Table Of Content

Littlehasbeenwrittenabouthonorin thesocial sciencesandalmostnothingaboutgrace.Yethonor hascausedmoredeathsthantheplague,andgrace iswhatwe allyearnfor, whetherin theform of favor,luck, pardon,gratuity,orsalvation. Thiscollectionofessaysdevelopsalineof thoughtin anthropologywhichwasopenedin the 1960sbythesameeditors(andsomeofthesame contributors)in HonorandShame:TheValuesof Mediterranean Society.Theessays,halfofthem historicalandhalfcontemporary,dealwith differentaspectsofhonorandgrace,andthe strategiesandtransactionsbywhichtheycan be obtained.TheyrangefromtheFrenchroyalrituals oftheMiddleAgestothemurderousfeudsand peace-makingritesoftheRif;theyshowhow differentpeoplesandperiodshavefacedthe problemsofpower,legitimacy,purity,divinity, andpersonaldestiny.Theconcludingchapter suggeststhatanthropology,whichignoredhonor untilaquarterofacenturyago,shouldnolonger ignoregrace,whosevariedconnotationsprovide thebasisofreligiousdoctrinesaswell asthe commoncoinageoftheexchangeoffavors and thanks. Little hasbeen written abouthonor inthe socialsciencesandalmost nothing about grace.Yethonor hascaused moredeathsthan theplague and grace iswhatweallyearnfor, whetherintheform offavor, luck, pardon,gratuity,orsalvation. Thiscollectionofessaysdevelopsalineof thought inanthropology which wasopened inthe 1960sby theeditors(andsome ofthe same contributors) inHonorand shame: thevaluesofaMediterranean society.The essays,halfof them historical and halfcontemporary,deal with different aspectsofhonor and grace, and thestrategiesand trans actionsby which theycan beobtained. Theyrange from theFrench royal ritualsof theMiddle Agesto themurderousfeudsand peace making ritesofthe Rif; they showhow different peoplesand periods havefaced theproblemsofpower,legitimacy,purity,divinity,and personal destiny.The concludingchaptersuggeststhat anthropology, which ignored honor untilaquarterofacentury ago,shouldnolonger ignore grace, whosevaried connotationsprovide thebasisofreligious doctrinesaswell asthecommon coinageof theexchangeoffavorsand thanks. CambridgeStudies in Social and CulturalAnthropology Editors:Jack Goody,Stephen Gudeman,MichaelHerzfeld, Jonathan Parry 76 Honor and grace in anthropology HONOR AND GRACE IN ANTHROPOLOGY Edited by J. G. PERISTIANY and JULIAN PITT-RIVERS n~riglll0/,h~ Vni,rrsI'YofCombridgr topi'"a"dsell allM/Jflnrrofbooks )0'0.1gumudby Hrtl'yVIIIinIH4 ThrU"i~'si'yNUpr;"Ud andpubhshrdC'OffWllIOlUly sinceJj84. CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge New York Port Chester Melbourne Sydney PublishedbythePressSyndicateoftheUniversityofCambridge ThePittBuilding,TrumpingtonStreet,CambridgeCB2 IRP 40West20thStreet,NewYork.NY10011-4211,USA 10StamfordRoad.Oakleigh,Victoria3166,Australia ©ThiscollectionJulianAlfredPitt-Rivers1992 Firstpublished 1992 PrintedinGreatBritainattheUniversityPress,Cambridge BritishLibrarycataloguinginpublicationdata Honorandgraceinanthropology, I.Honour.Mediterraneanregion.Anthropological perspectives.Studyregions:Spain.Andalusia I.Peristiany,J.e.(JohnGeorge),1911-87 II.Pitt-Rivers,Julian 306 Libraryof Congresscataloguingillpublicationdata Honorandgraceinanthropology/editedbyJ.G.Peristiany andJulianPitt-Rivers. p. em.- (Cambridgestudiesinsocialandcultural anthropology:76) Includesindex. ISBN0521390559 I.MediterraneanRegion- Socialconditions.2.Honor. I.Peristiany,JohnG.(JohnGeorge), 1911-87. II.Pitt-Rivers,JulianAlfred.III.Series. HN380.M4H661991 303.3'72.09I822---dc2090-1861CIP ISBN052I390559hardback Beforethisbook had gone topressJohn Peristiany wassmittenbya suddenand unsuspected illnessto which he succumbed.Let itremain, therefore,asamonument toaman to whom all Mediterraneanscholars owe much.