The Yanomamo Indians

The Yanomamo rules against killing differ from that of Western cultures by allowing revenge killings. For most Western cultures killing is only completely okay in war or if a person is sentenced to the death penalty. It also sounds like even if the Yanomamo cannot find the culprit guilty of the killing, but know his tribe, then they are more than willing to take it out on his tribesmen if he cannot be found. Here it is only legal to kill a criminal who has been convicted and sentenced to the death penalty, even if sometimes the wrong person is convicted, generally in western cultures, the killing ends there and is not considered revenge killing. Sometimes even a death of natural causes, although this was believed to be almost non-existent because there was always someone or something to blame, can start a streak of violence, killing, and carnage.

Revenge killing for the Yanomamo’s is the ability to go after a tribe when one of its members has killed a member of your clan. When a family member is killed, this may lead to revenge killing for the tribe guilty of committing the crime, woman might also be abducted in return for what was lost. To put it bluntly for the Yanomamo vengeance killing is completely legal and seen as normal.

Once you have the status of being an unokais, you are feared by non-unokais and can become rather wealthy, but can be sought after by other unokais who are looking to become more feared. The benefits of not being a unokais is that you would not be as sought after to be killed as a unokais. A man might choose the unokais path to become stronger and more feared, also wealthier rather than living the normal non-unokais lifestyle.

Revenge killing helps shape political structure by placing the more successful killers known as “Headman,” at the top of the social pyramid, able to run their village and make beneficial rules for their own gain, whereas lesser men must bow before him and do his bidding. This allows for stronger leaders, because of how much work and strength they need to make their way to the top.

Revenge killings help shape social status and social groups, a tribe who has better killers will be more high standing and powerful than that of a tribe full of cowardly warriors. One way revenge killings help social status specifically is when one tribe houses a very strong leader or unokais because people from other tribes will hear this and fear the leader and therefore hesitate to mess with his tribe. The more well known a warrior is puts him in more danger, but can also make his village safer for those who fear him.

Revenge killing generally begins with kinship, when a kin member is killed the chain of revenge begins. Personally from my understanding, I believe that without kinship or the care for one’s family, there would be no need for revenge killings at all because they would have no reason. Revenge killing could not exist in theory without kinship.

 A wealthier man, who has killed more than most men has a better chance of attracting or capturing wives and reproducing more frequently than a poorer or lesser man.

We have laws because while most of us may not want to do it, some of us might and those few people can continue to multiply and create a larger generation raised with the same beliefs that they share. Sometimes even having a law against it doesn’t necessarily prevent it. We also have to protect our population, the Yanomamo population fluctuates and gets lower because of all the killing they are allowed to do and then the non-ending cycle of revenge killing that follows their path.