MAklf AL JEALOUSY 141 



Up, it is certain their polygamy does not always spring 

 from a concern for population, but mostly from lust. 

 Moreover there are some women that are whores by 

 profession, though a single woman seldom prostitutes 

 herself to this scandalous trade. But as for the 

 married people, they are so shameless that if they can 

 they break the matrimonial obligation on both sides 

 without a blush." l If we assume, as perhaps we may, 

 that the "scandalous trade" referred to had arisen 

 from ^contact with Europeans, the rest of the foregoing 

 account may well stand for a fairly correct presentation 

 of native manners. Egede, who was a missionary to 

 Greenland for several years beginning in 1721, amply 

 confirms it. He notes with some surprise that "the 

 most detestable crime " of polygyny, though prevalent, 

 caused no jealousy among the wives before the 

 missionaries taught them its wickedness. Nor can 

 jealousy have had a much deeper hold of the men. 

 He describes by way of illustration a "game," at 

 which after feasting singing and dancing, the men one 

 after another disappeared behind a curtain with each 

 other's wives. "Those," he says, <c are reputed the 

 best and noblest tempered who without any pain or 

 reluctance, will lend their friends their wives. . . . 

 Especially the women think themselves happy if an 

 angakok) or prophet, will honour them with his 

 caresses. There are even some men so generous that 

 they will pay the angakok for it ; chiefly if they them- 

 selves have no children ; for they fancy that an 

 angakok! s child will be more happy and better qualified 

 for business than others." 2 The game referred to by 

 Egede is similar to the lamp-extinguishing game 

 1 Crantz, i. 157, 158, 159, 161. 2 Egede, 140 sqq. 



