William Ellis’s Polynesian Researches and Tahitian sacred landscapes

Record summary

William Ellis’s Polynesian Researches documents Tahitian and Society Islands religious practices, temple sites, spirits, ritual specialists and narratives associated with places during the early nineteenth century. It is valuable for comparing colonial descriptions of sacred landscapes with later categories such as haunted or anomalous places. Ellis wrote as a Protestant missionary during conversion and political upheaval, so his account reflects selective observation, theological interpretation and translation. The lead should be followed through specific chapters and place names, with comparison to Tahitian oral history and later Polynesian scholarship.