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Overview
The heavenly father of Magigi has grown so enormous that he fills the council-house. His daughter and her husband Kitimil cannot satisfy his hunger, and he has eaten the island’s coconuts. When Kitimil notices damage to his sugar-cane, Magigi identifies the mouse responsible as her hungry father in another form. Kitimil disbelieves her and sets a trap. After its springing, he brings home the dead mouse and discovers that the giant’s place in the council-house is empty, confirming her explanation.
Magigi tells him to retain four teeth and the blood before burying the body. She predicts a storm and a sea-flood covering Yap, and the couple build a seven-storey dwelling on the highest mountain. As the water rises they climb through its levels. At the top, she places oil on a leaf upon the water, which begins to recede. The couple find another survivor, who anchored himself on a canoe outrigger, and Magigi’s seven children subsequently spread through the land. Dixon presents this as the conclusion of a longer tale: the father’s appetite and shapeshifting belong to that particular account, while the flood is foretold after his killing.
Origins & earliest records
Roland B. Dixon, Oceanic Mythology (Boston: Marshall Jones, 1916), Part IV, chapter I, pp. 256–257; note 44.
Records & interpretation
Historical English scholarly retelling with located citations to earlier collected accounts; source-specific forms and episodes.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Oceanic Mythology, Part IV, chapter I, pp. 256–257; note 44
Dixon cites Walleser p. 620. Notes 45–46 compare Indonesian mouse and flood motifs rather than supply extra Yap anatomy.
- 02
Dixon: notes to Part IV, chapter I
Dixon cites Walleser p. 620. Notes 45–46 compare Indonesian mouse and flood motifs rather than supply extra Yap anatomy.
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.
- Historical scholarly compilation of collected narrativesDixon 1916: Micronesian origin and deluge accountsResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Bibliographic source notesDixon 1916: underlying-source notesResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
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