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Areop-Enap (Nauruan: old spider) played a major part in the creation of the world in the indigenous myths of the people of Nauru.

Creation myth

At the beginning of creation, the only things in existence were Areop-Enap (a spider) and the sea.^[1] Areop-Enap searched for food in the darkness and found an enormous clam (in some accounts a Tridacna clam).^[2] Before he could stun it, the clam swallowed him and snapped shut again. In the darkness, Areop-Enap explored the clam's insides, and found a tiny snail (or in some accounts, a Triton's Horn shellfish).

Areop-Enap placed the snail under his arm and lay down and slept for three days, directing some of his power to the snail.^[3] Then he found a second, larger snail which he placed under his arm and again slept for three days, transferring some of his power to the snail. On waking, Areop-Enap asked the smaller snail to climb to the hinge of the shell and pry the clam open. As the snail moved across the clam's flesh, it left a phosphorescent trail, in the light of which Areop-Enap saw a white worm (or in some accounts, a caterpillar) called Rigi. Ignoring the snail, Areop-Enap cast a strength spell on Rigi and persuaded him to try to open the clam.

Time and again Rigi set his head against the upper shell and his tail against the lower shell, and heaved. The clam resisted and sweat poured from Rigi, making a pool in the lower shell, then a lake and finally a sea. The saltiness of the water killed the clam and opened the shell. Areop-Enap made the lower shell into Earth and the upper shell into the sky and set the smaller snail west of the sky-shell where it became the Moon. The second snail was set to the east and became the Sun. Areop-Enap made islands from clam-flesh and clothed them in vegetation made from his own web-thread. Finally he turned to Rigi and found that he had drowned in his own sweat, killed by his own exertions. Areop-Enap wrapped him in a cocoon of silk and hung him in the sky to become the Milky Way.

Areop-Enap created humans from stones so they could support the sky, and then discovered there were other creatures in the newly created world. So he created a winged creature or flying bird from the dirt under his nails and set it to annoy the creatures so that they called to each other to kill it. In this way Areop-Enap learned the names of the inhabitants of the world.

References

^ Patricia Turner; Charles Russell Coulter (2001). Dictionary of Ancient Deities. Oxford University Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-19-514504-6. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
^ Roland Burrage Dixon (1964). Oceanic mythology. Forgotten Books. p. 236. ISBN 1-60506-952-3. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
^ Marilyn Reid (2007). Mythical Star Signs. Lulu.com. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-84753-623-5. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[turner-coulter-1] Patricia Turner; Charles Russell Coulter (2001). Dictionary of Ancient Deities. Oxford University Press. p. 65. ISBN 0-19-514504-6. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[burrage-2] Roland Burrage Dixon (1964). Oceanic mythology. Forgotten Books. p. 236. ISBN 1-60506-952-3. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

[reid-3] Marilyn Reid (2007). Mythical Star Signs. Lulu.com. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-84753-623-5. Retrieved 23 March 2009.

