Articles and Stories - ATAYAL - The worldwide voice of the aboriginal tribes of Taiwan

Coastal Amis Legend of Tribal Origins

By Unknown

In the distant past a god named Abokirayan lived on the sea to the east of Taiwan. One day the god came to the island of Botoru, and he settled here with the goddess Tariburayan. One day Abokirayan pulled hard on a vine hanging from a tree and accidentally kindled a fire. This was the beginning of fire. One day when the god and goddess were squatting around the fire and cooking yams they discovered that the god had a protrusion in the genital area and the goddess had an indentation. Later they saw a pair of wagtails copulating, and from this they learned about sexual intercourse. Among the couple's numerous descendants, Abokutayan made a log boat and sailed with the goddesses Tariburayan and Teposuruyan to Kawasan in the west. Because a cruel and violent god already occupied Kawasan, the explorers continued to the north until they came to Dalaloma (in the vicinity of today's Hualien). Since this place was also unsuitable for dwelling, they sailed on to the mouth of Liwu creek. The found this to be a propitious site for a home, and they planted the sweet potatos they had brought with them. They gathered and ate the rice and millet that grew wild, used wood and bamboo to make hoes, and tilled the soil. Their descendants multiplied and settled along the east coast of Taiwan.

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