higgs beach & tiki mythology

This Tiki dude hangs out on the side of the beach stuff rental hut on Higgs beach.
The beach was named for Clarence S. Higgs who I've read was a mayor of Key West but oddly, reading down a list of Key West mayors, didn't find old Clarence listed.
If anyone knows when Higgs was mayor, please let me know.


Anyway, "Tiki" is to Polynesian cultures in the South Pacific as "Totem poles" are to Native American cultures; the only difference being, Totem poles represent deities while a Tiki represents man (more exactly, the first man).
The carvings mostly served to mark the boundaries of sacred sites but these days, more often than not, tourist attractions and, are strongly associated with the origin sex.

See, Tiki mythology closely parallels our Judaeo-Christian myth of Adam and Eve. . .
God created Adam, the first man, from the dust and after a time Adam was lonely and craved company. So God created Eve, the first woman, from one of Adam's ribs.
The two lived in innocence for a while until the snake came along and tempted Eve to taste the forbidden fruit (sex) which she in turn shared with Adam.
(Christine O'Donnell would never approve)

Now the Tiki myth varies a bit from island to island in the South Pacific but mostly it goes like this. . .
God created Tiki, the first man, from red clay and after a time Tiki was lonely and craved company. One day, seeing his reflection in a pool of water, Tiki thought he had found a companion and so, dove in to seize it. Of course the image shattered and Tiki was disappointed. So God (compassionate fellow that he is) created Ivi, the first woman, from one of Tiki's bones.
The two lived in innocence for a while until an eel came along and excited Ivi. Her excitement turned Tiki on and the first horizontal mambo was the result.

At the end of the day, you've gotta wonder (well, you don't have to but I'm stuck with it) how a creationist myth born in the Middle East could so closely parallel a creationist myth born in the South Pacific nearly 12,000 miles on the other side of the planet; before the time of telephones or the internet.
Hmmm. . .