Mansi - Kinship

Kin Groups and Descent. The northern Mansi, like the Khanty, were divided into two exogamous groups, Mosh and Por, which are designated phratries by some scholars, moieties by others. Smaller clan groups, named for a particular ancestor, existed and became the basis for exogamy. A clan usually had two or three names associated with it and its history. Many clans also had a sign or brand that was used on clan property and in Russian documents. In the seventeenth century a change occurred from patriarchal clan organization to smaller patrilineally organized kindreds. The Mansi reckon descent in both maternal and paternal lines.

Kinship Terminology. Mansi kin terms distinguish groups of relatives according to bloodlines, relations through the mother's line, and marriage relations. Within these groups there exist divisions by gender, parentage, generation, and age relative to Ego. Blood relatives and relatives from the mother's family were considered the nearest to Ego.