Tradition / Region: Melanesian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Eel, Fish, Lake Dweller
The Myth
There is a deep lake in British New Guinea, rich with fish, and at its bottom dwells Abaia, a powerful and magical eel. Abaia is ancient and territorial, and like many great serpents and eels of Melanesian belief, it is bound to the forces of weather, storms, and floods. It does not tolerate disturbance.
One day, a man discovered Abaia’s lake and found that the fish within it were plentiful beyond measure. He caught many and returned to his village, telling the others of the endless bounty. Soon the people came together to the lake, casting their nets and hauling out fish in great numbers. In their greed, they took without restraint.
Among them, one woman caught Abaia himself in her net. The great eel struggled and escaped, slipping back into the depths of the lake.
That night, Abaia took revenge. Rain fell without pause. The lake swelled and overflowed its banks, and the floodwaters rose until the entire village was drowned. Men, women, and children were swept away by the storm.
Only one old woman survived. She had refused to eat the fish taken from the lake and climbed into a tree as the waters rose. When the flood receded, she alone remained, spared because she had not partaken in what belonged to Abaia.
Thus the people learned that the gifts of the water are not without guardians, and that greed awakens the wrath of those who dwell beneath the surface.
Gallery
Sources
Dixon, R. B. (1916) The Mythology of All Races v. IX: Oceanic. Marshall Jones Company, Boston.
A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Abaia. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/01/04/abaia/
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Abaia