Island Folklore

Lady Compassion

An account of the evolution of Taiwan’s beloved Goddess of Mercy.

From the Holy Bible to Taiwan’s aboriginal tales, flood myths feature widely in ancient literature.

The Sea Goddess has two loyal attendants who are “all eyes and ears.” This is their story.

A short, tragic tale that tells of how fireflies came to be and how they got their name.

The Sea Goddess is the protector of Taiwan. She was once a real person and this is her legend.

Take a guess: Is this a German fairytale? Or is it a Taiwanese folktale?

“3/8” is the date of the Int’l Women’s Day. It also sounds just like a very common Taiwanese expression.

In the ancient homeland of the Amis and Puyuma peoples, women once ruled.

From pygmies to dwarves, legends of “little folk” exist all over the world, including Taiwan.

The Paiwan people have many origin myths. Here is a sampling of these Paiwan origin tales.

This is the legendary tale of a petty criminal who became an outlaw and a folk hero in Taiwan.

The Atayal are an ancient Austronesian tribe indigenous to Taiwan. This is their origin story.

In the late 1600s, a pirate king ruled Taiwan. Today, he is a folk hero and this is his story.

Why do roosters crow? Why do stags have antlers? Why are dogs good deer-hunting companions?

From a children’s tale: On the 3rd day of the Lunar New Year, the mice welcome their brides.