Description:
Without question, Martha Warren Beckwith's Hawaiian Mythology is one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the indigenous culture of Hawai'i before annexation. Bringing together three decades of research; the book guides readers through variant narratives and core motifs, exploring every significant theme and deity within native Hawaiian folklore.
Brief description:
Martha Warren Beckwith (1871--1959) was an American folklorist and ethnographer. Born in Wellesley Heights, Massachusetts, Beckwith attended Mount Holyoke College before graduating with a Master's degree in anthropology from Columbia University in 1906. In 1920, having earned her PhD, she became the chair of Vassar College's Folklore program. Specializing in Hawaiian, Jamaican, and Native American cultures, Beckwith published numerous collections of proverbs, folk stories, myths, and ethnographies from her extensive research, often conducted with renowned ethnomusicologist Helen H. Roberts.