Quand on te donne un mari, ne le refuse pas.

Abstract

J.-P. Eschlimann—Don't Refuse a Given Husband. The ideology and lineage strategy of preferential marriage, far from being univer-sally accepted in Anyi society, corne under constant internai contention. The matrilineal dominancy prevailing in the socio-political System is imperilled by centrifugal forces resulting from the behaviour of some lineage heads and by the fact that there are youth more sensitive to the attraction of their partner, or of personal freedom, than by the raison de lignage. A corpus of taies gives a tentative explanation of this ever renewed tension between the ideological norm and the actual practice of marriage strategy. The storytellers harp on the disorder resulting from the incautiousness of girls, their defiance of elders, and so forth. They also denounce the erring ways of such men as condone such behaviour—and often forfeit their life in consequence. Finally they describe the lineage elders' reaction to the disorder thus introduced by women. Lest the lineage stool, its riches and its tmity be put in jeopardy, elders need be attentive to unmask Death as it enters the lineage under the disguise of a beautiful Stranger. [pp. 517-547]