Hainuwele, whose dismembered body gave origin to various edible plants

Dema Deity is a concept introduced by Adolf Ellegard Jensen following his research on religious sacrifice. Jensen was a German ethnologist who furthered the theory of Cultural Morphology founded by Leo Frobenius.

Description

The term dema comes from the Marind people of southwest Papua and has been used to refer to similar concepts in Melanesian religion and elsewhere.

Dema Deities are mythological figures who have given to certain peoples their land, food-crops, totems, and knowledge such as how to cultivate crops, raise poultry, make boats, perform dances, and perform sacred rituals. In some cases, such as in the Hainuwele myth of Seram Island recorded by Jensen, it is claimed that from their dismembered bodies, blood, etc., came the different communities that are now in existence, together with their territory.

Both local culture and natural environment remain infused with the supernatural power of these creative deities.

Examples

See also

Further reading

  • Fortune, R.F. (1979) [1963; 1932]. (reprint ed.). London, UK; Darby, PA: Routledge & Kegan Paul; Arden. ASIN .
  • Williams, F.E. (1940). "Williams, Francis Edgar (1893–1943)". . Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. . Clarendon Press. 1940.
  • Strehlow, T.G.H. (1971). "Australia". In Bleeker, C.J.; Widengren, G. (eds.). . Vol. 2. Leiden: Brill. pp. 609–628. ISBN 9788470571435 – via Google Books.
  • Seligman, C.G. (1976) [1910]. (repr. ed.). Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press; AMS. ISBN 0-404-14174-9.
  • Burridge, K. (1969). . Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-823136-9.
  • Eliade, M. (1973). . London, UK; Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-0729-X.
  • Elkin, A.P. (1978) [1977]. (2nd ed.). St. Lucia, AU; New York, NY: University of Queensland Press; St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-7022-1017-X.
  • Geertz, C. (1976) [1960]. . Glencoe, IL; Chicago, IL: Free Press; University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-28510-3.
  • Jensen, E. (1975) [1974]. . Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-823179-2.
  • Pognant, R. (1967). . London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-02372-9.

External links

  • . Waveland Press. August 1989. ISBN 0-88133-452-9.
  • . Williams, Francis. Edgar. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  • . Archived from on 2011-03-01.
  • "A book review of Drama of Okokolo: The Social and Ceremonial Life of the Elema by F.E. Williams". The Geographical Journal. 96 (1): i–viii. 1940. ISSN . JSTOR .
  • .
  • .
  • Bleeker, C.J.; Widengren, G. (1988). . ISBN 90-04-08928-4.
  • . 1910.
  • . Archived from on 2011-07-24.
  • .
  • Jorgensen, Dan (1994). "Locating the Divine in Melanesia: An Appreciation of the Work of Kenelm Burridge". Anthropology and Humanism. 19 (2): 130–137. doi:.
  • Robbins, Sterling (1970). . American Anthropologist. 72 (6): 1530–1532. doi:.
  • Eliade, Mircea (1966). . Cornell University Press. ISBN 080140729X.
  • The Iban and Their Religion. ASIN .
  • Oceanic Mythology: The Myths of Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia. ISBN 0814803865.
  • .