Robert Henry Codrington | |
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| Personal life | |
| Born | (1830-09-15)15 September 1830 Wroughton, United Kingdom |
| Died | 11 September 1922(1922-09-11) (aged 91) Chichester, United Kingdom |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Church of England |
Robert Henry Codrington (15 September 1830,Wroughton,Wiltshire – 11 September 1922)[1] was anAnglican priest andanthropologist who made the first study ofMelanesiansociety andculture. His work is still held as a classic ofethnography.
Codrington wrote, "One of the first duties of a missionary is to try to understand the people among whom he works,"[2] and he himself reflected a deep commitment to this value. Codrington worked as headmaster of theMelanesian Mission school onNorfolk Island from 1867 to 1887.[1] Over his many years with the Melanesian people, he gained a deep knowledge of their society, languages, and customs through a close association with them. He also intensively studied "Melanesian languages", including theMota language.[1]
He popularized the use of the word "mana" in the West, and described mana "as a generalized power that is perceived in objects appearing in any sense out of the ordinary, or that is acquired by persons who possess them."[3]
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