ABSTRACT
The Montenegrins, whom Boehm intensively studied from 1964 to 1966 in the field as well as in the archives, both before and after the fieldwork, are the vehicle which he uses to present his ideas about feuding. Blood Revenge thus is a case study of Montenegrin feuding, a case study in the sense that the purpose of the work is not primarily to tell about Montenegro but to delineate variables and develop hypotheses applicable to any society which feuds. Montenegro sociopolitical organization is based upon a patrilineal, patrilocal segmentary system composed of households, clans, and tribes. The feuding societies with which author familiar usually have localized lineages, and the lineages play a more important role in feuding than do the households or clans. After completing his analysis of Montenegro feuding, Boehm draws upon other case studies of feuding and also upon cross-cultural studies to develop a theory that he intends to be applicable to all uncentralized political systems.
