The Great Spirit

[Rivers]

Is the reference to The Great Spirit in the Book of Mormon an anachronism in a Mesoamerican setting?

[Palerider]

"Great Spirit" seems to be an anglicized version of what is better translated as "The Great Mystery" among North American indigenous peoples. 

 

Wakan Tanka: (Souix)

 

Gitche Manitou: (Algonquian)

 

Abainili: (Chickasaw)

 

All translate; "The Great Mystery"

 

 

 

Napi, which translates "Old Man":  (Blackfoot)

 

 

As to how it got into the B of M, I suppose everyone will have to make up their own mind.......

Edited December 2, 2013 by Palerider

[Kenngo1969]

See, there was this book available for the Palmyra Public Library, The Great Spirit in Indian Thought and Worship (today, it would be Native American Thought and Worship, but they weren't quite so politically correct back then), by the noted Professor of Anthropology at New York University, Dr. Y.S. Genio.  The book was published in 1826.  That basically proves that Great Spirit was Joseph Smith's source for the idea in The Book of Mormon.

 

Ridiculous?  No more so than any number of similar theories that Joseph Smith drew upon (plagiarized?) this work or that work as a source of inspiration while fabricating The Book of Mormon.

 

Your mileage may vary.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Kenngo1969

[Brant Gardner]

I don't know. Since we have the Book of Mormon in translation, I don't know what the plate text said. Certainly "great spirit" is a generic that has been placed in native mouths by English writers. It could easily be an artifact of translation.

 

In Mesoamerica, it is most likely that specific "deities" would be referred to by name. However, just the idea of "deities" or "gods" is an inaccurate translation of their understanding. Many things had powerful spirit, and there were various ways of referring to the spiritual realm. It is not anachronous for a Mesoamerican to ascribe spiritual power to something for which they had no more specific name.

[Rivers]

Thanks for the response.