132 TABOO AND GENETICS 



also from religious worship on account of the 

 idea of their uncleanness. The Arabs in many- 

 cases will not allow women religious instruction. 

 The Ansayrees consider woman to be an inferior 

 being without a soul, and therefore exclude her 

 from religious services. (34). In the Sandwich 

 Islands women were not allowed to share in 

 worship or festivals. (35). The Australians are 

 very jealous lest women should look into their 

 sacred mysteries. It is death for a woman to 

 look into a Bora. (20). In Fiji women are 

 kept away from worship and excluded from all 

 the temples. (9). The women of some of the 

 Indian hill-tribes may not sacrifice nor appear 

 at shrines, nor take part in religious festivals. 

 In New Ireland women are not allowed to 

 approach the temples. (43). In the Marquesas 

 Islands the Hoolah-hoolah ground, where 

 festivals are held, is taboo to women, who are 

 killed if they enter or even touch with their 

 feet the shadow of the trees. (30). Women 

 are also excluded from the sacred festivals of 

 the Ahts. (44). In the Amazon region, the 

 women are not even permitted to see the objects 

 used in important ceremonies. If any woman 

 of the Uaupes tribe happens to see the masks 

 used in the tribal ceremony she is put to death. 



(45)- 

 Crawley has explained the taboos on the 



sexes eating together and on the cooking of food 



