Select, Annotated Links to the Myths, Histories, and Cultures of Oceania

Oceania Myth Resources

“Ancient Seafarers”
(Peter Bellwood, Archaeology 50.2: 1997)  Article summarizing archaeological evidence suggesting that the colonization of Australia and other south Pacific islands may have occurred earlier than previously suspected.  Evidence attesting ancient sea crossing also considered.  W 
AusAnthrop
(Laurent Dousset)  Features a handful of online anthropological articles on the Aborigines of Australia. Links as well.  WR 
Charting the Pacific   
(ABC Cinemedia Multimedia Production Accord)  Brief introductory information on people and places in Oceania.  Includes links.  WM 
Easter Island Home Page  
(David Brookman)  A metasite featuring links to information on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Polynesian culture and history.  Features travel info and maps as well.  M 
From Hawaiiki to Hawaiiki
(Kingston Strategic [NZ] Ltd.) A commerical site featuring a significant number of links and articles concerning Maori culture, history, mythology, and whakapapa (genealogy). Point your browser to the “Research Sources” link for numerous links to online resources, including primary texts. WM
Indonesian Myth
(Mario Rustan)  A brief overview of the connection between Indian and Indonesian myth; features more than a dozen hyperlinked stories.  W 
Internet Sacred Text Archive: Pacific
(J.B. Hare) Online version of more than a dozen vintage books on Melanesian, Samoan, Hawaiian, Maori, and Easter Island cultures, including Roland B. Dixon’s 1916 survey of Oceanic mythic cycles.  P
Jane Resture’s Oceania Page
(Jane Resture)  Includes a wide variety of material related to most Pacific Island cultures.  “Mythology” link takes you to stories indexed by island.  Links tend to be travel-related.  W
Maori Art and Artifacts
Introductory information on Maori history, words, art, tiki, and society.  Click under “history” for information related to Maori myth and religion.  W 
Marquesas Home Page  
(Luc-Erol Alptuna)  Information on history, geography, culture, and archaeology of The Marquesas island group.  Images and a few links as well.  W 
New Age of Alternative Archaeology in Australia (The)  
(Peter Hiscock)  Good background for those interested in Austrailian aboriginal myth. Reviews unconventional views of the chronology of humans in Australia, summarizes conventional views as well.  W
Noa’ia ’e mauri   
(Alan Howard)  Website dedicated to all things Rotuman (Rotuma = a Fiji Island), includes full-text version of Elizabeth K. Inia’s book on Rotuman ceremonies and the scholarly articles of Alan Howard and Jan Rensel.  W 
Oceania People General Resources  
(Rod Polasky & Brenda Latham) Part of the Amazing Worlds of Archaeology, Anthropology, & Ancient Civilizations metasite.  Features a wide range of links, ranging from academic to popular, general introductiona to specialized studies about dozens of Oceanic peoples and their cultures.  M 
Oceanic Mythology: E-book
(Roland B. Dixon) Accurately self-described as “a highly readable and scholarly cross-cultural study of Pacific mythology and folklore, covering Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Indonesia and Australia. A free download. E
Polynesia: Cultures and Contact Zones  
(Bruce Harvey)  The site supports Harvey’s course on Polynesia and features maps, general information about history & human migration, contact between Capts. Cook and Bligh with Polynesian culture, Hawaiian and Maorian culture.  W
Polynesian Voyagers   
(Elsdon Best)  Online article discussing New Zealand’s Maori as blue-water navigators, explorers, and colonizers of the Neolithic period.  W 
Polynesian Voyagers (The) by Ramon Arjona  
Online article residing on Strange Horizons.  Hyperlinked article discussing the transoceanic migrations of the Polynesians.  W 
Samoan Sensation  
Site is largely devoted to news and tourist information related to Samoa, but does feature several stories online and a bibliography.  W

Broken Links? Have I missed an important website? Please let me know so I can keep these pages current.