UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations 1-1-2005 Rangi above/Papa below, Tangaroa ascendant, water all around us: Austronesian creation myths Amy M Green University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/rtds Repository Citation Green, Amy M, "Rangi above/Papa below, Tangaroa ascendant, water all around us: Austronesian creation myths" (2005). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1938. http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/b2px-g53a This Thesis is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Thesis in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Thesis has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RANGI ABOVE/ PAPA BELOW, TANGAROA ASCENDANT, WATER ALL AROUND US: AUSTRONESIAN CREATION MYTHS By Amy M. Green Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2004 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in English Department of English College of Liberal Arts Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2006 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 1436751 Copyright 2006 by Green, Amy M. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 1436751 Copyright 2006 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced witfi permission of tfie copyrigfit owner. Furtfier reproduction profiibited witfiout permission. Copyright by Amy M. Green 2006 All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Thesis Approval ITNTV The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 6 ■ 20 06 The Thesis prepared by Amy M. Green_____ Entitled Rangi Above / Papa Below. Tangaloa Ascendant, Water ATI Around TTm: Austronesian Creation Myths is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English ^ xamination Committee Chair Dean of the Graduate College Exar/iinaticjj Committee Member ^ex/c~rù 'Examination Committee Member Graduate College Faculty Representative 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT Rangi Above/Papa Below, Tangaroa Ascendant, Water All Around Us: Austronesian Creation Myths By Amy M. Green Dr. J. Michael Stitt, Examination Committee Chair Associate Professor of English University of Nevada, Las Vegas Embedded deep within humanity’s blood and bones lies the need to explain how. how we came to exist, how the world originated and functions as it does. While some basic rhythms express themselves time and again, they may not necessarily do so in the same fashion. While one culture values the power of an almighty male creator god, another may place just as much, or greater, emphasis on a female creatrix, or yet again, focus on creation evolving in an ordered manner, with little if any interference from a deity at all. Creation accounts may contain elements of humor, such as the appearance of a trickster making a grand mess of the forming of the first human beings, while others are somber accounts taking on the tone of material found in history books. Within the corpus of Austronesian creation mythology, all of these variations, and many more besides, make an appearance. Ill Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Professors Harp, McCullough and Natale for their willingness to serve on my committee, in spite of otherwise busy schedules. Additionally, I must extend special thanks to Professor J. Michael Stitt, both for serving as chair of my committee, but also for shaping my study of and interest in mythology. I have had the tremendous fortune over the years to have studied under a number of brilliant English professors. Although they may be too numerous to name, my gratitude goes out to each and every one of them. To my friends, family and colleagues, I appreciate the support you have given me, through times of joy and earth-shattering stress. Finally, I thank my husband Benjamin, my companion for so many wonderful years, and the other half of my heart. Without him, none of my achievements would have been possible, as he has always given me the support needed to find my strength, and pursue my dreams. IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................. ni ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.....................................................................................................iv CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2 MELANESIA................................................................................................20 Admiralty Islands............................................................................................................ 21 Fiji.....................................................................................................................................24 New Britain......................................................................................................................27 New Hebrides ...................................................................................................................30 New Britain and New Hebrides ..................................................................................... 31 Papua New Guinea.......................................................................................................... 31 Keraki and Kukukuku Papuans...................................................................................... 32 Solomon Islands ...............................................................................................................32 Vanuatu............................................................................................................................ 33 Banks Islands .......................................................................................................... 33 Torres Straits - Eastern Islanders ......................................................................... 35 CHAPTER 3 MICRONESIA ............................................................................................. 37 Eastern Islands, including the Gilbert Islands, Ocean Island and Nauru Island....... 37 Mariana Islands ............................................................................................................... 38 Marshall Islands.............................................................................................................. 39 CHAPTER 4 POLYNESIA.................................................................................................40 Bowditch Island .............................................................................................................. 41 Easter Island.....................................................................................................................42 Hawaii.............................................................................................................................. 43 Mangian Island .................................................................................................................55 Marquesas........................................................................................................................56 New Zealand....................................................................................................................56 Niue...................................................................................................................................67 Samoa............................................................................................................................... 67 The Society Islands.........................................................................................................78 Tahiti........................................................................................................................80 Tonga ..............................................................................................................................