The Rope of Moka
Big-men and Ceremonial Exchange in Mount Hagen New Guinea

In the Mount Hagen area of central New Guinea, warfare has been replaced since the arrival of the Europeans by a vigorous development of moka.

Andrew Strathern (Author)

9780521099578, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 11 September 1975

284 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.38 kg

In the Mount Hagen area of central New Guinea, warfare has been replaced since the arrival of the Europeans by a vigorous development of moka, a competitive ceremonial exchange of wealth objects. The exchanges of pigs, shells and other valuables are interpreted as acting as a bond between groups, and as a means whereby individuals, notably the big-men, can maximize their status. Professor Strathern analyses the ways in which competition between big-men actually takes place, and the effects of this competition on the overall political system.

1. Introduction
2. Groups
3. Ceremonial grounds
4. Warfare, alliance, and compensation
5. Moka transactions and media of exchange
6. Moka chains
7. Counting pigs and shells
8. Disputes and struggles precipitated by moka occasions
9. Moka and the status of big-man
10. The moka system and the behaviour of big-men
Appendices

Subject Areas: Anthropology [JHM]