»umfassende und äußerst detaillierte Studie... ein Mosaikstein zur Erfassung von Lokaltraditionen in einer sich immer schneller wandelnden globalisierten Welt.«
Prof. Dr. Hermann Mückler, Mitteilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien 2019, 259-262

»During the last decades, however, collection of and research on Nias oral tradition is almost completely synonymous with the name of Johannes Hämmerle, father of the Capuchin Order… In the book under review now, Hämmerle presents information in abundance on how people in southern Nias look at their history in myths and rituals… We might with the help of these texts fur‐ther our understanding of the contradiction endemic in patrilineal societies, which I heard often “we fight those whom we marry.” The collection and presentation of these texts was the last chance for us not to close forever another window of looking at the world. The book is well-rounded by a general and several specific glossaries, which refer to calendars and measures, genealogies, people and spirits, topographical names, villages and rivers, plants and animals.«
Wolfgang Marschall, Anthropos 2/2020, 583-586