Maori Religion and Mythology : Illustrated by Translations of Traditions, Karakia, &c., to Which Are Added Notes on Maori Tenure of Land

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shortland, Edward, 1812-1893

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Māori Religion and Mythology" by Edward Shortland is a scientific publication written in the late 19th century. The work provides an in-depth exploration of the belief systems of the Māori people, including their religious practices, myths, and cosmological views, as illustrated by translations of traditions and incantations. The author aims to preserve and present Māori culture and spirituality, especially as it relates to their understanding of the natural world and their ancestral heritage. The opening of the text introduces the subject matter, highlighting the author's efforts to translate Māori manuscripts and the oral traditions he collected from highly regarded informants. In the first chapter, Shortland discusses the parallels between the primitive religions of various cultures, including those of the Aryans and Polynesians, while emphasizing the veneration of ancestral spirits in Māori belief. He sets the scene for further exploration of Māori cosmology, focusing on how the belief in a powerful generative force, symbolized by figures such as Tiki, shapes their worldview. The section captures the essence of Māori mythology and its connections to the natural phenomena that were central to their culture. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Curtis Weyant, Enrico Segre, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 79.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2013-02-26