Possibilities of violence skills to avoid it: on warfare and its absence in traditional micronesia (original) (raw)

This article explores some of the ways in which traditional Micronesian societies used the threat of warfare as an impetus to non-violence or, in other words, as a deterrent. Typically, Micronesians spent a good deal of time preparing for battle; war loomed large in their mytho-history and valour was a key cultural value. But these societies in fact depended heavily upon their dispersed matriclans for a range of alternative options to actual combat. Drawing upon this material, I argue that societies are not necessarily either peaceful or violent and that the appearance of bellicosity can mask deep commitments to avoiding open conflict.