Tradition / Region: Papua New Guinea Mythology
Alternate Names: The Saw-Fish of Madiri
Category: Fish, Sawfish
The Myth
Long ago, in the bushland along the coast of Kiwai, between Iasa and Kubira, there was an open stretch of land that had been cleared in a terrible way. This clearing was made by Gabora, a gigantic saw-fish that lived in a nearby swamp.
One day, a woman was fishing in the swamp using sádi, a poisonous substance placed in the water to stun fish. The poison disturbed Gabora. Driven from the swamp, the monstrous saw-fish surged out onto dry land. As it moved toward the sea, it swept its enormous saw from side to side, cutting down the bush in a single, devastating passage. Trees fell as if sliced by a blade, and the land was left bare. From that day onward, no trees ever grew there again.
Later, the people returned to fish in the same place, again using sádi. Once more, Gabora rose from the water. This time, it swung its terrible weapon across the fishing grounds, killing nearly all the people present. The destruction was so complete that the event was remembered as a warning never to disturb certain waters again.
Gabora is spoken of not only as a fish, but as an obisare, a dangerous and uncanny being whose presence marks places of death and desolation. The empty land it created remains as proof of its passage, and the story endures as a reminder that some waters are guarded by powers that do not forgive intrusion.
Gallery
Sources
Landtman, G. (1970). The Kiwai Papuans of British New Guinea: A nature-born instance of Rousseau’s ideal community.
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 Gabora