There are different legends regarding the origins of the Puyuma, including that the ancestors of the tribe were born from bamboo or a boulder, or came ashore after traversing the Pacific Ocean.

卑南，是南王部落普悠玛旧地名的称呼。 卑南起源传说有许多种，主要是由卑南社为主的竹子衍生的“竹生传说”，以及相传由太平洋登陆的知本社的石头衍生的“石生传说”。