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Overview
In “The Mud People,” two men try to replace underground dwellings with houses. One makes a shelter of woven rei grass; the other builds with mud and disparages the grass shelter. The first man visits the mountain where Apogi, the great lake spirit, dwells and appeals through spells for water and rain. Clouds soon cover the sun, and heavy rain dissolves the rival’s mud walls. The displaced family eventually receives shelter and adopts grass construction. Apogi is named as the responding lake power, but no bodily shape is supplied.
Origins & earliest records
Annie Ker, Papuan Fairy Tales (London: Macmillan, 1910), pp. 135–137. Individual narrator unnamed.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected narrative read in digitized transcription; collector’s general northeastern village attribution retained.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Papuan Fairy Tales: The Mud People, pp. 135–137
Complete selected text inspected.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected textKer 1910: The Mud People, pp. 135–137Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.