Whispers and Vanities in Samoan Indigenous Religious Culture

permeated everyday Samoan life and how everyday Samoan life permeated its
religions.
There is some debate on equating the message and mana of Folo with that of Jesus.
In particular on whether the taulasea was saying that Folo and Jesus both existed but
existed equally in their own sphere, or whether in the ultimate they were really one
and the same, i.e. the God of Christianity was also the God of pre-Christian Samoa?
There is only a dilemma in acknowledging both religious systems in the same breath
if one is considered lesser than the other.
When considering the question of the sexuality of the human body, differences
between the two religious orders are most pronounced. In pondering this, the
custodian then turns the conversation to the sexuality of the body.
The sexual and reproductive body
According to Samoan indigenous traditions the reproductive and sexual organs of the
human body underline human divinity and spirituality. They are the instruments for
procreation and symbolise the power to make new life. Sex in this equation was the
vehicle for procreation and as such a sacred act.
The body throughout history has been a site of war as well as love. The tensions of
war were alleviated some by establishing suitable marriage liaisons between warring
political parties. Similarly, the vanities of the elite were indulged by arranging
marriage between the offspring of only those within their circle. In both cases
consolidating the marriage required both a sexual and reproductive body. Preparing
the body for sex, where the ultimate aim of sex was to give sexual pleasure and
procreate successfully, meant having to offer more than a perfunctory education on
the dos and don’ts of copulation. It meant understanding one’s own sexuality and
making the mind and body comfortable with the idea of sex. This was something
easier to achieve when there was less social and religious stigma associated with the
naked body, the genitalia and their public mention or display.
In ancient Samoa it was more common for girls to marry during adolescence and
virginity was prized as a sign of good breeding. In preparation for marriage and often
as part of their learning within the aualuma, they would be taught through playful and
serious conversation by faatosaga (traditional birth attendants) and/or other suitable
elder women, about the erotic sensations of the body. They would learn through these
women about female and male sexuality and receive counselling about the ups and
downs of marriage and parenting. Most times these teachers were also close family
members. For the inexperienced and naturally timid, exposure to this kind of sex
education before marriage made the wedding night seem less frightening and geared
them towards the idea that sex was not only key to human survival and so should be
respected, but that it was also something that should be enjoyed and celebrated.
For mainly practical reasons, clothing the body in the warm climate of Samoa was
during ancient times kept to a minimum. Wearing a traditional pe’a 22 or malu 23
22
Pe’a is a term used to describe the traditional male tattoo because it resembles the image of a
bat hanging off a branch.
23
Malu is term used to refer to the notion of giving shelter, cover and/or support.
12