Contribution to Anthropology R. H. Mathews

1 contribution anthropology

1.1 kinship , marriage rules
1.2 male initiation
1.3 mythology
1.4 linguistics

contribution anthropology

in 1892 mathews returned hunter valley survey pastoral property near hamlet of milbrodale, new south wales. worker on property pointed out rock shelter large man-like figure had been painted aboriginal artists. mathews measured , drew painting , documented hand stencils in other caves in vicinity. these observations prepared paper read before royal society of new south wales , subsequently published in 1893 volume of journal , proceedings of royal society of new south wales. identified human figure depiction of ancestral being, baiame (also spelled baiamai , baiami). encounter baiame site, , favourable reception of mathews’ paper royal society of new south wales, marked turning point in career. biographer, australian historian martin thomas, describes onset of ‘ethnomania’. mathews further encouraged when prepared long paper on sydney rock art awarded royal society’s bronze medal essay prize 1894.

from time, mathews became fanatical student of aboriginal society. familiarised himself fledgling discipline of anthropology studying in library of royal society of new south wales exchanged publications 400 other scholarly , scientific institutes around world. studied @ public library in sydney (now state library of new south wales). mathews’ work classified social or cultural anthropology. did not practise physical anthropology or collect human remains.

in addition documentation of rock art, appears in 23 published papers, mathews published on following themes: kinship , marriage rules; male initiation; mythology; , linguistics. capitalised on considerable international interest in aboriginal australians in victorian , edwardian periods. reports read , cited major social scientists including Émile durkheim , van gennep. apart few short books , booklets, mathews published entirely in learned journals, including journal of anthropological institute, american anthropologist, american antiquarian, bulletins et mémoires de la société d anthropologie de paris, , mitteilungen der anthropologischen gesellschaft. in addition these specialist anthropological journals, published in general scientific periodicals including proceedings of american philosophical society , journals of various australian royal societies including royal australasian geographical society (queensland branch).

mathews gathered information forging links aboriginal communities visited in person. preferred method of data collection, , criticised howitt , lorimer fison not having gone out among blacks in cases. however, mathews’ personal investigations confined southeast australia while publications concerned australian colonies (states 1901) except tasmania. when writing areas not visit, used data supplied rural settlers whom persuaded collect information according instructions. r. h. mathews papers contain many examples of incoming correspondence.

kinship , marriage rules

of mathews’ 171 publications, 71 aboriginal kinship, totems or rules of marriage. first publication on kinship read before queensland branch of royal geographical society of australasia in 1894. concerns kamilaroi people of new south wales country knew surveying. mathews noted kamiliaroi community divided 2 cardinal groups, these days known moieties (although mathews more called them phratries or less cycles ). each moiety divided further 2 sections. particular sections (from opposite moieties) expected intermarry. community divided totems, taken consideration when marriages being arranged. particular totemic groups expected intermarry.

mathews noted marriage rules similar of kamilaroi occurred across of australia. communities had intermarrying moieties without further divisions within moiety groups. others had moieties divided 4 sections (now known sub-sections). plotted distribution of marriage rules , other cultural traits in map showing boundaries of several nations of australia , published american philosophical society in 1900.

throughout studies of aboriginal kinship, mathews claimed marriages occurred outside standard marriage rules understood community, although nonetheless accepted. called them irregular marriages , argued further set of rules governed these relationships. despite these departures standard rules, remained highly ordered social system. mathews pointed out in kamilaroi society there marriages, such between people of same totem, never deemed acceptable. mathews’ rival howitt denounced these findings, arguing information imparted ‘degraded’ tribes, corrupted european influence. however, later anthropologists, including adolphus peter elkin, endorsed mathews interpretation.

mathews’ approach kinship different of howitt who, john mulvaney has written, sought ‘to lay bare essentials of primeval society, on assumption australia storehouse of fossil customs.’ mathews reacted against approach, based on social evolutionary ideas of lewis henry morgan, patron of both howitt , collaborator fison. howitt , fison argued vestiges of primitive form of social organisation, called group marriage , evident in aboriginal marriage rules. group marriage, defined morgan, presupposed groups of men called each other brother had collective conjugal rights on groups of women called each other sister . thomas argues mathews found idea of group marriage in aboriginal society ‘counterintuitive’ because ‘the requirements of totems , sections made marriage highly restrictive business.’ idea group marriage exists in aboriginal australia dismissed anthropological authorities ‘one of notable fantasies in history of anthropology.’

male initiation

mathews believed ceremonial life integral social cohesion of aboriginal communities. initiation, explained, ‘a great educational institution’ intended strengthen civil authority of elders of tribe. mathews’ first publication on initiation description of bora ceremony, held kamilaroi people @ gundabloui in 1894. returned subject of kamilaroi initiation in last paper, ‘description of 2 bora grounds of kamilaroi tribe’ (1917), published year before death.

