i88i] ANIMAL WORSHIP AND ANIMAL TRIBES 467 



thing is found in North America. There is a Bear tribe 

 among the Hurons and also among the Iroquois, and so 

 on. That these sub-tribes were originally reckoned in 

 the female line seems probable from the name applied 

 to them ^J^u, batn, that is, venter. The Arabic lexico 

 graphers give an explanation of the term which is plainly 

 absurd (see Lane, s.v. v _ ^). It seems naturally to 



denote the offspring of one mother. But apart from this 

 conjecture there is evidence to show that exogamy and 

 female kinship must at one time have prevailed among 

 the Arabs. Both exogamy and polyandry are the natural 

 outcome of an extensive practice of female infanticide. 1 

 But among the ancient Arabs this practice was so approved 

 that an old proverb declares that the destruction of 

 female children is a virtuous action. Again there is every 

 reason to believe that the form of capture in marriage 

 ceremonies is a relic of exogamy and marriage by actual 

 capture. Of this form the marriage ceremony of the 

 Bedouins is one of the most familiar examples. The facts 

 as stated by Burckhardt have already been used by 

 Mr. M Lennan (App. to Prim. Mar.}. Then as to poly 

 andry itself, the evidence of Strabo, who had excellent 

 information as to Arabia, has been already cited. He 

 speaks of polyandry, but in a form where kinship is not 

 through the mother only. Though the father is unknown, 

 the blood of the father is certain. Moixos 8 rrtv 6 

 It is clear, however, that this comparatively 



1 M Lennan, Prim. Mar. chap. viii. 



2 This doctrine has curious connections. Strabo says /j-tyvwrai 5 

 Kal wTpdai. This is to be connected with Qor an, iv. 26, where marriage 

 with a father s wife is forbidden, &quot; except what is passed.&quot; He who 



married his father s wife was called dayzan ( . J_A^), Abulf. Hist. A. -I. 

 p. 180, and the verb in the sixth form means &quot; to demand one s father s 

 wife, whom the pagan Arabs thought they should inherit along with 

 the property&quot; (Zamachshari in the App. to Golius and Freyt. s.v.). 

 This custom explains several things in the Old Testament ; the conduct 

 of Reuben (Gen. xxxv. 22), the anger of Ishbosheth at Abner (2 Sam. 

 iii. 7), an act which seemed to encroach on his birthright. So Absalom 



