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Dragons of Oceania
Oceania covers a vast area of islands, the three main islands are Polynesia, Melenesia, and Micronesia. It also covers Hawaii, Easter Island and Fiji as well as many other individual islands. Unlike the typical myths and legends of other cultures, the legends of Ocenia are completely different. The peoples of these lands were closer to nature than any other peoples except possibly the Native American Indians. The discovery of dragons in the lives of these people is difficult because of the duality in their beliefs. The dragons of Oceania were guardians and luck bringers but also fear givers and lords of destruction. The descriptions of the dragons is very vague and incomplete. Not all of the islands in this grouping had dragon myths and in fact many do not mention dragons at all while other myths are of the same creature but not in the same areas.
^ Polynesia and Hawaii^
Pele and her sister Hi'iaka
Pele, the goddess of volcanic fire, lightning, and destructive feminine powers, is known for her incredible temper as well as her ethereal beauty even to this day. Her sister was Hi'iaka (or Hi'aka); goddess of Hawaii, the islands, the hills, the lands, the cliffs, the caves, and patroness of hula dancers. Hi'iaka was also very beautiful, and faithful to her sister to a fault.
It is said in a legend that Pele sent her sister Hi'iake after a young cheiftan for whom she had developed a great affection for. ON her journey Hi'iake met some unusual creatures that could indeed have been dragons, although not called by that name.
The first creatures that they met were the Mo'o monsters. They were lizardlike in appearance and able to control the fog and rains to try and stop Hi'iake on her journey.
The second creature they encountered was a deceptive creature known as the Tongue Monster. This creature lay in wait at a river and used it tongue to create a bride and then devoured the users of the "bridge".
At the end of the journey, Lohuia loved Hi'iaka, and she him. However, because of her loyalty she delivered him to Pele anyway. In a jealous fit, Pele killed the young chief and Hi'iaka was forced to bring him back to life for the second time. (The first being when she found him dead of grief on his island. He had died from his longing for Pele.) Once returned to life, they both escaped the island and settled together elsewhere.
Mo'o'inanea
A hawaian legend exists of a creature described as the mother of all dragons, perhaps the Hawaian version of Tiamat.
^Maori^
Whiro
The lizard-like god of the dead, evil, and darkness. He has a whole host of evil spirits who reside with him in the realm of the dead. He puts evil thoughts and ideas in the minds of people. Whiro is a lizard like god associated with evil. darkness, and death. Evil spirits reside with him in the land of the dead and he is supposed responsible for the evil thoughts and ideas that are planted in people's heads.
Mo'o
The Mo'o are also found in Polynesian and Melanesian myths. This is strange because snakes are not indigenous to their islands. These Mo'o are found exclusively in the ocean and are more snake-like than the Hawaiian's lizard-like representatives.
Ala Muki
A river goddess whose is said to take the form of a dragon.
^Fiji^
Degei
Degei is a serpent-god who judges the souls of the dead. He is said to live in the Kauvadra hills. Degei throws the souls into a deep lake where they sink for a long time. Finally they reach Murimuria, a sort of Purgatory, where they receive their punishment or reward.
Ndengei
This serpent-god is a creation god and causes earthquakes by moving around in his cave. He was said to have hatched the bird's egg from which humans were born and have skin which is made of stone.
Ratu-Mai-Mbula Ratu-Mai-Mbula is a fertility god who is said to make trees and plants grow, but he is also the serpent-god of the underworld where the dead reside. ^Solomon Islands^
Agunua
The primary creator/winged serpent-god of the Solomon Islands. He created all kinds of vegetables and fruits. He made the first male child who was helpless at taking care of himself so he created a woman who would make fire, cook and weed the gardens.
Hatuibwari
A serpent-god from San Cristobal of the Solomon Islands described as a winged serpent with a human head, four eyes and four breasts that suckled all of creation.
Most people like to explain creatures such as these as creatures that the people did not know of and so they called them dragons. Or perhaps that they had found fossils of creatures that they decribed as dragons but for various reasons this is not as possible with these isaland peoples.
Being volcanic islands it is unlikely that there were any dinosaur fossils around or if there were they were very rare. These were people that revered nature and so they would have incorporated as much realism in their religions as possible. It is unlikely that they would have mistaken any animal as a dragon as they already had myths regarding whales, sharks, eels, dolphins and crocodiles. Perhaps they could have mistaken such a creature as a water dragon or a serpent god but it is unlikely. So what was it that these people called dragons? What lived in the oceans and devoured the souls of their dead? Perhaps only the gods themselves will ever know the truth..
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