The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead, Volume 2 (of 3) : The Belief Among the Polynesians

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Frazer, James George, 1854-1941

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead, Volume 2" by Sir James George Frazer is an anthropological study written in the early 20th century. This work explores the beliefs surrounding immortality and the veneration of the dead, focusing specifically on Polynesian cultures. The text aims to provide a detailed examination of how various Polynesian societies, including the Maoris, conceptualize life, death, and the afterlife, highlighting their unique cultural rituals and spiritual beliefs. The opening of this volume sets the stage by recounting the discovery of Polynesians and giving an overview of their homogenous racial and cultural characteristics, despite their geographical dispersion across the Pacific Islands. Frazer introduces the Maoris, detailing their migration history and distinct cultural traits, including their complex relationships with the spiritual realm. The text transitions into the specific beliefs held by the Maoris regarding the human soul, its nature, and how it interacts with the living, setting a comprehensive foundation for exploring their funerary practices and ideas about life after death as the narrative unfolds. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was made using scans of public domain works from the University of Michigan Digital Libraries.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 66.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2010-08-24