In _Back to the Top of the World_ by Hans Ruesch (fiction, but he did his homework) a similar but more serious custom is described, among the old northern Eskimos. Two men who had a quarrel might elect, in lieu of fighting, to have a refereed duel of insults, taking turns to the beat of a drum, the winner being signaled by the amount of laughter in the audience. Honor required reconciliation at the end. Clearly a valuable custom.