How do animals such as owls, lizards, and sea eagles function as symbols in Oceanic oral traditions?

In Oceanic oral traditions, animals such as owls, lizards, and sea eagles function as symbolic markers tied to specific locations and political geography. Rather than serving as universal symbols, these creatures are used in an allusive manner within literature to represent particular places, with each animal associated with a distinct site or territory.1

Understanding these symbols requires an intimate knowledge of local place-names and land divisions, as the imagery is deeply embedded in the cultural and geographical context of the people who produced the texts. This usage differs from the concept of totemism, which typically involves a social relationship or a belief in a mystical connection between a specific human group and an animal or plant ancestor. While totemism often involves taboos or origin myths for social groups, the symbolic use of owls, lizards, and sea eagles in Oceanic oral literature primarily serves to ground the narrative within the local landscape.12