Pacific And American Mythologies

Please share here stamps show myths and legends of the American and Pacific nations - from Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, through Pacific Islands to the America continent.

Spirits and Guardians in Maori mythology, issued by New Zealand on February 9, 2000:

Araiteuru - a female taniwha said to have arrived from the homeland of Hawaiki before the original migrants. She had eleven sons and each went on a journey of exploration, digging a trench with their nose as they went. Together they created the many branches of the Hokianga Harbour.

Kurangaituku - the giant bird-women who stalked prey in the forest, standing tall as a tree and spearing birds and lizards with her fingernails.

Te Hoata and Te Pupu - two sisters, considered the origin and personification of the supernatural fire that creates volcanoes and thermal activity.

Patupaiarehe - handsome, uncanny people who lived on hilltops and other remote places. Their houses were built from swirling mist, and the fairies themselves were usually glimpsed on misty, overcast days. The men were expert flute players.

Te Ngarara-huarau - a well-told story tells how a giant reptile kidnaps a woman, makes her his wife, then is killed by her people.

Tuhirangi - a taniwha who travelled with Kupe from Hawaiki when he discovered the Land of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand). In the late 19th century, Tuhirangi became associated with a white dolphin that inhabited a stretch of water off Pelorus Sound, north of French Pass. While Europeans called the dolphin Pelorus Jack, Maori people recognized him as Tuhirangi.

Source: NZ post web site

Inti, also called Apu-punchau, is the Sun god in the Incan mythology and was believed to be the ancestor of the Incas. Inti was at the head of the state cult, and his worship was imposed throughout the Inca Empire. He was usually represented in human form, his face portrayed as a gold disk from which rays and flames extended.

Gold-sheet mask of the Sun god Inti from the La Tolita part of the Inca Empire, exhibited in the National Museum, Quito, Ecuador, gold-embossed SS issued by Ecuador on August 24, 1977 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the central bank of Ecuador foundation:

Comment in todays paper noted that some people in New Zealand would like to change the name of the country to "Aotearoa" from New Zealand.

Chile,1997
Mythology from Chiloe Islands : "La Pincoya" and "La Fiura"

Thanks, Vayolene!

Colombian myths and legends, issued by Colombia on December 6, 1995:

The Hombre Caiman, or Alligatorman, is a mythic creature that possesses both Alligator and human features. This myth is particularly popular in Plato, Magdalena, especially in rural and less populated areas. He is said to have been a fisherman converted by the spirit of the Magdalena river into an alligator, that returns every year on St. Sebastian´s day to hunt human victims:

The Madremonte (Mother of the forest) or Marimonda is usually regarded as protective of nature and the forest animals and unforgiving when humans enter their domains to alter or destroy them. She can be identified with Mother Nature and Mistress of the Animals.

The Llorona or the Weeping Woman is the ghost of a woman crying for her dead children that she drowned. Her appearances are sometimes held to presage death.

The Moan is a forest and river creature that protects the forests, steals women and disturbs fishing and hunting activities.

Prehispanic monuments related to Aztec mythology, issued by Mexico on February 16, 1980:

The Templo Mayor (Spanish for "Great Temple") was one of the main temples of the Aztecs in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City. The temple was dedicated to two gods, Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. The temple contains many sculptures, including serpent head sculpture as shown on this stamp:

Stone relief of Tlaloc, an important deity in Aztec religion; as supreme god of the rains, lightning and thunder as well as god of fertility and of water.

Stone disk depicting a dismembered Coyolxauhqui found in 1978 in Templo Mayor. Coyolxauhqui ("Face painted with Bells") was a daughter of Coatlicue and Mixcoatl. A legend tells that the miraculous pregnancy of Coatlicue, the maternal Earth deity, made her other children embarrassed, including her oldest daughter Coyolxauhqui. As Coatlicue swept the temple, a few hummingbird feathers fell into her chest. Coatlicue's child Huitzilopochtli sprang from her womb in full war armor and killed Coyolxauhqui and her other 400 brothers, who had been attacking their mother. He cut off her limbs, then tossed her head into the sky where it became the moon, so that his mother would be comforted in seeing her daughter in the sky every night.

A plethora of mythology and legends.
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Here is a set of 5 x 60c stamps based on various mythical creatures to be found in story books and fables.

The stamps were first issued on the 4th of October 2011.

One of the many variations issued was a booklet containing 20 such stamps........





These are the five stamps that complete the set.
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Thank you very much, Wilding mad! like the Palau legend. The Marshal Island set you posted is the first one about mythologies of the Pacific Islands. Here is the second set issued in 1997:

The demon of the Adrie
The beautiful woman of the Kwajalein
The large pool of Mejit
Sharks and Lowakalle reef

This SS shows Volcano goddesses of the Pacific, issued by Palau on May 29, 1997 to publicize the International Stamp Exhibition "Pacific '97" held in San Francisco, USA:

Darago of the Philippines - A volcano goddess who demanded a human sacrifice once a year to stop the volcanoes from erupting.

