Micronesian Mythology
Micronesian mythology refers to the traditions of the people of Micronesia, a region in the southwestern Pacific Ocean in a region known as Oceania. Several island groups, including the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Mariana Islands, and the Gilbert Islands. Traditional beliefs declined and changed with the arrival of Europeans in the 1520s. A single belief system does not exist on the islands of Micronesia because each island has its mythological beings. Most of the gods, guardians, and spirits in these beliefs are considered human, and some are described as simple, such as Tiktaalik, a fish god. Others are described as more complex, such as Leelawela, who is both the creator and the destroyer. Others are more difficult to classify, such as Iokwe, who is larger than an entire island. The mythology of the Northern Islands is described as having the most intricate myths. Several of these myths are well known in local lore.
Micronesians are, in fact, the result of a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities over the centuries. Although English is the official language, there are still no less than eight main languages used on the islands today. What all these cultural variants have in common is the organization of life around the pillar of the clan, the extended family. Despite the evolution towards more modern society, this pillar is still essential in the local culture. The land part of Micronesian mythology has some legends facets:
Most Micronesian myths tell of the creation of the world and include numerous explanations as to why the world is set up as it is. Some myths relate how the world was created. At one point, the ancestors of the Micronesians lived on a whale and man. Because of the indigenous hunter-gatherer lifestyle, a small number of Micronesians had domesticated human beings in this place called Tautaha. When people wanted to go hunting, they would mount a female and bring her back to the cave. During the hunt, a male would be mounted on a female. Sometimes they would kill the animals and then eat the flesh and hide the bones, and sometimes they would be scavengers, raiding for the bones. In some myths, the ancestors of the Micronesians create the first humans.
