent (Source) |
Monberg (1962) |
Syncretic Movements |
Syncretic religious movements | Absent (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 5 Elbert & Monberg (1965), pp. 19 |
Secular History
+
Demographic and Social Changes |
Foreign government systems | Present, and of high importance (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 7 |
Immigration | Absent (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 10-12 |
Language shift | Low (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 10 |
Foreign education systems | High (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 23 |
Economic Changes |
Changes in means of subsistence | Low (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 17-19 |
Exportation of goods to other cultures | Present but minor (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 19-20 |
Modern Infrastructure |
Vehicles and roads | Present but rarely used (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 14 |
Air travel | Present, local only (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 14 |
Sea port | Absent (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 14 |
Loss of Autonomy |
Nature of loss of autonomy | Largely voluntary (Source) |
Kuschel (1988a) |
Loss of political autonoomy | High (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 6 |
Current Culture(2014)Expand All +
Belief
+
Religious Demographics |
Unofficial religious syncretism | Low (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001A), pp. 5 Elbert & Monberg (1965), pp. 19 |
Institutional religious syncretism | Low (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001A), pp. 5 Elbert & Monberg (1965), pp. 19 |
Dominant world religion | Christianity (Source) |
Solomon Islands Government (2001B), pp. 6 |
External Links
References
Bellwood, P. (1995). Austronesian Prehistory in Southeast Asia: Homeland, Expansion and Transformation. P. Bellwood, J.J. Fox, & D. Tryon (Eds.), The Austronesians: Historical and Comparative Perspectives (pp 113-114). Canberra, Australia: ANU Press.
Birket-Smith, K. (1969). An Ethnological Sketch of Rennell Island, a Polynesian Outlier in Melanesia (2nd Edition). Copenhagen, Denmark: Bianco Lunos Bogtrykkeri.
Blust, R. (2007). Proto-Oceanic *Mana Revisited. Oceanic Linguistics, 46(2), 404-423. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20172322
Cribb, R. (2000). Historical atlas of Indonesia. Surrey, UK: Curzon Press.
Daft Logic Distance Calculator. (2014). http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm.
Elbert, S.H. & Monberg, T. (1965). From the Two Canoes: Oral Traditions on Rennell and Bellona Islands. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press.
Google Maps (2014). Retrieved from maps.google.com
Hays, T.E. (1991I). "Rennell Island". In T.E. Hays (Ed.) Encyclopaedia of World Cultures (Volume II: Oceania) (pp 277). New York, NY: G.K. Hall & Co.
Kuschel, R. (1988a). Early Contacts between Bellona and Rennell Islands and the Outside World. The Journal of Pacific History, 23 (2), 191-200. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/25168958.
Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development. (2001). Rennell and Bellona Province Development Profile. Honiara, Solomon Islands: Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development.
Monberg, T. (1962). Crisis and Mass Conversion on Rennell Island in 1938. The Journal of the Polynesian Society, 71 (2), 145-150. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20703992
Monberg, T. (1991). Bellona Island Beliefs and Rituals. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press.
Solomon Islands Government (2001). Malaita Province Development Profile. Honiara, Solomon Islands: Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development.