An annotated bibliography of Manus Province folklore

Below is an annotated bibliography of Manus Province folklore. See the main bibliography page for more details. Please send comments and corrections to me.

A “* ”following a reference indicates that I have not seen.

Ala’u, T. (1977). “Au’u Island, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(4): 59-62. This article presents a myth from Au’u (Aua) Island (Wuvulu-Aua People). A translation into Tok Pisin is given on pp. 63-66 by B. Simitap.
Beresford, C. E. (1965). Legends of Manus. Croydon: Longmans, 38 pp., illustrated. *
Buah, Kundrakei (1981). “Where the People of West Manus Came From. ”Oral History 9(4): 5-9. This article presents a myth from the Lindrou People.
Chawanin, Jack (1977). “M’Buke Village, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(5): 54-59. This article presents a myth from the Titan People.
Fortune, Reo F. (1965 [1935]). Manus Religion; an Ethnological Study of the Manus Natives of the Admiralty Islands. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 391 pp., illustrated. This book discusses the mythology of the Titus People.
Hamel, Patricia J. (1994). Pronouns in Loniu Discourse. This conference paper apparently presented some Loniu folktales. *
Kais, Kakah (1977). “N’Dranou Village, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(5): 67-69. This article presents a myth from N’Dranou (Drano) Village (Ere-Lele-Gele’-Kuruti People). Kais, Kakah & Minol, Bernard (1996). The Stories of Pokop of Pohyomou Port Moresby: University of Papua New Guinea Press, 40 pp., illustrated. This book presents 7 myths from the main island of Manus, from the Ere-Lele-Gele’-Kuruti and Nali Peoples. These myths concern cultural heroes called Pokops who left no descendants. Contents: “Pokop of Pohyomou and one of his many adventures", “Pokop meets Masalai of Sumbrulendriy", “Pokop his ten wives and Naysdamui", “Pokop of Pohyomou steals water from Pokop of Pwenet", “Pokop of Pohyomou destroys Pohonanus", “The old woman of Polnoum and Pokop of Pohyomou", and “Pokop And Nakohai And Nabotol. ”Partial text *
Kaspou, B. (1977). “N’Dranou Village, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(4): 78. This article presents a myth from N’Dranou (Drano) Village (Ere-Lele-Gele’-Kuruti People). A translation into Tok Pisin is given on p. 79 by B. Simitap.
Kolia, John (1976). The Song of Aua. Hamilton, New Zealand: Outrigger Publishers, 53 pp. This book presents a legend of the Wuvulu-Aua People. *
Kolou, Gerard (1981). “The Lizard Guardian Spirit from Yupay. ”Oral History 9(4): 100-101. It is unclear where Yupay Village is located.
Kuechler, Susanne (1983). “The Malangan of Nombowai. ”Oral History 11(2): 65-98. This article discusses the mythology of the Kara People.
Kumbou (1981). “Where Dugongs Came From. ”Oral History 9(4): 45-59. This article presents a myth from an unspecified location.
Mead, Margaret ([1930]). Growing Up in New Guinea. New York: New American Library, 223 pp. A sample legend of the Titan People is given in appendix 7, “The story of the bird Ndrame."
Meier, Josef (1978). “Myths and Legends of the Admiralty Islanders. ”Oral History 6(2): 78-93. This article was translated by Ulli Beier. This article presents 21 myths that originally appeared in German as “Mythen und Sagen der Admiralitatsinsulaner ”in Anthropos 4: 354-374 (1909). Myths are from Ndriol Island, Nauna Island/People (pp. 78-79), Papitalai People (pp. 79, 81-86, 88-89, 90-93), Haiafan Village, Louin Village (Baluan-Lou-Pam People?) [pp. 80-81], Matankor Village (p. 87-88), and Usiai Village (pp. 89-90).
Minol, Bernard, ed. (2000). Manus from the Legends to Year 2000: A History of the People of Manus. Port Moresby: University of Papua New Guinea Press, 174 pp., illustrated. This book contains a chapter on Manus legends, including creation stories (pp. 56-72), explanation stories (pp. 73-102) and migration stories (pp. 103-113).
Moijam, Siyuwei (1981). “My Ancestor the Snake Man. ”Oral History 9(4): 9-10. This article presents a myth from the Lindrou People.
Otto, Ton (1992). “From Paliau movement to Makasol: the politics of representation. ”Canberra Anthropology 15: 49-68. *
Pfaff, Gerald R. & Masta, Luke Pahun, eds. (1989). Pweheriy pe ndrindriye hayah torou Nal [Some of Our Nali Legends and Stories]. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: Southern Institute of Linguistics, 19 pp. * Out of print.
Pfaff, Gerald R. & Masta, Luke Pahun, eds. (1990). Titiye ta Puwarrah Ndrandruwisik, Pe titiye hayah torou Nali [The Story of Puwarrah Ndrandruwisik and Other of Our Nali Stories. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: Southern Institute of Linguistics, 25 pp. * Out of print.
Poio, Moiap (1981a). “The Story of Sago. ”Oral History 9(4): 75-76. This article presents a myth from Pulei Mountain. It is unclear where this is located.
Poio, Moiap (1981b). “Why Men and Women Do Equal Sago Work. ”Oral History 9(4): 82. This article presents a myth from an unspecified location.
Pokapin, Paul (1981). “Drusi the Eel Masalai. ”Oral History 9(4): 86-88. This article presents a myth from an unspecified location.
Romanucci-Ross, Lola (1985). Mead’s Other Manus: Phenomenology of the Encounter. South Hadley, Massachusetts: Bergen & Garvey, 230 pp., illustrated. This book contains several myths of the Sori People.
Samol, Pondros (1977). “Bunai Village, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(6): 70-71. This article describes a myth of the Titan People.
Sane, Baba (1981). “Why we cannot eat pig meat. ”Oral History 9(4): 10-11. This article presents a myth from an unspecified location.
Selipiu, Koronga (1981). “Peiten the Whale Masalai. ”Oral History 9(4): 83-84. This article presents a myth from western Manus Province, Lindrou People (?).
Takei, I. (1977). “Pam Village, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(4): 67. This article presents a myth from Pam Village (Baluan-Lou-Pam People). A translation into Tok Pisin is given on p. 68 by B. Simitap.
Tau, Sili (1981). “Origins of Saksak or Sago. ”Oral History 9(4): 77-81. This article presents a myth from the Pohowai Village. It is unclear where this is located.
Tawali, K. (1977). “Tawi Village, Manus Province. ”Oral History 5(4): 80-81, 84. This article presents two myths from Tawi Village (Titan People). A translation into Tok Pisin is given on pp. 82-83, 85 by B. Simitap. A translation into Motu is given in Oral History 6(4): 75-77 (1978) by S. [Simon] Lohia.

Last modified December 2, 2006.