Whispers and Vanities in Samoan Indigenous Religious Culture

on Tagaloa’s instructions, then designates the human form from ilo (bacteria that
become maggots). Samoans named the ankle tuli vae and elbow tuli lima in
recognition of the work of Tuli. 6
Across Samoan indigenous religious traditions only God Tagaloa, who presides in the
tenth and ultimate heaven, is the principal. The boundary between man and all other
living things is tapu or sacred because of their shared divinity with God Tagaloa.
This belief underlined Samoan religious thought and practice and permeated every
aspect of ancient Samoan life, i.e. how they worked the land, fished the sea, built their
houses, engaged with each other, structured their society, celebrated life events
(births, deaths and marriages), joked with each other, flaunted their bodies, and their
sexuality, and treated their ill. The religious underpinnings of fagogo 7 or ancient
creation stories, songs, and tini 8 or marriage, auala 9 or funeral and/or medicinal
chants and their authors’ views on sexuality and the human body are usefully revealed
and promoted through both tala tuumumusu and tala taumusumusu.
To relay how the messages of ancient stories, songs, chants, dances and/or medicinal
incantations were passed on between generations, I want you to imagine
eavesdropping on conversations held between Samoan custodians and their nainai or
designated receivers. Each custodian holds great mana in their families, villages,
districts and nation. They are of senior age and reputation. The sharing takes place in
a faleo’o or Samoan hut outside the village compound near the sea, where the salty
scent of the ocean mixes with the sweet-smelling fragrances of mosooi 10 and lagaali 11 ,
where manutagi 12 and lupe 13 chirp noisily in nearby trees, and the bushes are all green
with life and seem to be smiling at you. At dusk the sky turns an orange-red as the
sun moves towards his resting place for the night. In this magical setting the voices of
the custodians fill your senses. Your mind is fed and challenged. And, in their voices
you catch a glimpse of the pride, reverence, mischievousness, and at times reticence,
in their sharing.
First is the fagogo or story of the mating of the sun with a human woman.
Fagogo: Mating of sun and a woman
6
The symbols or motifs of the vae tuli (feet of the Tuli) are commonly used in Samoan
traditional art, such as in tatau (tattoos) and other art forms. The Tuli formed the image of man, on the
instructions of God Tagaloa, using his feet. The significance of the vae tuli motif is therefore its
connection to our creation thesis. In this thesis, Tuli as a bird predated both man and plant-life. For
further discussion of these points, see Tui Atua (2009d) “Tau mai na o le pua ula’ – Samoan
fragrances in Samoan thought, Address to the Pacific Thought Symposium (e-copy at: www.head-ofstate-samoa.ws).
See also Tui Atua (2009c), “Bio-ethics and the Samoan Indigenous Religion” (In
Suaalii-Sauni et al, Suesue Manogi).
7
Fagogo is the common Samoan term used to describe the ferreting out of meaning or
substance. Generally it is applied to the telling of a fable, tale or story whereby the storytellers would
tailor the story in such a way as to ensure that the message they wish to convey to their audience is well
emphasised.
8
Tini usually means reaching a goal or objective. Here it refers to the celebration of achieving
the goal or objective of marriage.
9
10
11
12
13
Auala is generally translated to mean pathway or road.
This is the cananga odorata, “a tree bearing very fragrant flowers” (Pratt, 1893: p.224).
This is the agalaia edulis, “a tree and its flowers are used to scent oil” (Pratt, 1893: p.179).
This is the ptilonopus fasciatus bird (Pratt, 1893: p.210).
This is the carpophaga pacifica or pigeon bird (Pratt, 1893: p.193).
5