The Creation of Palau

The Creation of Palau

(A Legend from Palau)

In the long ago, before the time of people, the sea was empty. Empty. Spirits under the sea and spirits above the sea were lonely. They longed to share life.

Ucheleanged, the greatest of gods, felt their longing. “Now! The world is ready. Now!" Uchcleanged travelled across the ocean. “Here!" The great god pointed to the darkest part of the sea. From deep within this black unknown, a volcano erupted. Higher and higher the volcano rose, spewing out molten rock. Slowly it broke through the sea's surface, raining hot lava and forming a mountain. This mountain grew wider and taller until the mountain became an island. Although this mountain was bare, it was not barren.

On this mountain's peak, a strange event happened. The power of the sea touched the power of the sky. Afterwards, at that very place, sat a giant clam. The clam just sat. Its huge rippled jaws remained shut. Not moving. Not speaking. But growing.

Day after day, the clam continued to grow. Its shell spread long and far. Its sweet, soft middle bulged bigger and bigger, pregnant with life. But the clam could not give birth.

The sea spirits whispered their worries. They sent huge waves across the ocean, whipping them higher and higher. The great Clam rocked as the island trembled. Still, the birthing did not happen. The spirits screamed out their alarm, sending the sea crashing against the clam. The clam’s giant jaws still did not open.

The most powerful of the gods, Ucheleanged, pointed at the darkness beneath the sea. Winds swirled. Waves peaked, curled, and plummeted. Thunder roared. Typhoon winds smashed against the giant clam. Still, the birthing did not begin.

Ucheleanged again pointed to the darkness deep beneath the ocean. An enormous current coiled like a giant serpent. Faster and faster it coiled, gathering power to prepare for a mighty strike. Ucheleanged roared! A monstrous stream of water rolled up from the sea and then across the land. A wall of ocean crashed against the clam. The mother clam, Latmikaik, shuddered. And then her giant lips began to open.

The power in the water now tore again through the clam’s body. Her shell split fully apart. Her mouth now gaped open. All forms of life spewed out-out into the waters and onto the land. Terns and swifts flew up toward the heavens. They called to the others. “Come. Come out. Be born."

The rest followed. The ghost crabs hurried into dark shadows. Snakes and sea eels slithered to dry holes and wet. Fruit bats stretched black wings as they hung upside down on branches, warming themselves in the sunlight. Crocodiles snapped at slow-moving lobsters. Dugongs nudged shy babes toward quiet lagoon waters. Sharks dashed into deep sea caves. Clouds of colour divided into two groups of animals. Birds and butterflies flew upward. Reef fish and creatures of the tide pools crawled back to the sea. The ocean laughed with life. The earth fluttered with colour. But the clam mother, Latmikaik, was not finished.

This ancient sea goddess, clam mother, shuddered. Once again her jaws opened. One more animal, a human child, crawled out. This giant baby was perhaps female (Chuab) or perhaps male (Uab). The tale is told both ways. But always the story tells how this selfish child brought both disaster and creation to Angaur, the world's first island.

Angaur

This child's appetite was monstrous. Ravenously, the child ate and ate. The child cared about nothing else but eating. "More, more, more! Bring more food. Hurry! More, more, more."

The child quickly grew into a towering giant. As the giant grew, its appetite increased. Soon there was nothing left to eat. Nothing for the giant. Nothing for the people. Every breadfruit and coconut had been devoured. The sea waters were empty. Even the smallest reef fish had been netted and swallowed.

But the giant demanded. "Bring food! If you have nothing else, bring me your children. I am hungry. I must eat!”

At first, the people of Angaur whimpered in fear. But then as their children began disappearing one after another, they whispered. “The lagoon is empty. The jungle has no banana nor breadfruit. Every coconut is gone. We must save our children."

The people waited until the giant was sleeping. Quickly they stacked coconut stalks around the slumbering body and then lit the wood.

The giant woke confused and in pain. He jumped to his feet, but already the burning flames formed a blazing wall that allowed no escape, He stared at the people. For the first time, he saw their fear and anguish. For the first time, he understood how cruel and selfish he had been.

“It is right that I die! I have taken with thoughtless greed. Now I must give back." The giant spoke no more. His enormous body trembled. Slowly he toppled down, down, down. Flesh and bones shattered into hundreds of pieces, flying in all directions. Each piece became new land.

The giant’s flesh and bones became the many islands of Palau. Each place kept the characteristics of the part of the body from which it had come.

Map of Palau

Airai was formed from the bead. People from Airai are known for their wit and wisdom.

Ngaraard is where the stomach landed. Here the people are famous for their good cooking and great appetites.

Aimeliik is a part of the big island of Babeldaub, where the land is wet and moist. It rains every day. Aimeliik is where the giant’s penis (or the vagina of the giantess) landed. Water regularly flows at Aimeliik.

You might wonder about the people of Angaur. After the fire had burned to ashes, the people searched through the coals. There they found a part of the body. The giant's feet had stayed on Angaur. The brave people of Angaur to this day are known for their swiftness-and their courage!

Source:

Pacific Island Legends: Tales from Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia and Australia.

Nancy Bo Flood, Beret E. Strong, William Flood

1991

                                                               Pages: 28 - 32