Culture of the Marquesas Islands
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/* Sexual mores */
[[Image:Pareu haka.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Marquesans performing a Haka dance]]
The '''culture of the Marquesas Islands''' describes the cultural practices of the [[Marquesas Islands]], which were colonized by [[Polynesian navigation|sea-faring]] [[Polynesia]]ns as early as [[300]] A.D., thought to originate from [[Samoa]]. The dense population was concentrated in the narrow valleys, and consisted of warring tribes, who sometimes [[cannibalism|cannibalized]] their enemies.
Much of [[Polynesia]], including the original settlers of [[Hawaii]], [[Tahiti]], [[Rapa Iti]] and [[Rapa Nui|Easter Island]], was settled by Marquesans, believed to have departed from the Marquesas as a result more frequently of overpopulation and drought-related food shortages, than because of the nearly constant warfare that eventually became a prominent feature of the islands' culture. Almost the entire remainder of Polynesia, with the exception of a few areas of western Polynesia as well as the majority of the [[Polynesian outlier]]s, was colonized by Marquesan descendants centered in Tahiti.
==Culture==
===1595-1945===
Native Marquesan culture was devastated in the period following the arrival of [[Europe]]an explorers. While the decline in Marquesan culture can in small part be attributed to the activities of [[Christian]] [[missionary|missionaries]], the primary cause of its collapse can be directly linked to the catastrophic effects of [[Alien (biology)|alien]] [[disease]]s, especially [[smallpox]], which reduced the population by an estimated 98%.
===Sexual mores===
The Marquesas Islands have been noted for their sexual culture. Many sexual activities seen as taboo in western cultures are viewed appropriate by the native culture. One of these differences is that young children are introduced and educated to sex at a very young age; furthermore, when a child reaches adulthood, they are educated on sexual techniques by a much older adult. <ref>[http://www2.rz.hu-berlin.de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/GUS/MARQUESANS.HTM GUS<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/BIB/DIAM/pre_contact.htm Sexual Behavior in Pre Contact Hawai’i:<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===Contemporary period===
Today, Marquesan culture is a mélange created by the layering of the ancient Marquesan culture, with strong influences from the important [[Tahiti]]an culture and the politically important [[French culture]].
==In western culture==
*Famous French painter [[Paul Gauguin]] and Belgian singer [[Jacques Brel]] spent the last years of their lives in the Marquesas, and are buried there. Brel composed a famous song, ''Les Marquises'', about the Marquesas Islands, his last home.
*The Marquesas provided inspiration to American novelist [[Herman Melville]], whose experiences in the Marquesas formed the basis for his novel ''[[Typee]]''.
*[[Robert Louis Stevenson]] visited the Marquesas in [[1888]], and wrote about his experiences and impressions there in [[1900]], in a book called [http://www.sharebook.co.kr/stevenson/sseas10.htm ''In the South Seas''].
*[[Thor Heyerdahl]] wrote his book ''[[Fatu Hiva (book)|Fatu Hiva]]'' during a year-long stay on that island.
*The island group is also mentioned in passing in the [[Crosby, Stills & Nash]] song, "[[Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills and Nash song)|Southern Cross]]".
*The Marquesas Islands temporarily received an international spotlight in the [[United States]] when the reality TV show ''[[Survivor: Marquesas]]'' was filmed there. It was the fourth installment of the TV series ''[[Survivor (US TV series)|Survivor]]''.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.polynesia.com/islands/marquesas2.html The Marquesas Islands, at the Polynesian Cultural Center]
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[[Category:Tribal societies that have practiced cannibalism]]
[[Category:Marquesas Islands]]
[[Category:Polynesian culture]]