Myths of Australia, New Zealand and Polynesia

The myths of the indigenous peoples of Australia and Oceania radiate primordial purity and charm, like our childhood dreams. Local gods, like strict but loving parents, punish the first humans for their vices and weaknesses, leaving them alone to reflect on their actions, but never abandoning them forever. And these same gods sometimes behave like children, envious, jealous, and competing with one another. This book will tell about them: about the Australian thunder god Mamaregana in the form of a giant grasshopper, about the sky Rangi and the earth Papa, entwined in an eternal embrace, about the willful goddess of volcanoes Pele and the Polynesian Prometheus Maui, who gifted people not only fire but also paradise islands, coconut palms, and even a windsurfing board — as well as the mysterious taniwha revered by the Maori, the magical people of the menehune, resembling European elves or gnomes, and many others.