Magic in Oceania
Mana and tapu, tohunga and kahuna, the Dreaming and its restricted knowledge, and sorcery beliefs across Melanesia. 52 entries on EveryJaadu so far.
Places of magic
Ahu Tongariki 1Arnhem Land 1Buariki village 1Coromandel Peninsula 1Fagamalo 1Falealupo 1Gisborne 1Haleakalā 1Hawaii 1Hokianga 1Hokianga Harbour 1Hoover Dam 1House of Taga 1Kakadu National Park 1Kikowhakarere 1Kilcoy 1Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park 1Lake Waikaremoana 1Lamakara 1Marine Parade 1Matavai 1Molokaʻi 1Mount Arowhana 1Mount Moehau 1Mount Ngongotahā 1Mount Pirongia 1Napier 1Pentecost Island 1Queen Charlotte Sound 1Rano Raraku 1
Rites of the region
Karakia and lifting tapuHooponoponoAboriginal smoking ceremonyPacific kava ceremonySorcery accusation in Papua New Guinea
Countries
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
🇼🇸 Samoa and 1 moreAitu
A Polynesian term for spirits, ghosts, or calamityBelief · Cursing and harm Historical
🇹🇴 Tonga and 5 moreTabootapu
A cultural prohibition that marks something as forbidden or sacredBelief · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇫🇯 FijiFijian mythology
The traditional beliefs and stories of the indigenous people of FijiTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇳🇿 New Zealand and 5 moreTapu
A Polynesian concept of sacred restriction and spiritual prohibitionTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇵🇬 Papua New GuineaWitch-hunts in Papua New Guinea
Violent attacks on people accused of sorcery, mainly women and girlsBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇰🇮 Kiribati and 4 moreMicronesian mythology
The traditional belief systems and legends of the island peoples in the southwest Pacific.Belief · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇦🇺 AustraliaThe Dreaming
A worldview of ancestral creation and eternal law in Australian Aboriginal cultureTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇵🇬 Papua New GuineaBaloma
Spirits of departed kin who, Trobrianders hold, place each new child in the wombBeing · Love and attraction Living
🇻🇺 Vanuatu and 3 moreMana
A spiritual force of power and authority in Oceanic culturesBelief · Power and authority Living
🇳🇿 New Zealand and 4 moreFeather cloak
A garment of feathers worn by royalty and gods across cultures to signal rank or enable flightCharm · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇹🇴 Tonga and 5 moreTabootapu
A cultural prohibition that marks something as forbidden or sacredBelief · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇫🇯 FijiFijian mythology
The traditional beliefs and stories of the indigenous people of FijiTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇳🇿 New Zealand and 5 moreTapu
A Polynesian concept of sacred restriction and spiritual prohibitionTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇵🇬 Papua New GuineaWitch-hunts in Papua New Guinea
Violent attacks on people accused of sorcery, mainly women and girlsBelief · Cursing and harm Living
🇰🇮 Kiribati and 4 moreMicronesian mythology
The traditional belief systems and legends of the island peoples in the southwest Pacific.Belief · Wonder and entertainment Historical
🇦🇺 AustraliaThe Dreaming
A worldview of ancestral creation and eternal law in Australian Aboriginal cultureTradition · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living
🇵🇬 Papua New GuineaBaloma
Spirits of departed kin who, Trobrianders hold, place each new child in the wombBeing · Love and attraction Living
🇻🇺 Vanuatu and 3 moreMana
A spiritual force of power and authority in Oceanic culturesBelief · Power and authority Living
🇳🇿 New Zealand and 4 moreFeather cloak
A garment of feathers worn by royalty and gods across cultures to signal rank or enable flightCharm · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Historical
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Taboo: Jonathan McIntosh, CC BY 2.0, source
- Witch-hunts in Papua New Guinea: The original uploader was Dr. Blofeld at English Wikipedia ., Attribution, source
- Feather cloak: Lusanaherandraton, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- The Dreaming: September 1985, Public domain, source
- Mana: Unknown author, Public domain, source