Yapese Empire

The Woleai script.

A variety of languages were spoken in the Empire. Yapese was spoken on the main islands while Ulithian, Woleaian, Satawalese, Nguluwan and Puluwat languages were spoken on the constituent islands and atoll groups.

The Woleaian script, also sometimes known as the Caroline Islands script, was the only indigenous writing system developed in the region. It was a syllabary used in Woleai until the mid-20th century. Some of the characters were based on Latin letters whereas the origins of other characters are not known. It was used by an estimated 1,600 people.[5]

Before the arrival of Western colonial powers in the Micronesian region, Yap and all of its constituent islands and atolls practised traditional animistic religions with different sets of mythologies, customs, practices, and rituals. Yapese mythology bears some resemblance to Chuukic mythology although the direction of diffusion is unknown.[6]

Yapese social caste system

The Yapese sociopolitical structure was based on a land tenure system which delegated the social rank of individual land parcels, determining its placement in a hierarchical structure.[11] Social classes were divided into two groups based on their two factors: land parcel rankings and control of resources.[12]

Each village has its own class ranking within its municipal chiefdom based on its number of military victories, and each village also has its own internal set of social classes exclusive to that group for its people. All low classes and low-class villages were under the authority of villages that were ranked higher since the latter had considerable power and voice (lungun).[13] Villages and municipal chiefdoms were continuously at war amongst one another, and as a result, village and personal social ranks fluctuated based on military outcomes.

The Yapese Empire was a supra-island political system linked by trade and ceremonial relationships. The ideology of the sawey maintained that the villages of Wanyan and Gatchaper held suzerainty over the islands and atolls to the east, stretching from Ngulu to Ulithi and from Fais to Namonuito.[14] The system stipulated that the relationship was akin to that of the analogous "parent and child" relationship with Yap holding dominion and the responsibility to give assistance to the outer islanders should the need arise.[15][16]

Although this unique relationship with Gagil and the outer islands may appear exploitative, researchers such as Lessa and Lingenfelter maintain that the relationship was mostly mutual and, in most cases, was more beneficial to the Carolinians than to the Yapese. Some also suggested that the so-called empire was formed out of conquest and "blackmail" through sorcery and economics.[17]

There are also oral accounts that may have indicated that Ifalik entered the supra-island political system through invasion. However, there is little archaeological or linguistic evidence that indicates signs of forced military invasion.[18]

The outer islands from the east were essentially considered members of the Yapese lower castes. As such, even chiefs were from the east had the same social ranking as that of Yapese serfs on the main islands. These outer islanders were therefore expected to show deference to their Yapese overlords and were not permitted to marry Yapese.[19]

In addition to the larger sawey tribute system, s smaller and more localised system of trade and tribute was practised among Lamotrek, Satawal and Elato until the 1950s. This relationship was known as the ke ("fish hook") system. Lamotrek was considered to be the dominant island and controlled the other two. As such, Satawal and Elato were required to present semi-annual tributes to Lamotrek as a sign of deference.[20]