Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic - John Matthews - Страница 135

In the creation myths of the Nauru people of the South Pacific, the Areop-Enap was the Ancient Spider who created the Earth and Heavens by prising apart mollusc shells with the help of two snails and a worm. The two snails became the sun and moon, while the worm, Rigi, was the one who forced the molluscs apart. His efforts were such that his sweat became the salt of the sea as he heaved them open. In other stories, Rigi was a butterfly who flew between earth and sea to separate them. Areop-Enap’s son was Areop-It-Eonin or Young Spider, who created fire by bringing it from the abode of thunder and lightning.