REPUTATION OF TI1E AREOIS. 239 
sexes, who attached themselves to this dissipated 
and wandering fraternity, prepared their food and 
their dresses, performed a variety of servile occu¬ 
pations, and attended them on their journeys, for 
the purpose of witnessing their dances, or sharing 
in their banquets. These were called Fanaunau, 
because they did not destroy their offspring, which 
was indispensable with the regular members. 
Although addicted to every kind of licentious¬ 
ness themselves, each Areoi had his own wife, who 
- was also a member of the society ; and so jealous 
were they in this respect, that improper conduct 
towards the wife of one of their own number, was 
sometimes punished with death. This summary 
and fatal punishment was not confined to their 
society, but was sometimes inflicted, for the same 
crime, among other classes of the community. 
Singular as it may appear, the Areoi institution 
was held in the greatest repute by the chiefs and 
higher classes; and, monsters of iniquity as 
they were, the grand masters, or members of 
the first order, were regarded as a sort of super¬ 
human beings, and treated with a corresponding 
degree of veneration by many of the vulgar and 
ignorant. The fraternity was not confined to any 
particular rank or grade in society, but was com¬ 
posed of individuals from every class. But al¬ 
though thus accessible to all, the admission was 
attended with a variety of ceremonies ; a protracted 
noviciate followed ; and it was only by progressive 
advancement, that any were admitted to the supe¬ 
rior distinctions. 
It was imagined that those who became Areois 
were generally prompted or inspired to adopt this 
course by the gods. When any individual there¬ 
fore wished to be admitted to their society, he 
