The Mythology Book

A

part from the landmass

of Australia, Oceania is

comprised of islands flung

across more than 3 million square

miles (8.5 million square km) of the

Pacific Ocean. The myths of the

peoples of Oceania often differ

greatly due to the vast geographical

distances between them. The

Aboriginal Australians in particular

have traditions highly distinct from

the rest of Oceania. The indigenous

peoples of Australia were the first

people to settle in Oceania, and

probably came from South Asia

around 65,000 years ago.

The next major group to arrive

in Oceania were the Papuans, who

arrived in New Guinea more than

40,000 years ago. The origins of

many Oceanian tales can be traced

back to this period. While Australia

was relatively culturally isolated

until the arrival of Europeans in the

late 18th century, the Papuans

interacted more with other peoples

who came to these lands. Between

5,000 and 3,000 years ago, new

sea-borne migrants from Southeast

Asia arrived in Melanesia, northeast

of Australia, settling on islands

such as Fiji and the Solomon

Islands. By 1000 BCE, settlers had

established themselves in the

islands of Micronesia in the west

Pacific, north of Melanesia.

The next wave of migration,

around 2,000 years ago, was

eastward to Polynesia. Over the

centuries, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti,

Easter Island (Rapa Nui), and the

Hawaiian Islands were settled.

New Zealand was the last major

area in Oceania to be inhabited

by humans; the Maori arrived

there around the 13th century CE.

The peoples of Polynesia were

descended from a Melanesian group

called the Lapita, who were skilled

navigators and explorers. Splitting

into many tribes, the Lapita had

settled in the Bismarck Archipelago

northeast of New Guinea by 2000

BCE, and populated the west Pacific

from ca. 160 0 CE onward.

Key themes

A major theme in the mythologies

of Oceania is the creation of the

world. In many Aboriginal myths,

creation occurred during “The

Dreamtime,” a period when spirits

and supernatural beings wandered

across the world, forming the

landscape. While the Aboriginal

creation is described as a gradual

process, in Polynesian lore it is far

more dynamic—typified by the

widespread figure of Ta’aroa, a god

INTRODUCTION

1642

1722 1788 1876

1768–1779 1797–1850 1902–1938

A Dutch ship under

Abel Tasman first

encounters the

Maori, leading to a

violent confrontation.

Dutch explorer Jacob

Roggeveen discovers

Easter Island, home of

the Rapa Nui people.

British fleets arrive at

Botany Bay, establishing

the first colonies on

Australian soil.

Western missionaries

convert the majority

of Polynesian peoples

to Christianity.

William Wyatt Gill

collects tales from

various island peoples in

Myths and Songs from

the South Pacific.

Captain James Cook

explores the Pacific on

three voyages, making

observations about many

island societies.

The Netherlands rules

over the Marind

people of New

Guinea, Melanesia.

300

1936 –2001

Raymond Firth

studies the myths and

history of Tikopia in

the Solomon Islands.

US_300-301_Oceania_Chapter_7_Intro.indd 300 05/12/17 4:16 pm