Some myths claim staple crops grew from a murdered goddess
In many agrarian myths, the crops we eat are not a gift, but the transformed remains of a murdered deity buried in the earth.
The Wemale people of Seram Island tell the story of Hainuwele, a girl who could miraculously produce valuable items from her body. Her wealth sparked such intense jealousy that during a dance, the villagers pushed her into a pit and buried her alive. When her father later dug up her remains and planted them, her dismembered limbs grew into the very first tuber crops, like yams and taro.
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