Classification of Au Myths
Folklore among the Au of Papua New Guinea takes three forms: Tipiitim Tipiir, tales told the ancestors by the spirits; Tipiitim Herwe, tales invented by the ancestors; and Him, tales invented by the older men. The first are basically etiological, the second provide emotional release and entertainment, and the third show attempts to cope with the cultural flux which followed the arrival of Europeans. Certain Scriptural parallels are explored, with their implications for crosscultural communication of the gospel.