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The following facts1 concerning the sexual life of the inhabitants of Easter Island may be of interest to psycho-analysts:
From their fifth year onwards young girls receive instructions from the old women regarding behaviour in the sexual act, while the defloration of the young women is a privilege of old men. They confide themselves to their mates only after the prima nox has been passed with one of the elders of the tribe; and they steadfastly adhere to this custom even when strongly attracted to a particular young man.
The deeper significance of this custom is no doubt in agreement with the psycho-analytic interpretation, in particular with that of Storfer, 2 who ascribes the original jus primoe noctis to the father. Among the Orang-Sakai of Malacca a father is said3 to enjoy the jus primoe noctis with his daughters.
An article by P. Sinitzin (Petrograd) throws an interesting light on this subject and at the same time unintentionally confirms the importance ascribed by psycho-analysis to the incest-complex. After disposing of the superficial material motives at work in the custom of putting the father to death, which prevailed among barbaric races in antiquity as well as to-day, the writer shows that this custom is only prevalent among peoples where a father possesses the jus primoe noctis with the bride or wife of the sons, as was until recently the custom among the peasants of North Russia.4
According to Ferenczi, there are to this day many fathers of families in Croatia who take to themselves the right of having sexual intercourse with their daughters-in-law, until such time as the young couple, who have married in childhood, reach maturity.