Note 221 — Chapter II · THEORY OF THE HORDE AND MOTHER-RIGHT

On the three Altersclassen or Altersschichtungen, see ibid., 25 ff. The present class-system of the Kamilaroi, the author believes, is not older than the rise of the gentile organization. "Originally the division into classes by no means served, as Morgan and Fison assume, to exclude sexual intercourse between near collateral kindred, but to prevent cohabitation between relatives in the ascending and descending line, between parents and children, uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews, etc." Cf. as to the main point the somewhat similar views of Hellwald, Die mensch. Familie, 158 ff.; Lippert, Kulturgeschichte, I, 81-83; and Kautsky, Kosmos, XII, 196-98.