Yanomamo

Yanomamo

Unlike the western culture, the Yanomamo lack the police to punish, judges to sentence and prisons to incarcerate. They don’t have the laws that most countries have. Laws that that discourage the murder of another person. In western societies when someone is killed, the killer is arrested and personally punished either by the death sentence of years in prison. If a Yanomamo kills another Yanomamo the victim’s family retaliates on the killer and his kin. Killing the first person they see, sometimes more. But, by retaliating they than make themselves targets for the same violence. When taking revenge on others, you benefit by striking quickly. That shows you as being aggressive and others will fear you to much to attack back.

The status of a Unokais is enticing because of the benefits of being considered an aggressive, responsible, ambitious person and willing to take risks for you kin. They are characteristics you want to posses when trying to acquire a mate. And with a mate comes offspring and since children are encouraged to be aggressive and valiant, it is likely that they will also become Unokais. Villages with the most Unokais are feared more and attacked less than the villages that have more non-unokais and are considered cowards.

Each village has one or more political leaders. These men are polygynous and are able to produce multiple offspring. They are the men who decide actions taken after a killing. In order to be a leader one must be a Unokai.

By performing revenge killings and being the most successful, insures you village s having a higher status versus the weaker ones who have not participated in the raids.

With revenge killing, the village with the most kinship density has power in numbers over smaller villages. It’s like when you go into battle you want to know that you have the advantage and there will be people there to have your back if something goes wrong. More people who will revenge your death if you are slain. This causes a close bond with fellow kin and a good reason to stay in that village.

It has been noted that from data collected and analyzed, that men who have taken part in revenge killings and have lived under their belt are more desirable as mates. Building an alliance with a skilled Unokais who have already proved successful in raids is beneficial to the family.

The laws that western cultures have for killing help the murders from getting out of control. If someone were to harm m family I would want justice. If I knew that there wasn’t going to be any I would take it into my own hands. “Hushuwo” is an overwhelming feeling and makes people do things they may regret.