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The Formosan Primary Anthropogonic Myths, Genesis, and the Creation of Man
Series: - Brill Series in Taiwan Studies, Volume: 04
Author:
In this book, Valdis Gauss anthologizes the Formosan anthropogonic myths from all of Taiwan’s Austronesian tribes. Over 250 origin texts, sourced from dozens of linguistic, anthropological, historical, and mythological corpora as well as other publications have been collated and analysed rendering the present literary survey far more comprehensive than any prior study on this subject. Over 100 Formosan myths, many of which were never previously available in English have been translated here for the first time.
In the absence of longstanding traditional orthographical records, the Austronesian tribes that inhabit the island of Taiwan have relied on the transmission of oral literatures for the preservation of historical events since the dawn of time. The earliest historical events that are still recited by tribal elders relate to the origins of the gods and first ancestors of mankind. This anthology continues the tradition of collecting and transcribing these myths for everyone interested in the corpus of literature from Taiwan’s aboriginal peoples.
In the absence of longstanding traditional orthographical records, the Austronesian tribes that inhabit the island of Taiwan have relied on the transmission of oral literatures for the preservation of historical events since the dawn of time. The earliest historical events that are still recited by tribal elders relate to the origins of the gods and first ancestors of mankind. This anthology continues the tradition of collecting and transcribing these myths for everyone interested in the corpus of literature from Taiwan’s aboriginal peoples.
Valdis Gauss is an Assistant Professor with the Department of English at National Taitung University in Taiwan (ROC). His notable works include The Formosan Great Flood Myths: An Analysis of the Oral Traditions of Ancient Taiwan (Mellen Press, 2022) and The Formosan Shooting the Sun Myths: Oral Histories of the Aboriginals on Taiwan (forthcoming).
Acknowledgements
About the Author
List of Tables and Figures
Preface
1 In the Beginning …
1 Framing the Myth-Time
2 The Importance of Origin Myths
2 The Anthology of Anthropogenic Myths
1 The Amis Myths
2 The Atayal Myths
3 The Bunun Myths
4 The Favorlang Myths
5 The Hla’alua Myths
6 The Kanakanavu Myths
7 The Kavalan Myths
8 The Paiwan Myths
8.1 Paiwan Creation Motifs
8.2 Paiwan Genesis Motifs
9 The Pazeh Myths
9.1 †The Kaxabu Myths
10 The Puyuma Myths
11 The Rukai Myths
12 The Saisiyat Myths
13 The Sakizaya Myths
14 The Seediq Myths
15 The Siraya Myths
16 The Truku Myths
17 The Tsou Myths
18 The Yami/Tao Myths
3 Salient Origin Motifs
1 Cosmogonic Motifs
2 Theogonic Motifs
3 Creation Motifs
3.1 Singing and Speaking
3.2 Transformation
3.3 Offspring of the Gods
3.4 God-Human Hybrids
3.5 Transcendental Conception
3.6 The Sons of God
3.7 Human-Animal Hybrids
3.8 Animal Ancestor
3.9 Intermediary Animals as Creation Catalysts
3.10 Creation by People
4 Genesis Motifs
4.1 Stone Genesis
4.2 Tree Genesis
4.3 Feces Genesis
4.4 Chthonic Genesis
4.5 Bamboo Genesis
4.6 Smoke Genesis
4.7 Lily Genesis
4 Drift Origin Themes
1 Amis Drift
2 Bunun Drift
3 Kavalan Drift
4 Ketagalan Drift
4.1 †Liulang Drift
5 Makatao Drift
6 Paiwan Drift
7 Puyuma Drift
8 Rukai Drift
9 Saisiyat Drift
10 Sakizaya Drift
11 Siraya Drift
12 Trobiawan Drift
13 Truku Drift
14 Yami/Tao Drift
5 Conclusions
1 Through the Origin Myth Lens
2 Motives for the Creation of Man
3 Creation En Masse
4 Seeds of Men
5 Interdictions
6 The Death Curse
7 Cosmic Vessels in Formosan Creation Myths
7.1 Sounds of the Cosmic Vessels
8 Instructions of the Gods
9 Final Remarks
Appendix A: Formosan Origin Myths Corpus
Appendix B: Note on Translations
Appendix C: Origin Myths
References Cited
Index
About the Author
List of Tables and Figures
Preface
1 In the Beginning …
1 Framing the Myth-Time
2 The Importance of Origin Myths
2 The Anthology of Anthropogenic Myths
1 The Amis Myths
2 The Atayal Myths
3 The Bunun Myths
4 The Favorlang Myths
5 The Hla’alua Myths
6 The Kanakanavu Myths
7 The Kavalan Myths
8 The Paiwan Myths
8.1 Paiwan Creation Motifs
8.2 Paiwan Genesis Motifs
9 The Pazeh Myths
9.1 †The Kaxabu Myths
10 The Puyuma Myths
11 The Rukai Myths
12 The Saisiyat Myths
13 The Sakizaya Myths
14 The Seediq Myths
15 The Siraya Myths
16 The Truku Myths
17 The Tsou Myths
18 The Yami/Tao Myths
3 Salient Origin Motifs
1 Cosmogonic Motifs
2 Theogonic Motifs
3 Creation Motifs
3.1 Singing and Speaking
3.2 Transformation
3.3 Offspring of the Gods
3.4 God-Human Hybrids
3.5 Transcendental Conception
3.6 The Sons of God
3.7 Human-Animal Hybrids
3.8 Animal Ancestor
3.9 Intermediary Animals as Creation Catalysts
3.10 Creation by People
4 Genesis Motifs
4.1 Stone Genesis
4.2 Tree Genesis
4.3 Feces Genesis
4.4 Chthonic Genesis
4.5 Bamboo Genesis
4.6 Smoke Genesis
4.7 Lily Genesis
4 Drift Origin Themes
1 Amis Drift
2 Bunun Drift
3 Kavalan Drift
4 Ketagalan Drift
4.1 †Liulang Drift
5 Makatao Drift
6 Paiwan Drift
7 Puyuma Drift
8 Rukai Drift
9 Saisiyat Drift
10 Sakizaya Drift
11 Siraya Drift
12 Trobiawan Drift
13 Truku Drift
14 Yami/Tao Drift
5 Conclusions
1 Through the Origin Myth Lens
2 Motives for the Creation of Man
3 Creation En Masse
4 Seeds of Men
5 Interdictions
6 The Death Curse
7 Cosmic Vessels in Formosan Creation Myths
7.1 Sounds of the Cosmic Vessels
8 Instructions of the Gods
9 Final Remarks
Appendix A: Formosan Origin Myths Corpus
Appendix B: Note on Translations
Appendix C: Origin Myths
References Cited
Index
Academic institutes, libraries, students and researchers of Austronesian mythology, origins and culture will find this monograph relevant.