Fuji of Japan - Sakuya-bime is the goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes and keep Mount Fuji from erupting.

Pele of Hawaii - In Hawaii, Pele is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.

Pare of the Maori - Pare fell in love with Hutu but he, knowing that he could never marry such a noble maiden, ran away, leaving her to die of grief. Hutu then traveled to the underworld and brought her soul back to the land of the living where she married him.

Dzalarhons of the Haida - Dzalarhons, in the mythology of the Haida people (an indigenous people from the Pacific Northwest coast of North America), is a mountain spirit known as Volcano Woman who rules the earth's creatures and punishes those who abuse them.

Chiginadak of the Aleuts - Chuginadak is the Aleut goddess of fire who is believed to reside in the Cleveland mountain volcano in Alaska.

Legends of Old Samoan, issued by Samoa on August 13, 1974:

Tigilau is the guardian of the sharks and fishes. One of the famous legends is about Tigilau and the turtles: 'Ae of Tonga comes to visit Tigilau and returns with Tigilau's two turtles, Toga, whom he kills, and Utuutu, who gets away. A demon named Supa catches 'Ae and brings him back to Samoa to be killed by Tigilau.

Pili is the black lizard god who was the son of Tagaloa and the ancestor of the four main ruling families of Samoa. Pili, like all the other gods, could take human form at will.

Sina and the origin of the coconut tree: on the island of Savai'i in Samoa lived a beautiful girl called Sina who had a eel which fell in love with her. One day, when Sina went to the pool to get water she saw the eel staring up at her. Angry, she cried "You stare at me, with eyes like a demon!" The village chiefs came and killed the eel. As the fish was dying, it asked Sina to plant its head in the ground. A coconut tree grew from the ground. When the husk is removed from a coconut, there are three round marks which appear like the face of the fish with two eyes and a mouth. One of the marks is pierced for drinking the coconut, and hence when Sina takes a drink, she is kissing the eel.

Nafanua is the Samoan goddess of war. She was the daughter of Savea, the god who ruled over the land of the dead, and of one of the tattoo goddesses. Nafanua was born as a clot of blood and was thus thrown away by her mother. Savea found her and gave her life.

"Maori Myths" set of 6 stamps issued by New Zealand on June 8, 1994. Here are 3 of them. Source of information from New Zealand Post:

Maui pulls up Te Ika (the fish)
Using the jawbone of his grandmother as a fish hook, Maui is known as the mythical demigod who fished up many islands throughout Polynesia. On one fishing voyage with his older brothers Maui casts his magic hook, only to catch on the gable of the home of Tonganui. Calling for help, he and his brothers strained to haul up what we know today as the North Island of New Zealand. His canoe is said to rest on Mt Hikurangi on the East Coast. Later versions of the legend say the South Island is his canoe and the anchor stone is Stewart Island.

Rona is snatched up by Marama (Moon)
One night Rona took her calabashes to fill them with water. As cloud passed and darkened her moonlit path she tripped over the roots of a tree, and in her exasperation looked up and cursed the moon. Enraged, the moon descended to catch Rona and it drew her skywards. She desperately clutched the branch of a Ngaio tree but the moon's might tore the tree and its roots up to the sky, along with Rona and her calabashes.

Tane separates Rangi (Sky) and Papa (Earth)
Rangi and Papa were once two halves of a single entity but the gods decided to separate them. Several of their many children tried and failed. Eventually Tane, the Forest God parted heaven from the earth and today Rangi and Papa grieve ceaselessly for each other - hence the rain, the dew and soft mists that rise from the earth.

Maui attacks Tuna (Eel)
There was once an eel who lived high in the sky, near the sun. After a long hot dry spell without rain he decided to descend to earth and live in a river. One day Maui's wife, Hine-a-te-repo, was standing in the river with her children and the great eel knocked them over, splashing and swimming around, eventually eating both the children. This enraged Maui who set out to kill the eel. Using his magic he flooded the cunning eel out of the river and into a hole. Jumping into the hole, Maui chopped the eel's head off and threw it into the sea - hence we have eels in the sea today. The tail was thrown into the river to create river eels and the middle part of the eel twisted around a tree which we now see as vines in the forest.

Matakauri slays the Giant of Wakatipu
The beautiful Manata was tied by a special rope by a giant demon named Matua and the brave Matakauri was sent to rescue her. When his attempts failed, her tears softened the rope and she was freed. Hungry for revenge, Matakauri returned to light a fire near the sleeping Matua. By fanning the flames, Matua burned and the snow melted and poured over his ashes to form the lake of Wakatipu.

Panenehu shows Koura (Crayfish) to Tangaroa
Panenehu, a Maori chief, missed the foods of his homeland - especially Koura. After praying he was sent a Koura drawn on a rock. He dropped and smashed the rock but by using red clay he pieced it together. When the Koura finally arrived they looked just like the broken image Panenehu had patched together. Today these ugly but delicious creatures can be found all around the New Zealand coast.