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Overview
An accessible, concise reference source on Polynesia's complex mythology, product of a culture little known outside its home.
Encounters with the West introduced Polynesian mythology to the world—and sealed its fate as a casualty of colonialism. But for centuries before the Europeans came, that mythology was as vast as the triangle of ocean in which it flourished, as diverse as the people it served, and as complex as the mythologies of Greece and Rome.
Students, researchers, and enthusiasts can follow vivid retellings of stories of creation, death, and great voyages, tracking variations from island to island. They can use the book's reference section for information on major deities, heroes, elves, fairies, and recurring themes, as well as the mythic implications of everything from dogs and volcanoes to the hula, Easter Island, and tattooing (invented in the South Pacific and popularized by returbaning sailors).
Encounters with the West introduced Polynesian mythology to the world—and sealed its fate as a casualty of colonialism. But for centuries before the Europeans came, that mythology was as vast as the triangle of ocean in which it flourished, as diverse as the people it served, and as complex as the mythologies of Greece and Rome.
Students, researchers, and enthusiasts can follow vivid retellings of stories of creation, death, and great voyages, tracking variations from island to island. They can use the book's reference section for information on major deities, heroes, elves, fairies, and recurring themes, as well as the mythic implications of everything from dogs and volcanoes to the hula, Easter Island, and tattooing (invented in the South Pacific and popularized by returbaning sailors).
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781576078945 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Bloomsbury Academic |
Publication date: | 10/25/2004 |
Series: | World Mythology |
Pages: | 376 |
Sales rank: | 738,918 |
Product dimensions: | 7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.88(d) |
About the Author
Robert D. Craig is professor emeritus of Pacific history at Alaska Pacific University, Anchorage, AK.
Table of Contents
Preface | xiii | |
1 | Introduction | 1 |
Pacific Geography | 1 | |
The Polynesians-From Whence Did They Come? | 2 | |
Traditional Polynesian Society, Economy, and Culture | 6 | |
Material Culture | 10 | |
Polynesian Music, Dance, Games, and Diversions | 12 | |
Polynesian Languages | 14 | |
Polynesian Oral Literature | 17 | |
Recorded Texts | 20 | |
European Exploration and the Development of Island Nations | 25 | |
The Cook Islands | 27 | |
French Polynesia | 28 | |
Hawai'i | 30 | |
New Zealand | 32 | |
Samoa | 34 | |
American Samoa | 35 | |
Samoa ("Western Samoa" from 1890 to 1997) | 35 | |
Kingdom of Tonga | 36 | |
Easter Island | 37 | |
Tuvalu | 38 | |
2 | Creation and the Cosmos | 39 |
General Characteristics of the Polynesian Creation Stories | 40 | |
Tahiti | 41 | |
New Zealand | 43 | |
Tonga | 44 | |
Samoa | 45 | |
Hawai'i | 46 | |
Mangaia (Cook Islands) and the Tuamotus | 47 | |
General Characteristics of the Polynesian Cosmos (Heavens) | 51 | |
Characteristics of the Polynesian Gods and Goddesses | 53 | |
3 | Deities, Themes, and Concepts | 59 |
Alele, Winged Thieves of Samoa | 59 | |
Arioi Society | 60 | |
Birdman Cult | 63 | |
Birds | 65 | |
Breadfruit, Origin of | 66 | |
Calendar | 70 | |
Cannibalism and Human Sacrifices | 72 | |
Canoes | 74 | |
Boat Travel | 77 | |
Canoe Building | 77 | |
Ceremonies, Religious | 80 | |
Chiefly Class | 85 | |
Coconut, Origin of the | 88 | |
Dance | 91 | |
Death | 93 | |
Deluge | 97 | |
Dogs | 99 | |
Drums | 101 | |
Earthquakes | 103 | |
Elves and Fairies | 105 | |
Fire | 106 | |
Fish, Battle of the | 108 | |
Genealogies | 109 | |
Ghosts | 111 | |
Giants | 114 | |
God Images | 116 | |
Ha'amonga-a-Maui | 127 | |
Haumea | 128 | |
Hawai'i-Loa | 129 | |
Hawaiki | 131 | |
Hina | 132 | |
Hiro | 135 | |
Hotu-Matua | 141 | |
'Io, Ihoihi, or Kiho | 142 | |
Kamapua'a | 144 | |
Kane | 146 | |
Kava | 148 | |
Kumulipo | 150 | |
Kupe and Turi | 151 | |
La'ie-i-ka-wai | 154 | |
Land | 155 | |
Lau-ka-'ie'ie | 158 | |
Lono | 160 | |
Makemake | 162 | |
Mana | 163 | |
Marriage | 164 | |
Maui | 167 | |
Menehune | 170 | |
Meteorological Elements | 172 | |
The Winds | 173 | |
The Clouds | 173 | |
Rainbows | 174 | |
Thunder and Lightning | 174 | |
Migrations | 175 | |
New Zealand (Aotearoa) | 176 | |
Hawai'i | 177 | |
Easter Island | 179 | |
Moai, Easter Island | 179 | |
Monsters | 184 | |
Moon, Origin of | 187 | |
Muni: The Tongan Hercules | 188 | |
Ocean | 190 | |
Omens and Superstitions | 191 | |
Meteorological Omens | 192 | |
Animal, Bird, and Fish Omens | 193 | |
Women | 193 | |
Other Human Activity | 193 | |
Pai | 194 | |
Pele (Pere) | 197 | |
Pili, Lizard God of Samoa | 202 | |
Plants (Food) | 203 | |
Pleiades (Matariki) | 207 | |
Priests | 208 | |
Rangi and Papa | 211 | |
Rata or Laka | 213 | |
Ru | 218 | |
Schools of Education | 220 | |
Sex and Sexuality | 222 | |
Sharks | 224 | |
Sisimataila'a | 225 | |
Sorcery | 227 | |
Stars | 229 | |
Storytelling and Chants | 230 | |
Stretching Gods | 232 | |
Sun God | 235 | |
Tahaki | 236 | |
Tane | 238 | |
Tangaloa | 241 | |
Tapu | 243 | |
Tattoo | 244 | |
Temples | 249 | |
Ti Plant | 253 | |
Tinirau | 255 | |
Uenuku and the Mist Maiden | 258 | |
Underworld | 259 | |
Wakea | 261 | |
Warfare and War Gods-Ku, 'Oro, Nafanua | 262 | |
4 | Annotated Print Sources | 269 |
Mythological Sources and Commentaries | 269 | |
Prehistory-General Polynesia | 278 | |
Prehistory-Cook Islands | 281 | |
Prehistory-Easter Island | 281 | |
Prehistory-French Polynesia | 282 | |
Prehistory-Hawai'i | 284 | |
Prehistory-New Zealand | 285 | |
Prehistory-Samoa | 286 | |
Prehistory-Tokelau | 288 | |
Prehistory-Tonga | 288 | |
Prehistory-Tuvalu | 289 | |
Polynesian Culture: Arts, Literature, Music, Dance | 290 | |
5 | Internet Web Sites | 293 |
General Introduction to Polynesia | 294 | |
American Samoa | 294 | |
Cook Islands | 295 | |
Easter Island | 295 | |
French Polynesia | 296 | |
Hawai'i | 296 | |
New Zealand | 297 | |
Samoa | 298 | |
Tonga | 298 | |
Tuvalu | 298 | |
Web Sites for Polynesian Mythology | 299 | |
Glossary | 301 | |
Index | 309 | |
About the Author | 353 |
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