Oceania encompasses a large number of Pacific islands,
including Polynesia,Micronesia,Melanesia,
Australia, and New Zealand, and sometimes the
Malay Archipelago. Its inhabitants have developed
a vast number of myths. Some appear to be from
only one or two islands, while others exist in
dozens of versions across much of Oceania.
Oceania’s myths took on written form beginning
with the visits of European missionaries and
explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Before
that, they had existed for centuries as ORAL LITERATURE.
They held and continue to hold fundamental
roles in Oceanic cultures. They explain how the
world in general, and humanity in particular, came
to be; describe the lives and activities of gods and
human (or superhuman) heroes; and, finally, serve
to display individual composers’ artistry and entertain
listeners.
Polynesian islanders have developed two types
of creation myths. In one, the world gradually
grows out of darkness into its present state. The
Hawaiian Kumulipo is one myth of this type. Another
is the Maori creation chant Te Po, which in
James Irwin’s translation begins:
The recital of the great dark
The great unknown
The deep unknown . . .
The unknown that is being revealed.
From the darkness come forth Father Sky, Ranginui,
and Mother Earth, Papatuanuku. They have
children, who are trapped between the two parents.
Finally, the children, led by Tane, push their
mother and father apart, thus separating sky from
earth. Their parents grieve over this forced separation
and produce rain and mists.
On other islands, the primeval father Rangi appears
as Atea Rangi or Atea. Mother Papa occasionally
appears under a name related to coral and
coral growth. The Mangaian islanders tell how the
world is contained inside a coconut shell named
Avaiki, whose first inhabitant Vari (mud) pulled
Father Sky from her side.
In the second kind of creation myth, a preexisting,
all-powerful creator brings forth the world. Inhabitants
of Samoa, Tonga, and the Ellice Islands
tell how Tangaloa created everything from the “Illimitable
Void.”
Micronesian myths place less emphasis on
world creation than do Polynesian myths, but the
Micronesians do have origin myths. In some stories,
just as in Norse mythology (see MYTHOLOGY,
NORSE), a primeval being’s body parts make up the
world. In the Marshall Island myths, islands appear
when the god Lowa says, “mmmm.” In other
Oceanic myths, Ancient Spider creates the world,
and the eel Riiki separates earth and sky.
Many Australian myths postulate a primeval
Dreamtime during which spirit beings walk on the
earth. Australian myths also emphasize the separation
of earth and sky, which was accomplished
by eucalyptus trees, mountains, or even a magpie
using a stick. In contrast,Melanesian myths, while
they can involve raising the sky, tend to emphasize
the creation and release of the sea.
Ancient Oceanic peoples had many gods about
which they told stories. Australian myths have the
powerful Rainbow Snake as well as Bat, Eaglehawk,
and Sun. Easter Island myths include the creator
god Makemake, and Hawaiian myths have Pele, the
volcano goddess. Gods widespread throughout
Polynesian myths include Tane (Kane in Hawaii),
god of forests and animals; Tangaroa, the ocean
god; Rongo (also known as Ono or Lono), the god
of sound and cultivated food; and Tu, god of war,
whom the Hawaiians called “Ku-of-the-deep-forest,”
“Ku-the-snatcher-of-lands,” and “Ku-withthe-
maggot-dropping-mouth.”Also popular is the
goddess Hina-of-the-moon.
Some myths explain humanity’s origins. Various
Australian aboriginal tribes tell of a goddess
who emerged from the sea to create life; Bunjil,
who made men from clay, while Bat made women
from water; and the Numbakulla brothers,who cut
humans out of unformed, sightless beings.According
to other Oceanic myths, a god makes men out
of maggots, sand, or wood; humans grow out of
trees or develop from stones, blood clots, maggots
in a dead wallaby. The Maori believed that Tane
not only made a woman from red earth but also
brought humanity baskets of knowledge.
Oceanic myths also tell of heroes. In their equivalent
of VIRGIL’s Aeneid, the inhabitants of Ma’uke
(one of the Cook Islands) explain how ‘Uke, son
of the god Tangaroa, left the mythical homeland
Avaiki to settle on their island. The Maoris’ Hutu
and the Marquesan Kena resemble Greek mythology’s
(see MYTHOLOGY, GREEK) Orpheus in that they
visit the underworld to retrieve a dead loved one. In
the Bismarck Archipelago, the brothers To Kabinana
and To Karvuvu create women, release the
sea, and fish up land. The incompetent To Karvuvu
also creates sharks and brings about death. The
Polynesian hero Tawhaki, who seeks to avenge his
father’s death, also has a less-competent brother.
Their adventures are part of a lengthy myth cycle
that includes the story of Tawhaki’s grandson Rata.
Meanwhile, the Melanesians tell of Qat and his 11
brothers.
The most popular and widely known hero of
Oceanic mythology is Maui. Like the Hopi’s Coyote
(see COYOTE TALES), Maui is almost always a
trickster, but he also accomplishes great deeds. He
fishes up land, steals fire, kills monsters, and snares
the sun so that days will be longer.According to the
Maori, humans die because Maui’s attempt to gain
immortality was unsuccessful.
The myths of Oceania reflect innumerable elements
in the lives of peoples surrounded by sky
and water. As with all myths, there is an element
of historical truth concerning the social, cultural,
economic, and political developments of a time
long past.
English Versions of Oceanic Mythology
Anderson, Johannes C.Myths and Legends of the Polynesians.
Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle, 1969.
Luomala, Katherine. Voices on the Wind: Polynesian
Myths and Chants. Honolulu: Bishop Museum
Press, 1955.
Works about Oceanic Mythology
Luomala, Katharine. “Survey of Research on Polynesian
Prose and Poetry (in Oceania and Australia),”
Journal of American Folklore, 74, no. 294
(Oct.–Dec. 1961): 421–439.
Poignant, Roslyn. Oceanic Mythology: The Myths of
Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia. London:
Paul Hamlyn, 1967.
Swain, Tony and Garry Trompf. The Religions of
Oceania. Library of Religious Beliefs and Practices.
London: Routledge, 1995.