The Foolish Brother
Ni Vanuatu · deity · primordial · Recorded classification
The 'fool' half of the dual-creator pair requested in the brief. Treated as a deity. Names differ by island; 'Suqe' is also the name of the graded men's society, reflecting the figure's local associations.
Domains
- folly and mischief
Powers
- botches whatever part of creation he attempts
Relations
- sibling: Maker of the WorldThe foolish brother of the wise creator: whatever Tagaro made right, his counterpart marred.R.H. Codrington, The Melanesians: Studies in their Anthropology and Folk-Lore (1891) (secondary)
- rival: Maker of the WorldHis perverse counter-creations oppose Tagaro's good order in the Maewo and Ambae tales.R.H. Codrington, The Melanesians: Studies in their Anthropology and Folk-Lore (1891) (secondary)
Sources
- Mwerambuto (Meragbuto / Suqe-matua) is the foolish, bungling brother of the creator Tagaro in northern Vanuatu mythology, whose mistakes Tagaro must repair; he gives his name to one of the two Ambae moieties.: Codrington, R.H. The Melanesians: Studies in their Anthropology and Folklore (1891) (primary)