In the beginning, Orchid Island was uninhabited. One
day, the God of the Skies looked down and was amazed by the island’s beauty. “That no people live there is a pity,” he thought. Thus, he took a rock and bamboo and split them in
half. He put
a boy into the rock
and a girl into the
bamboo. Then, he
dropped them on Orchid Island
The rock finally
landed on a mountaintop, while the bamboo landed at the foot of the
mountain. The boy and the girl then started to live on this beautiful island, separately. Soon, the boy felt lonely, so he walked down the mountain to explore more of the island. SP1 He did not find a companion
until he met the girl.
They played together every day. One day, to
their surprise, their knees suddenly began to swell, and then
a boy and a girl came out
of their knees. This was the beginning of their tribe. Later, more
and more generations lived on the island. The people
there simply called themselves “Tao,” which means “people” in their language. @@
Do you find this
story of human creation incredible?
In truth, this Tao myth is just one of the many legends told by the aboriginal people of Taiwan.
All of the aboriginal tribes in Taiwan are said to have their own special myths. They usually use nature in creative ways to explain the creation of humans. @@
The Bunun people, for example, believe that human life started from an insect. In the past, only plants and animals existed on the earth. Then, one
day, a golden flower floated gently down from the sky. When the flower landed on the ground, a small
insect came out of it
and gradually grew into a strong young man. All of the wild animals were surprised. They ran and shouted,
“Bunun! Bunun!” @@
Although
the young man made friends
with the animals, he still felt lonely. Therefore, he climbed to the top of the mountain,
and he requested a mate
from the sun.
Suddenly, a clay pot fell from the sky. The man did
not touch it until a voice said, “Cover this pot with food and keep it warm.” He then followed
the orders and took
good care of the pot.
Finally, the pot cracked open. A lovely young woman appeared. She and the
man later had many children,
who are now called the Bunun people. The name of their tribe also conveys the meaning of “people” in their language.
You see, the
names of the tribes in Taiwan
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