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Oceania Folktales

At Old Folktales, we gather and share traditional stories from across the Pacific, including: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Micronesia, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru, Marshall Islands, and French Polynesia. These folktales feature: Creation stories, ancestor spirits, and sacred animals. Courageous heroes, tribal wisdom, and natural symbolism

Maui Slows the Sun – A Maori Folktale About Time

by Aanu Adegun

July 20, 2025

Oceania Folktales

In ancient Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, the Maori people struggled with time. The days were too short. Morning light faded quickly, and night crept in before food was cooked or stories finished. The people worked hard but could not enjoy the fruits of their labor. Maui, the youngest son of a great chief and a demigod

Oceania Folktales

The Rainbow Serpent – An Aboriginal Australian Folktale

Before time began, the Earth was flat and empty. Then the Rainbow Serpent awoke from her slumber beneath the ground. She rose, colorful and massive, and slithered across the land, carving rivers and shaping mountains. As she moved, she brought life. From her body came water, and from water came

The Flying Turtles – A Samoan Folktale About Unity

In ancient Samoa, there were two rival villages—one in the mountains, one

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Oceania Folktales

Maui Slows the Sun – A Maori Folktale About Time

The Rainbow Serpent – An Aboriginal Australian Folktale

The Flying Turtles – A Samoan Folktale About Unity

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