Oceania and Beyond


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Stories from the Marshall Islands


Book Description

Among Marshallese the ri-bwebwenato (storyteller) is well known and respected, a living repository and transmitter of traditional history and culture. Here are ninety folktales and stories of historical events, collected and translated into English during the third quarter of the twentieth century. They include tales of origins, humanlike animals, ogres, and sprites--some malevolent, some playful. Many are presented in the original language and are amplified by extensive commentary.







Tattooing in the Marshall Islands


Book Description

"The first scholarly compilation on the history, progression and demise of the traditionally intricate art of Marshallese tattooing. This book richly documents this type of tattooing as an art, describing its incredible ornamental and elaborate execution. In addition, the text also portrays the conventional social context in which tattooing needs to be seen, along with where and why tattoos are specifically placed."--Publisher description.







The First Taint of Civilization


Book Description

“Hezel writes clearly and with erudition and commands an impressive body of information. His book is a tour de force.... Not only will it be read eagerly by Pacific scholars, but it should find a wide audience among well-educated Micronesians hungry for greater understanding of how their islands have become ensnared in world geopolitics.” —Ethnohistory