CRIME AND CUSTOM ON THE TROBRIAND ISLANDS - THE TOKURASI CASE

This paper presents a mythical story about the revenge of a man whom h is brothers-in-law attempted to kill: the protagonist, a gifted magici an, petrifies his opponents - the rocks are one of the landmarks of th e Kaile'una Island coast. On the basis of the story and further data c ollected in the field, I interpret this story as a conflict resulting in a cross-cousin marriage the chief - in the matrilineal Trobriand so ciety arranged for his son to make it possible for him to become the h eir of his chiefly power. I argue that the story serves at least three functions: It marks an important landmark, emphasizes the power of th e magical word, and reminds the Trobrianders to accept the power of a mighty chief. The text presented here also attempts to illustrate how much information about cultural values, rules, and regulations are enc oded even in a relatively short piece of oral tradition.