Adolf Ellegard Jensen

Adolf Ellegard Jensen
Born1 January 1899
Died20 May 1965(1965-05-20) (aged 66)
NationalityGerman
Scientific career
FieldsEthnology
The Hainuwele myth of Seram Island was recorded by Jensen during an expedition to the Moluccas.

Adolf Ellegard Jensen (1 January 1899 – 20 May 1965) was one of the most important German ethnologists of the first half of the 20th century.

Jensen's main research interests were myth, ritual and cult. He furthered the theory of Cultural Morphology founded by Leo Frobenius. Jensen is mostly known for his research on religious sacrifice that led him to the introduction of the concept of Dema Deity.[1] His best-known work is 'Myth and Cult Among Primitive Peoples', published in 1951.