A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
While Vulanangela is fishing, a fish swallows him. He survives a ten-day journey eastward inside it. When the fish runs aground, he cuts his way out with a flint.
Waiting cold for dawn, he sits over the opening from which the Sun emerges. A knocking reveals the obstruction. He moves, travels with the Sun and stays two years in its house. He is then lowered to earth carrying the gift of fire.
Vulanangela stays human throughout the story and never takes animal form. The fire episode belongs to this particular account. It should not be read as a fire-origin story shared by all of Mala or other islands.
Origins & earliest records
Mala/Malaita account printed in Florence Coombe, Islands of Enchantment (1911), Part III ch. III, p. 291.
Records & interpretation
Coombe 1911, p. 291, read from archive.org OCR. No other sources examined.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Islands of Enchantment: many-sided Melanesia seen through many eyes
Selected bibliography; Part III ch. III, p. 291.
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.
- Digitised historical book (OCR)Islands of Enchantment (full OCR text)Research access: 2026-10-07
- Catalogue recordIslands of Enchantment (Internet Archive catalogue record)Research access: 2026-10-07
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.