ceremonials, beliefs, and conventions, all electrically charged with
emotional content, have guarded the life of woman from change, and with
her the functions peculiar to family life. There has doubtless been
present in some of these taboos "a good hard common-sense element." But
there are also irrational elements whose persistence has resulted in
hardship, blind cruelty, and over-standardization.

In order to comprehend the attitude of early man toward sex and
womanhood, and to understand the system of taboo control which grew out
of this attitude, it is only reasonable to suppose that the prehistoric
races, like the uncivilized peoples of the present time, were inclined
to explain all phenomena as the result of the action of spiritistic
forces partaking of both a magical and religious nature. This
supernatural principle which the primitive mind conceived as an
all-pervading, universal essence, is most widely known as _mana_,
although it has been discussed under other names.[A]

Certain persons, animals and objects[B] are often held to be imbued to
an unusual degree with this _mana_, and hence are to be regarded as holy
and held in awe. Inasmuch as man may wish to use this power for his own
purposes, a ceremonial cult would naturally grow up by which this would
become possible. Otherwise, to come in contact with these objects
directly or indirectly, besides profaning their sanctity would be
exceedingly dangerous for the transgressor, because of this same power
of transmission of a dread and little understood force. Therefore, all
such persons, animals or objects are taboo and must be avoided. Under
these circumstances it can be seen that taboos are unanalyzed,
unrationalized "Don'ts," connected with the use and wont which have
crystallized around the wish of man to manipulate the mysterious and
often desirable features of his environment, notably those connected