Biology:Dema Deity

Short description: Archetype in mythology and ethnology

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

• Cronus, from Greek mythology
• Osiris, from Egyptian religion
• Pangu, from Chinese mythology
• Ukemochi, from Shinto religion
• Tiamat, from Babylonian mythology
• Ymir, from Norse mythology

See also

• Myth of origins
• Culture hero
• Religious experience
• Uke Mochi

Further reading

• Fortune, R.F. (1979). Sorcerers of Dobu: The social anthropology of the Dobu Islanders of the Western Pacific (reprint ed.). London, UK; Darby, PA: Routledge & Kegan Paul; Arden. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/657270.R_F_Fortune. 
• Williams, F.E. (1940). "Williams, Francis Edgar (1893–1943)". Drama of Orokolo: The social and ceremonial life of the Elema. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120559b.htm.  NLA 908917. Clarendon Press. 1940. http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/908917. 
• Strehlow, T.G.H. (1971). "Australia". Historia Religionum: Handbook for the history of religions. 2. Leiden: Brill. pp. 609–628. ISBN 9788470571435. https://books.google.com/books?id=2ouYGkiP4rAC&q=STREHLOW,+T.+G.+H.:Historia+Religionum:+Handbook+for+the+History+of+Religions&pg=PA590. 
• Seligman, C.G. (1976). The Melanesians of British New Guinea (repr. ed.). Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press; AMS. ISBN 0-404-14174-9. http://isbndb.com/d/book/the_melanesians_of_british_new_guinea.html. 
• Burridge, K. (1969). Tangu Traditions: A study of the way of life, mythology, and developing experience of a New Guinea people. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-823136-9. https://archive.org/details/tangutraditionss0000burr. 
• Eliade, M. (1973). Australian Religions: An introduction. London, UK; Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-0729-X. https://archive.org/details/australianreligi00elia. 
• Elkin, A.P. (1978). Aboriginal Men of High Degree (2nd ed.). St. Lucia, AU; New York, NY: University of Queensland Press; St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-7022-1017-X. http://isbndb.com/d/book/aboriginal_men_of_high_degree_a02.html. 
• Geertz, C. (1976). The Religion of Java. Glencoe, IL; Chicago, IL: Free Press; University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-28510-3. http://isbndb.com/d/book/the_religion_of_java.html. 
• Pognant, R. (1967). Oceanic Mythology: The myths of Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-02372-9. http://isbndb.com/d/book/oceanic_mythology.html. 

External links

• Sorcerers of Dobu: The social anthropology of the Dobu Islanders of the Western Pacific. Waveland Press. August 1989. ISBN 0-88133-452-9. http://isbndb.com/d/book/sorcerers_of_dobu.html. 
• "Williams, Francis Edgar (1893–1943)". Williams, Francis. Edgar. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120559b.htm. 
• "Drama of Orokolo: The social and ceremonial life of the Elema". http://www.citybasementbooks.com.au/dump/books-0003/67396.html. 
• "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 0016-7398. 
• "Orokolo". http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3458000374.html. 
• "Orokolo - Bibliography". http://www.everyculture.com/Oceania/Orokolo-Bibliography.html. 
• Bleeker, C.J.; Widengren, G. (1988). Historia Religionum: Handbook for the History of Religions. ISBN 90-04-08928-4. http://isbndb.com/d/book/historia_religionum_a01.html. 
• "The Melanesians of British New Guinea". 1910. https://archive.org/details/melanesiansofbri00seli. 
• "Elsdon Best: Maori Religion and Mythology – Part 1". http://www.tepapastore.co.nz/shop_info.asp?page=3&currency=NZD&language=english&new=Te%20Papa%20Press&productid=93344&productname=Elsdon%20Best:%20Maori%20Religion%20and%20Mythology%20Part%201. 
• "Bibliography - Burridge Kenelm". http://isbndb.com/d/person/burridge_kenelm.html. 
• Jorgensen, Dan (1994). "Locating the Divine in Melanesia: An Appreciation of the Work of Kenelm Burridge". Anthropology and Humanism 19 (2): 130–137. doi:10.1525/ahu.1994.19.2.130. 
• Robbins, Sterling (1970). "General and Ethnology: Tangu Traditions: A Study of the Way of Life, Mythology, and Developing Experience of a New Guinea People. Kenelm Burridge". American Anthropologist 72 (6): 1530–1532. doi:10.1525/aa.1970.72.6.02a00790. 
• Eliade, Mircea (1966). Australian Religions: An Introduction. ISBN 080140729X. https://archive.org/details/australianreligi00elia. 
• The Iban and Their Religion. ASIN 0198231792. 
• Oceanic Mythology: The Myths of Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia. ISBN 0814803865. 
• "Bibliography - Roslyn Poignant". http://www.paperbackswap.com/Roslyn-Poignant/author/.