Mount Hagen

(map)

Once, in a village called Atkena, there lived a big, strong man named Ona Glame. Ona often fought with other men and frequently killed them, and the other villagers feared him and wanted him dead. So Ona took his things and went into the forest.

Ona set a game trap in a tree and quickly caught lots of game, more than he could eat. He returned to the village and told his family about his hunting success, and they helped him bring back the game and prepare it. The other villagers were still wary, but Ona proposed a feast for everybody, so people could forget their worries. The people agreed and gathered greens. However, they were short of taro because the land thereabouts was not good for growing it.

Ona spilled some water on the earth oven as people were about to cover it. Steam rose. Before long, rain clouds gathered, and a heavy rain fell. The river rose and flooded the village, tearing down houses and killing many people.

Since then, this village has had water and good land for planting taro, and there is much taro to eat there.

Slone, 2001, 2: 908-909.