I’m starting this thread so that those who are interested in Aboriginal legends/mythology, and comparative folkloristics with other regional (Southeast Asia, China, Ryukyu, Japanese) and ethnic (Austronesian) legends.
I have previously wrote one about the mythical home island of Hawaki and Sanasai
Here it can be about any Austronesian/Taiwanese Aboriginal legends/mythology.
I’m gonna start with one about everybody’s favorite betel nut.
First, let’s clarify that the actual nut that grows on palm like trees is actually called an areca nut. Betel refers to the leaf that are used to wrap around an areca nut before chewing. It is common practise to wrap lime stone ash together with the areca nut with the betel leaf before chewing.
The Amis has this story about Betel nut:
An extremely similar folklore exists in Vietnam:
King Hùng (雄王) is a title given to many many kings of the Hồng Bàng dynasty (2879–258 BC). Wikipedia entry about Hong Bang dynasty stated “other Southeast Asian sites include the presence of boat-shaped coffins and burial jars, stilt dwellings, and evidence of the customs of betel-nut-chewing and teeth-blackening.” These are all Austronesian customs. Burial jars, stilt dwellings, betel nut chewing and teeth-blackening can be found in Taiwan.
Archeological findings points out that jade artifacts dating back 3000 years ago from Taiwan (Fengtian jade from Hualian) can be found through out the Philippines, Borneo, Vietnam and Southern Thailand. In Vietnam, the spread of the legend might be connected with the Sa Huỳnh culture.
The Vietnamese version has been influenced by other cultures, but it is essentially a variation of the same story. Betel nut seems to be connected to marital rituals in Thailand as well.
Betel nut is culturally significant to many Aboriginal tribes, especially to Paiwan, Amis. Puyuma, Tao, Bunun, and Rukai. It is a integral part of courtship and marriage rituals for most and important to religious rituals to the other.
Chewing betel nuts were thought to keep teeth clean. Aside from chewing betel nuts, other parts of the betel nut tree are also utilized by Aboriginal cultures as medicine, food, handycrafts and natural dye.
Betel nut trees are found surrounding a typical traditional Paiwan house. It is used as gifts, and an important ritualistic idem during weddings.
For the Amis (Pangcah), betel nut symbolizes mother. The juice from chewing betel nut symbolizes mother’s milk. Betel nut also shares the same word as the female genitalia. It is taboo to cut a betel nut with a knife. Stealing other’s betel nuts is considered the same as murder by the Amis. It is also taboo for a pregnent woman to chew deformed betel nut, otherwise they believe she would more likely to give birth to deformed baby or twins. Young women are forbidden to chop off the tail bit of betel nuts, because she may lose furtility.
Amis is a matrearcal society, and a woman initiates courtship by giving the man she likes betel nut. If the man received the gift, it means he accepts her courtship. In that sense, to the Amis, betel nuts also represents love, and they often praise the betel nut as a medifore for the pursuit of romance.
For the Puyuma, betel nut is used in worship rituals and in voodoo. Like the Amis, the Puyuma also thinks betel nut symbolizes a person. When practising voodoo, special jewels are placed inside a betel nut. It is thought that by damaging that betel nut, it can cause bodily harm to others.
To the Tao (Yami), the betel nut symbolizes women. The actual betel vine symbolizes men. The ash symbolizes love. If a young man dreamt about some girl planting the betel vine and the betel nut tree, it is said they are destined to be together. If a husband dreamt about the betel vine, it is said his wife would likely give birth to a boy, and a girl if the object in his dream is a betel nut tree.
Sources:
語文與語文教育的展望 By 周慶華
vietspring.org/legend/traucau.html
The distribution and implication of Taiwan Nephrite artifacts in Southeast Asian Archaeology. - Hung, H.C. 2006