Adolf Ellegard Jensen
Studied Physics and ethnography
Born 1 January 1899 – 20 May 1965
Germany
An ethnographer compares many ethnic groups and points out the similarities and differences. They take the face off of the clock and see what makes that culture tick. Through comparing and understanding the mechanism behind cultural ethnicities patterns emerge and exceptions are found all of which are representative of what it means to be human If you already knew that, you get some bonus points. Through traveling and observing different cultures from South Africa, Ethiopia, and Moluccas through his German cultural understanding Adolf Jensen studied circumcision and rites of passage. He took a roundabout way of coming to ethnology though.
At the end of the war there was light at the end of the tunnel and he indeed received a full professorship and became the director of the anthropology museum. Along with Franz Termer the Hamburg based anthropology professor the two reestablished the "German Anthropology Association". Jensen followed in the steps of his supervisor and drew on the theory of cultural morphology and applied it to religious studies, he slightly broke from tradition of doing ethnography and as a result gave a different approach. He retired in 1965 and passed away shortly after.
The Frobenius institute is still going strong, have a look here at their ongoing projects.
In one of his most well-known works "Myth and cult among primitive peoples" 1951. And the only book to date to be translated into English. (So for the wonderful readers who speak German and English and have some time on your hands please translate the other books!) He continued the theory of Leo Frobenius on cultural morphology. Jensen’s focus was on religious sacrifice in which he developed a theory of the Dema Deity a term he borrowed from the Marind people during his fieldwork in Indonesia.
Jensen noticed that in primitive cultures gatherers had to kill plants in order to harvest them. This cycle was repeated symbolically in rituals, especially related to sacrifices to the gods. Often 'new' plants would grow on graves which were considered a gift from the gods. For Jensen these stories simply confirm and repeat themselves plants, people, the moon and all things are part of an ancient story simply repeating non-stop.
Have you gone through a rite of passage?
Do you think a rite of passage is a re-enactment of life and death?
As always feel free to write to me or come visit me in Germany :)
https://frobenius-institut.de/images/Digitalisierungsprojekt/researcher/Jensen.pdf
https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/jensen-adolf-e
http://www.berose.fr/?The-Killed-God-and-his-Killing-Rituals-The-Leitmotif-of-Adolf-E-Jensen-s-Life