is
presented by the Australian Arunta, in whose mythical system the authors
of tribal institutions and the makers of heavenly bodies are the
half-animal, half-human ancestors; this seems to be an attempt at a
transformation of the old scheme of creation by animals--unwilling to
abandon the earlier conception, these tribes have satisfied themselves
by the theory that the ancestors and creators, though animals in nature,
must at the same time have been human.[1143] We may compare with these
the Melanesian and Samoan supernatural beings who are incarnate in
animal forms and are at the same time originators of civilization.[1144]
These zooemorphic beings are not necessarily totems, as in Australia;
outside of the Arunta it does not appear that totems as such are ever
regarded as creators[1145]--they are ancestors, but at that point their
function appears to cease.

+677+. There are however ghosts, which, while of course representing
ancestors, are regarded not specially in their ancestorial capacity, but
rather as powerful beings who have been more or less active in framing
the constitution of society. This form of ghost occurs in Melanesia,
where also spirits, vague beings who never were human, play a great
role. The best authorities find it somewhat difficult to distinguish
between such ghosts and spirits on the one hand, and gods on the other
hand.[1146] The Qat of the Banks Islands is in one sense a creator,
since he determines the regular courses of the seasons and is the
introducer of night; yet, since he does not actually create the world,
but only rearranges the existing material, he belongs rather in the
category of transformers or initiators. Real anthropomorphic gods appear
as creators in very early tribes. Such, for example, are Baiame,
Daramulun, Bunjil of Australia,[1147] perhaps Supu of the Melanesian
island of Vate.

+678+. In Polynesia there is a better-defined cosmogonic
anthropomorphism. The Hawaiian creators Kane and Tangaloa appear to be
fully formed deities.[1148] The Maoris have the divine figures Heaven
and Earth, whose children are the producers of all things in the world.
But Maui, who seems to be a general Polynesian figure, is rather a
culture-hero than a god, though his achievements were of a very serious
sort. The Tapa of the Borneo Land Dyaks,[1149] and the Boora Pennu of
the Khonds[1150] may be regarded as real gods. On the West Coast of
Africa the Yorubans, the most advanced of the coast t