Melanesian Mana — The 19th Century Source

“The Melanesian mind is entirely possessed by the belief in a supernatural power or influence almost called almost universally Mana. This is what works to affect everything which is beyond the ordinary power of men. Outside of common processes of nature, it is present in the atmosphere of life.”

Source: The M-N- Sound · Substack “Peppercorns Podcast”

The 19th century Melanesian definition of Mana — the foundational anthropological text that gave the concept to Western scholarship.

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