Kula and the Search for Fame

1. Kula and the Search for Fame Chapter Nine “kula takes a lot of work-all the time you must take care of your friends” (148).

2. What Is “Kula”? • Shells of intense value that are exchanged through various partners among various island over drawn out periods of time. • Partners involved in the exchange of valuable kula shells receive fame. • Strong kula players have as many as ten paths circulating at a time

3. What is “Kula”? • For one shell to travel from the beginning of its path and back, takes a minimum of 2-5 years. • Woman generally do not partake in kula on their own. • Value of kula shells are ranked by size, color, and fineness of polishing. • Kula shells are exchanged for shells of matched value

4. What are Kula shells made out of? Armbands: • Cowrie pendants • Beads • String Necklaces: • Golf-lipped oyster shells • String • Other Trinkets

5. What is a “kitomu”? • Kitomu is a part of the kula exchange. Kitomu armshells or necklaces are different in that they are owned by only one man, until exchanged and traded. What is traded becomes their new kitomu, and they own that solely now. • Very powerful • The jealousy may cause sorcery and can be dangerous

6. Kula Tradition • Men travel for weeks or months in difficult sailing conditions with ornately decorated canoes • When they return, their kin says they heard thunder and felt the ground shake – as nature’s “witness to the success of the voyage and spreading fame of the men” (139).

7. Kula and Colonialism • European traders bought large quantities of Kula armshells and necklaces and then given to villagers as payment for their labor. This caused heavy inflation. • Though the increasingly volume further stabilized the Kula exchange system.

8. How to join an existing Kula Path • Paths are inherited through family • Kula men can take their sister’s son or own son and introduce them to his Kula partners. • Men will tempt others who have valuables to join their paths with sorcery to “turn their minds”, in hopes of acquiring fame

9. How to “turn minds” • Love magic • Gift other kula shells to keep interest • Long conversations with partner and spouse to convince the wife of one’s strength and sincerity, hoping she can convince the husband.

10. How to create a new Kula Path • Someone has a valuable kitomu • Word spreads, others entice that individual with gifts. • They try to turn minds with magic • The individual picks which partners he accepts, and sends the others armshells so they know the path is closed. • Sending a vaga gift. A gift to open additional exchanges with the same partner.

11. The life of a Kula path • Three catagories • Vaga, the gifts sent to open the path • Basi,the shells sent to keep the partners reminded that the path is still alive • Kudu, the shells which match the vaga shells in value, and marked the end in that set of exchanges until the kitomu arrives. • These shells have nothing to do with the exchange of the kitomu shell. The purpose of the vaga, basi, and kudu is to increase confidence that the path is still alive. • Armshells travel clockwise, necklaces travel counter clockwise

12. How to end a Kula path • The “death” of a kula path is marked when the shell classed as is kunivilevila is received. • Shells are exchanged evenly in value, and once a debt is fully repaid but even more is received, these shells are called kunivilevila but the profit is termed katumukolava.

13. Purpose of Kula exchanges • If kula players are strong, they create long standing debts and can hold valuables away from kin obligations like marriages or death. In this way, it protects player’s wealth from everyday life. • High status and fame are rewarded to those who are talented and lucky when finding valuable shells. • Wealth is more long-lasting with kula, as opposed to yams which is a yearly give and take.