YAMBA MARRIAGE SYSTEMS - SPOUSES AND THEIR OFFSPRING BETWEEN PROTECTION AND AFFLICTION

In this article the author takes up a point raised by E. M. Chilver, t hat the study of marriage systems of a tribal society provides clues t o their belief systems and notions of the person. After introducing th e Yamba, the author goes on to describe their marriage systems. He sta rts with exchange marriage, outlawed by the British in 1924, and then goes on to bridewealth marriage. He describes the different stages of this marriage form and points out local variations. Examining the spec ial relationship that exists between mother's father (MF) and daughter 's son (DS) and the role of the bride-giver several interesting things come to light: DS enjoys a privileged position in his MF's compound b ecause he is believed to have a beneficial influence on his mother's k in; the MF plays a protective role in relation to his DS; the bride-gi ver is an ambiguous figure, both protective and the indirect agent of supernatural sanctions affecting the fecundity and well-being of the s pouses and their offspring; contact of the wife with her natal compoun d is essential to her fecundity.