The Formosan Primary Anthropogenic Myths, Genesis, and the Creation of Man

Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-90-04-73383-1
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 04, 230 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm

Reihe: Brill Series in Taiwan Studies

In this book, Valdis Gauss anthologizes the Formosan anthropogenic 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.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Gauss, Valdis

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Sonstige Religionen Indigene Religionen
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Übersetzungswissenschaft, Translatologie, Dolmetschen

Inhaltsverzeichnis

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

Über Autor(innen)

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).