The Origin of the Coconut Tree in the Maldives
Maldivian mythology explains the origin of the coconut tree — the nation's most vital resource — through a poignant legend. When the first settlers arrived on the barren coral islands of the Maldives, they found no plants and struggled to survive. Many died, and tragedy struck nearly every family. A sorcerer (fandita man) among the settlers, desperate to save his people, brewed a magical potion and poured it on the growing pile of corpses in the graveyard. After several weeks, green shoots began sprouting from the mouths of the dead. The shoots grew into coconut trees — large dark trees from t