the Quadrupeds

Old Holy Claus and the Quadrupeds

The Europeans have robbed the Pacific Islanders of their heritage of pre-European tradition. By picking out the bits that suited their case and discarding the rest, they have destroyed the real appeal of the folklore. One might imagine how the tables might have been turned if Omai [Captain Cook's Tahitian interpreter] had applied to the folklore of the Londoners the sort of treatment that the later Europeans meted out to the Polynesian stories.

He might then have reported to the Tahitians as follows: "These people have a tradition of an early heroic character named Santa Claus. Claus is an old Nordic name. 'Santa' appears to be a corruption of the Roman 'sancta' meaning 'holy'. There are the usual miraculous elements in this tale. Holy Claus is depicted as proceeding across the skies in a curious conveyance, drawn by eight fabulous quadrupeds. Claus was also reputed to have been a generous fellow, giving away things for nothing. From what we know of these European people, we may dis count this as invention. He was no doubt a trader. It would appear that 'holy' Claus was a merchant who visited Rome". As soon as the vain effort to squeeze out of the traditions more than was ever put into them is abandoned, the stories can stand forth unashamed in all their original detail and appeal.— From "Ancient Voyagers in the Pacific", by Andrew Sharp.