Current anthropology uses expressions such as 'society as a whole', 'socio-cosmic relations', 'spatiotemporal extension', 'global ideology', and 'cosmomorphy' to establish that the clear-cut Western dichotomy between society and cosmos is not always to be found in the communities it studies. In fact, many elements that the West would at first undoubtedly classify as belonging either to the cosmos or to the society appear very often in Melanesia as belonging to neither one of these domains, but to a realm which combines the attributes of both. Focusing on different examples drawn from diverse Melanesian societies, this thought-provoking volume by eminent specialists re-examines the relationship between society and cosmos and, in the process, opens new directions for research.

'The individual contributions are (...) very worthwhile reading, rich in ethnographic material and expressing diverse and original theoretical positions.'Bijdragen'Besides the richness in interpretative schemes contained in this volume a wide range of focal study areas have been covered; of art, carnal desire, inititation, gender relations, myths, role of peacemaker and killer, sibling rivalry. (...) Graduate students with an interest in exploring the intricate symbolic worlds of island and highland societies of the Pacific will ... benefit greatly from the painstaking research efforts found in this book.'Journal of Malaysian Studies'the skill with which ethnographic portraits are drawn in this volume is ... compelling.'Social Anthropology'the different chapters make fascinating reading.'Focaal

Daniel de Coppet Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales,Paris Andre Iteanu Charge de Recherche, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.), Paris