The Sexual Life of Savages in North Western Melanesia

The Sexual Life of Savages in North Western Melanesia is a book written by Bronislaw Malinowski, a Polish-British anthropologist, in 1929. The book is a detailed study of the sexual practices and customs of the Trobriand Islanders, a group of Melanesian people living in the western Pacific Ocean. Malinowski's research was conducted during his fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands between 1915 and 1918.The book provides a comprehensive account of the Trobriand Islanders' sexual behavior, including their attitudes towards sex, courtship rituals, marriage customs, and the role of sexuality in their social and cultural life. Malinowski's observations reveal a society that places a high value on sexual pleasure and sees it as an integral part of everyday life.The Sexual Life of Savages in North Western Melanesia is considered a landmark in the field of anthropology for its pioneering approach to the study of human sexuality. Malinowski's research challenged the prevailing Victorian attitudes towards sex and helped to establish the study of human sexuality as a legitimate area of academic inquiry.The book is written in a clear and accessible style, making it suitable for both academic and general readers. It remains a classic work in the field of anthropology and continues to be widely read and studied today.1929. An ethnographic account of courtship, marriage and family life among the natives of the Trobriand Islands, British New Guinea. From the Preface: The sexual life of savages has long awaited its natural historian. Owing to sex taboos, that weigh at least as much on the civilized as on the savage mind, this subject has always been veiled in mystery. The mystery has been fascinating or somber according to the general attitude to savagery that happened to prevail. Contents: The Relations Between the Sexes in Tribal Life; The Status of Woman in Native Society; Prenuptial Intercourse; The Avenues to Marriage; Marriage; Divorce and the Dissolution of Marriage by Death; Procreation and Pregnancy in Native Belief and Custom; Pregnancy and Childbirth; Customary Forms of License; Love-Making and the Psychology of Erotic Life; The Magic of Love and Beauty; Erotic Dreams and Fantasies; Morals and Manners; and A Savage Myth of Incest.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.