Abere
Abere is a demoness or mythical figure from Melanesian mythology. She is portrayed as a "wild" woman with young female servants, the relationship between her and her female servants has been interpreted as romantic or sexual by some scholars.[1][2] [3] She is said to reside in marshes. She draws people to her by her beauty, entrapping them by causing reeds to grow around them.[1] Once they are trapped, she proceeds to devour her victims.[4]
A second-hand acount from 1914 shows a transcription of a song that claims that Abere is not a demoness but a shape shifting culture hero who taught people how to build and plant crops and keeps them from harm. [5]
A separate story says that Abere created the first dugongs by pulling an infant into the water and transforming it before it drowned, causing the mother to follow and be transformed as well. [6]
References
- 1 2 Rose, Carol (1998). "A". Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns and Goblin. The Abere is a particularly vicious mermaid species. Norton. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-393-31792-3.
- ↑ Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (4 July 2013). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. Routledge. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-135-96397-2.
Abere (Melanesia): Demoness. Abere was known as a wild, provocative woman who murdered men. It was said that the mimia reed grew around her to hide her from her victims. She was known for having a number of young female companions.
- ↑ Herdt, Gilbert (1993). Ritualized Homosexuality in Melanesia. University of California Press. p. 284. ISBN 9780520080966.
- ↑ Rose, Carol (2000). Giants, monsters, and dragons: an encyclopedia of folklore, legend, and myth. ABC-Clio, inc. ISBN 978-0-87436-988-5.
- ↑ Burne, Charlotte (1914). The Handbook of Folklore. Folklore society. ISBN 9781859581575.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ↑ Landtman, Gunnar (1917). The Folk-tales of the Kiwai Papuans. Printing-office of the Finnish society of literature. p. 31. ISBN 978-0259429753.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)