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

A comparative study surveys Polynesian conceptions of the soul and practices surrounding death across island societies such as the Maoris, Tongans, Samoans, Hervey Islanders, Society Islanders, Marquesans, and Hawaiians. It describes cosmologies, gods, priests, temples, taboos, and the role of ancestral spirits, and traces ritual forms of burial, mourning, and the worship of the dead. The author examines archaeological features like tombs and megaliths and records funeral rites and sacrificial customs. Attention is given to how social rank, kinship, and religious institutions shape beliefs about immortality and the ethical effects of those beliefs on community life.