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Latmikaik is a potent deity in the mythology of Palau (a
part of Micronesia, locally named Belau), revered as the “clam mother,”
who brought about creation, life, and the lineage of the Palauans and is seen
as older than the islands themselves. The deity personifies the strong
connection that the people of Palau have with the ocean. Latmikaik is a deity
whose stories reveal her as coming out of Kim, which is the giant clam of the
primordial times, which shows how she is part of the origins of the cosmos of
Palau. Latmikaik creates the world, the islands, and the humans through her
powers as a deity. The story of Latmikaik is connected with the tales of the
other major mythological figures like the great sky deity of Uchelianged and
Chuab.
As it is cited in the Cambridge History of the Pacific Islanders, The story of
Latmilaik started when Palau was totally empty and had no people Inhabiting it. Uchelianged
(God of sky) looked from above and saw the vast expanse of the uninhabited sea.
He then said "Let a land arise. Let a land arise." So a island
rose up to the surface of the sea at a place called Lukes, between Angaur and
Peleliu (two islands in southern Palau).
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After this, there was a clam (Latmikaik), which came into
being there and grow bigger and bigger due to its pregnancy, and the beings
inside her grew larger and larger making her belly swell abnormally, but she
could not give birth. When Uchelianged noticed her condition he said,
"Let there be a strong sea. Let there be a strong, running sea to shake it
up so that it can give birth." When she gave birth, there were many, many
fish in the sea. And then these fish in turn propagated until the sea
became very crowded.
Uchelianged realized this and said to Latmikaik, "Tell
your children to gather together rocks and coral and pile them up to the
surface of the sea" and so they did, clearing away the rubble
beside Angaur and built it up until it reached sea level. Uchelianged
then ordered to "Build it so that you will be able to travel to the
heavens." And so Latmikaik informed her children, to 'Build it even taller
so that we can come near to the heavens (the heavens here is Babeldaob
which is the largest island in the Palauan archipelago).
Therefore, as they built it very high, it tilted a little
bit. They told Latmikaik that they cannot go up to heaven anymore, because
the tilt. Latmikaik said to them, 'Give me a measuring tool so that I
will check the situation.' She got the measuring tool and measured the
soaring pile of rocks. It was so high that when the stones tipped over,
its other side would reach the Oikull village. Latmikaik said to
them, "Go ahead and knock it down." When they knocked it
down, Peleliu and all the rock islands up until Oikull were
formed. And now the children of Latmikaik could go to Babeldaob. As they
traveled to Babeldaob, the land of Palau became more and more populated.
Villages became more populated with people. These children of Latmikaik
could live in the land or sea because they were amphibious beings who
could survive in the sea just as well as on land.
Thus Chuab (Godess of fire) and the Woman of Ngetelkou (not
an actual deity but human (or semi-divine) matriarch from whom the
earliest islanders trace their bloodline) were residing there
(at Angaur). The Woman of Ngetelkou conceived and named her daughter as
Tellebuu. Now this Tellebuu had a child and named her first born Kebliil,
and then conceived another child who was named Seked, a son. Her third
child, a girl, was named Dedaes. All of them migrated to Peleliu,
where they resided at a house named Liull. They lived there, and
people started giving birth. These were fish people who could survive
both in the sea and on land.
Chuab also had children and bore her first daughter named
Chitaueiuei. Then she had her second son, Labek, then another boy called
Boid, then another boy named Mengelechelauchach, and then another boy named
Omuutaidnger. They traveled, circling around Palau. Chuab lived there, and more
and more people were being born, and those who lived in the sea came out to the
land. There was no marriage among them; they just coupled in the sea and had
children there.
The people were living in anarchy and so The supreme
sky god, Uchelianged, intervenes by commanding Chuab to "Arrange
mainly councils that will be the cause uchul (the root) of
the lawfulness of Angaur." Chuab appointed Ucherkemur el Reked
and also appointed other chiefs who shared the title Ucherkemur. It
was their duty to take care of Angaur. As soon as Ucherkemur came
from the sea to sit down, they quickly breathed fast, Because they
originated from the ocean, they were amphibious but struggled to survive for
long periods out of the water. So they searched and found the shell of the
giant mother clam (Latmikaik), and they put this shell in front of the
meeting house at Rois, known as Bairebech (the traditional meeting house,
or bai, where chiefs gather). And the magical waterspout
at Bkulengeluul (a costal location where there are waterspouts) went up
into the sky and constantly watered this clam shell with seawater, and
so this clamshell became the drinking cup of Ucherkemur. There
were Ucherkemur el Reked, Ucherkemur el Bebael, Ucherkemur el Chedeng,
and Ucherkemur el Chai, and Ucherkemur el Lilibangel. These people became
the chiefs, and they were the only ones at that time.
Having established order in Angaur, and wanting to spread lawfulness and civilization all over Palau, Uchelianged appointed Chuab to continue forming councils and namining chiefs northward across Palau, as he said to her, "Go now to Belau (Palau) and form chief councils there." Then Chuab went northwards to Ngerechol and made Uchelchol chief of Peleliu. Chuab went northwards to the masive island of Babeldaob and established the title: Secharaimul. At Ngerusar, she appointed Tucheremel; and Rechiungl was inaugurated at Ngeremid. Then Chuab went to Ngersuul and formed a council at Ngersuul; then she went to Ngeruikl and formed a council at Ngeruikl. continuing northeards, Chuab reached Ulimang and formed a council there; then she made Bdelulabeluu chief of Mengellang. These chiefs were the eight chiefs of Palau.
Finally, with the help of the Mother Clam and the Godess of fire, the Palauan supreme mythodological deity and God of the sky, Uchelianged, succeeded in retrieving the people of Palau from Chaos.