in intervening years, mathews wrote extensively on ceremonial life, in southeast australia. more limited descriptions of ceremonies in south australia , northern territory developed data supplied correspondents. of 171 anthropological publications, 50 partly or wholly concerned ceremony. majority consist of detailed description of initiation ritual practised particular community. 1897, mathews claim have documented male initiation ceremonies of 3 quarters of land mass of new south wales.

mathews wrote stages of male initiation. however, published data on female initiation in victoria , attentive activities occurred in women’s camps while neophytes out in bush being inducted rituals men. mathews documented initiation @ time when ceremonies endangered colonisation , consequent loss of access sacred ceremonial sites. many of performers in ceremony known mathews employed in pastoral industry. mathews’ reports show these historical changes found expression in ceremonial life. motifs of cattle, locomotives, horses , white people carved ground @ ceremonial sites in new south wales. mathews’ work on kamilaroi initiation cited extensively in famous debate between lang , hartland whether aborigines ‘possessed conception of moral being’.

much of mathews’ research on ceremony conducted during preparatory , rehearsal periods, rather during initiation rituals themselves. thomas suggests may have been intentional on part of mathews’ informants, since allowed them control secret-sacred information revealed outsider. mathews permitted degree of access evidence of degree trusted. given number of sacred instruments relating initiation ceremonies, in collection of australian museum. information documented janet mathews, originating aboriginal elders on south coast of new south wales in 1960s, indicates mathews himself initiated. thomas argues mathews’ refusal write directly these experiences shows loyalty secret culture ‘more important whatever kudos might have won anthropologist in revealing these secrets world.’

mythology

mathews’ first contribution study of myth series of 7 legends various parts of new south wales, published in 1898 ‘folklore of australian aborigines’ anthropological magazine science of man. republished them short book following year. on next decade, mathews published dozen articles describing aboriginal myths. while few legends western australia documented correspondent, great bulk of mathews’ folklore research done in person.

mathews’ interest in mythology connected british interest in folklore study serious branch of inquiry during lifetime. folklore society, formed in 1878, dedicated study of traditional music, customs, folk art, fairy tales , other vernacular traditions. society published folk-lore, internationally distributed journal, mathews contributed 5 articles.

in keeping folk-lore style, mathews tended rephrase aboriginal narratives respectable english. acceptable allies hartland , lang, both prominent in folklore studies. however, mathews’ rephrasing queried moritz von leonhardi, german editor , publisher, whom corresponded. .

despite these limitations, mathews’ publications , unpublished notes preserve significant examples of aboriginal folklore might otherwise have been lost. mathews’ substantial documentation of aboriginal mythology can found in account of creation of blue mountains, told gundangara (or gundungurra) people. story involves epic chase between quoll mirragan , great fish gurangatch tore ground create rivers , valleys. mathews’ surveying background , interest in topography made him attentive route of journey.

linguistics

the first language documented r. h. mathews gundungurra in paper co-authored mary everitt, sydney school teacher, dated 1900 time, linguistic study major part of research. language elicitation can found in 36 of 171 works of anthropology. linguistic writings describe total of 53 australian languages or dialects.

most of mathews’ linguistic research conducted in person during visits aboriginal camps or settlements. wrote in study of kurnu (spoken in western new south wales): ‘i collected following elements of language in kurnu territory, reliable , intelligent elders of both sexes.’ few of linguistic studies carried out aid of correspondents. 210 word vocabulary of jingili language prepared aid of northern territory grazier. lutheran missionary , anthropologist carl strehlow supplied information paper on luritja, spoken in central australia. mathews publications seldom name aboriginal people tutored him in language, information can found in notebooks or offprints of articles among r. h. mathews papers.

a consistent template used throughout mathews’ linguistic writings. first, grammar explained. followed vocabulary, first word in english , equivalent in aboriginal language. words grouped in categories loosely replicated in each article: ‘the family’, ‘the human body’, ‘natural surroundings’, ‘mammals’, ‘birds’, ‘fishes’, ‘reptiles’, ‘invertebrates’, ‘adjectives’ , ‘verbs’. mathews’ vocabularies typically number 300 words, rising on occasion 460. mathews studied language in manner because believed comparative linguistic study provide evidence of successive waves of migration australia when continent populated. .

mathews used system of orthography developed advice on elicitation of native terms, circulated royal geographical society. mathews’ documentation not sufficiently extensive allow learn or speak language. so, work constitutes important historical record of many tongues no longer spoken. has been used extensively in more recent historical investigations of aboriginal linguistics.