The moiety system is a more unusual form of unilineal descent
and involves the occurrence of descent groups in linked pairs which assume
complementary positions and functions. Each moiety (or half) of a pair
will almost always be exogamous and take its husbands and wives
exclusively from the matched group. Thus the Dani clans are grouped into
larger patrimoieties, Wida and Waija that run through the whole of Dani
society. Wida men are forbidden to marry women from their moiety and must
take wives from Waija and visa versa. The
Yanomamo also have a moiety
system.
In their case, the participating units are small localized patrilineages
which
settle in small villages along with members of a matched moiety. Marriages
are usually arranged with members of the opposite moiety within the settlement.
Intermarrying Yanomamo Moieties
Men of moiety A marry women of moiety B and vise versa.
Note: marriage is indicated by a horizontal line connecting husband
and wife from below. Coloured diagonal lines represent descent.
