Myths and Legends of Micronesia
Also known as: Micronesian Legends, Legends of Micronesia
A curated anthology of traditional Micronesian tales—creation stories, culture-hero cycles, trickster exploits, and historical legends—retold in accessible prose for modern readers while preserving the core motifs and island identities.
Description
This collection gathers representative myths and legends from across Micronesia’s island groups—Kiribati, the Marshalls, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk, Yap, Palau, Nauru, and the Marianas. Retellings present creator deities, culture heroes, and tricksters who shape islands, social laws, and seafaring lifeways. Episodes range from the overthrow of the Saudeleur dynasty on Pohnpei and the Kiribati creation by Nareau to the Yapese voyages for stone money and Palauan tales of the giantess Chuab. Emphasis falls on origins of landforms, food plants, canoe knowledge, and chiefly authority, reflecting an oceanic world where navigation, kinship, and ritual reciprocity govern survival and meaning.
Historiography
As a modern English-language compilation, the book mediates between diverse oral traditions and print culture. Many narratives were historically documented by island scholars, missionaries, and colonial officials; subsequent retellings often regularized names and episodes for broad audiences. Island-specific variants persist, especially for trickster and creation cycles. Reception centers on educational use and cultural preservation, with sensitivity to regional attributions and orthography.
Date Notes
Modern compilation of traditional Micronesian oral narratives; specific publication year not provided here; tales derive from older oral cycles recorded across the 19th–20th centuries.
Archetypes
Major Characters
- Letao
- Nareau
- Olofat
- Lugeileng
Myths
- Rising of Islands from the Deep
- Voyaging of Culture Heroes
- Origins of Taboos and Crafts
Facts
- The volume retells myths from multiple Micronesian cultures rather than a single island tradition.
- Creator figures such as Nareau (Kiribati) and Areop-Enap (Nauru) exemplify distinct regional cosmologies.
- Culture heroes like Isokelekel encode political history, notably the fall of Pohnpei’s Saudeleur polity.
- Trickster cycles—Olofat and Letao—circulate widely with island-specific variants.
- Yapese legends trace the quarrying and voyaging of stone money to distant islands, often Palau.
- Palauan narratives about Chuab explain landform creation and social customs.
- Chamorro creation centers on the sibling deities Puntan and Fu’una shaping land and people.
- Marshallese stories emphasize seafaring, breadfruit origins, and spirit beings called Anij.
- Names and spellings vary by language and orthography; many figures have multiple accepted transliterations.
- As a secondary compilation, the book prioritizes narrative clarity while signaling cultural provenance.