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+{{About |a mythological creature|the fictional character of the same name |The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel}}
-{{Refimprove|date=March 2009}}
+{{More citations needed|date=March 2009}}
-In the indigenous creation [[Mythology|myths]] of the people of [[Nauru]], '''Areop-Enap''' ("old spider") played a major part in the [[Creation myth|creation]] of the world.
+{{Mythology}}
+'''Areop-Enap''' ({{lang-na|old spider}}) played a major part in the [[creation myth|creation of the world]] in the indigenous myths of the people of [[Nauru]].
 ==Creation myth==
-At the beginning of creation, the only things in existence were Areop-Enap (a spider) and the sea.<ref name="turner-coulter">{{Cite book| page=65| url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jEcpkWjYOZQC&pg=PP1&dq=Dictionary+of+Ancient+Deities#PPA25,M1| title=Dictionary of Ancient Deities| author=Patricia Turner|author2=Charles Russell Coulter| publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]| year=2001| isbn=0-19-514504-6| accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref> Areop-Enap searched for food in the darkness and found an enormous [[clam]] (in some accounts a [[Tridacna]] clam).<ref name="burrage">{{Cite book| page=236| url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VMEbkQzldFkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Oceanic+%5Bmythology%5D&as_brr=3#PPA236,M1| title=Oceanic mythology| author=[[Roland Burrage Dixon]]| publisher=Forgotten Books| year=1964| isbn=1-60506-952-3| accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref> Before he could stun it, the clam swallowed him and snapped shut again. In the darkness, Areop-Enap explored the clam's insides, and found a tiny snail (or in some accounts, a [[Charonia tritonis|Triton's Horn]] shellfish).
+At the beginning of creation, the only things in existence were Areop-Enap (a spider) and the sea.<ref name="turner-coulter">{{cite book |page=65 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jEcpkWjYOZQC&dq=Dictionary+of+Ancient+Deities&pg=PP1| title=Dictionary of Ancient Deities| author=Patricia Turner |author2=Charles Russell Coulter |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2001
+|isbn=0-19-514504-6 |accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> Areop-Enap searched for food in the darkness and found an enormous [[clam]] (in some accounts a [[Tridacna]] clam).<ref name="burrage">{{cite book |page=236
+|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VMEbkQzldFkC&q=Oceanic+%5Bmythology%5D |title=Oceanic mythology |author=Roland Burrage Dixon |author-link=Roland Burrage Dixon |publisher=Forgotten Books |year=1964 |isbn=1-60506-952-3 |accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> Before he could stun it, the clam swallowed him and snapped shut again. In the darkness, Areop-Enap explored the clam's insides, and found a tiny snail (or in some accounts, a [[Charonia tritonis|Triton's Horn]] shellfish).
-Areop-Enap placed the snail under his arm and lay down and slept for three days, directing some of his power to the snail.<ref name="reid">{{Cite book| page=116| url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zHWGtXdXN10C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Mythical+Star+Signs&as_brr=3#PPA116,M1| title=Mythical Star Signs| author=Marilyn Reid| publisher=[[Lulu.com]]| year=2007| isbn=1-84753-623-9| accessdate=2009-03-23}}</ref> Then he found a second, larger snail which he placed under his arm and again slept for three days, transferring some of his power to the snail. On waking, Areop-Enap asked the smaller snail to climb to the hinge of the shell and pry the clam open. As the snail moved across the clam's flesh, it left a [[phosphorescence|phosphorescent]] trail, in the light of which Areop-Enap saw a white worm (or in some accounts, a caterpillar) called Rigi. Ignoring the snail, Areop-Enap cast a strength spell on Rigi and persuaded him to try to open the clam.
+Areop-Enap placed the snail under his arm and lay down and slept for three days, directing some of his power to the snail.<ref name="reid">{{cite book |page=116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zHWGtXdXN10C&q=Mythical+Star+Signs |title=Mythical Star Signs |author=Marilyn Reid |publisher=[[Lulu.com]] |year=2007
+|isbn=978-1-84753-623-5 |accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> Then he found a second, larger snail which he placed under his arm and again slept for three days, transferring some of his power to the snail. On waking, Areop-Enap asked the smaller snail to climb to the hinge of the shell and pry the clam open. As the snail moved across the clam's flesh, it left a [[phosphorescence|phosphorescent]] trail, in the light of which Areop-Enap saw a white worm (or in some accounts, a caterpillar) called Rigi. Ignoring the snail, Areop-Enap cast a strength spell on Rigi and persuaded him to try to open the clam.
-Time and again Rigi set his head against the upper shell and his tail against the lower shell, and heaved. The clam resisted and sweat poured from Rigi, making a pool in the lower shell, then a lake and finally a sea. The saltiness of the water killed the clam and opened the shell. Areop-Enap made the lower shell into [[Earth]] and the upper shell into [[Sky]] and set the smaller snail west of the sky-shell where it became the [[Moon]]. The second snail was set to the east and became the [[Sun]]. Areop-Enap made islands from clam-flesh and clothed them in vegetation made from his own web-thread. Finally he turned to Rigi and found that he had drowned in his own sweat, killed by his own exertions. Areop-Enap wrapped him in a [[Pupa#Cocoon|cocoon]] of silk and hung him in the sky to become the [[Milky Way]].
+Time and again Rigi set his head against the upper shell and his tail against the lower shell, and heaved. The clam resisted and sweat poured from Rigi, making a pool in the lower shell, then a lake and finally a sea. The saltiness of the water killed the clam and opened the shell. Areop-Enap made the lower shell into [[Earth]] and the upper shell into the sky and set the smaller snail west of the sky-shell where it became the Moon. The second snail was set to the east and became the Sun. Areop-Enap made islands from clam-flesh and clothed them in vegetation made from his own web-thread. Finally he turned to Rigi and found that he had drowned in his own sweat, killed by his own exertions. Areop-Enap wrapped him in a [[Pupa#Cocoon|cocoon]] of silk and hung him in the sky to become the Milky Way.
-Areop-Enap created humans from stones so they could support the sky, and then discovered there were other creatures in the newly created world. So he created a winged creature or ''flying bird'' from the dirt under his nails and set it to annoy the creatures so that they called to each other to kill it. Thus Areop-Enap learned the names of the inhabitants of the world.
+Areop-Enap created humans from stones so they could support the sky, and then discovered there were other creatures in the newly created world. So he created a winged creature or ''flying bird'' from the dirt under his nails and set it to annoy the creatures so that they called to each other to kill it. In this way Areop-Enap learned the names of the inhabitants of the world.
+==See also==
-== ''The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel'' ==
-Areop-Enap is a character in ''[[The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel|The Magician]] and [[The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel]]''. When [[Perenelle Flamel]] is abandoned on [[Alcatraz]], she encounters Areop-Enap, whom she has met before; Perenelle is unsure of Areop-Enap's gender, but believes her to be [[female]]. Areop-Enap also protects Prenelle from the flies that was sent by Billy the Kid.
-== See also ==
 * [[Creation myth]]
-* [[The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel]]
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
+{{Oceanian mythology}}
 [[Category:Nauruan mythology]]

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