Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before Part 5

The name of the cannibal G.o.d of a village in Savaii. He was incarnate as a man, who had human flesh laid before him when he chose to call for it. This man's power extended to several villages, and his descendants are traced to the present day.

27. SALEVAO--_Sacred one of the bush._

1. This was a war G.o.d in a number of villages, and incarnate in a dog--a white one usually. When he wagged his tail, barked, and dashed ahead in sight of the troops of the enemy, it was a good sign; but to retreat or howl was a bad omen.

2. In some places Salevao was a general village G.o.d, as well as a war G.o.d. A time was fixed for giving thanks for good crops, and prayers were offered for more. Each family took it in turn to provide food, and they feasted until it had gone the round of the village. The family who had a great display of good things was praised; but the stingy, stinted offerers were cursed. After all had prayed and partaken for the day, nothing was kept for another meal. Whatever was over was thrown away or buried. At one place in Savaii Salevao had a temple in which a priest constantly resided. The sick were taken there and laid down with offerings of fine mats. The priest went out and stroked the diseased part, and recovery was supposed to follow. At this place Salevao was declared to be a good G.o.d in raising a plentiful supply of food, and also noted for his power in keeping away other G.o.ds. A story is told of a party of G.o.ds from Upolu who were on a journey, but on coming to that place left the public highway along the beach and took a circuitous course far inland, owing to their dread of Salevao. He was generous, however, to travelling parties of mortals. When the chiefs laid down a previously arranged number of cooked pigs and other food to visitors, there was an odd one over and above found among the lot, and this they attributed to the special favour of the G.o.d (see 11).

A story of his kindness to Nonu, one of his wors.h.i.+ppers, relates that when Nonu was on a visit to the King of Tonga, he and the king had a dispute about the age of the moon. Nonu maintained that it was then to be seen in the morning, the king held that it was not visible in the morning. Nonu said he would stake his life on it; and so it was left for the morning to decide. In the night Salevao appeared to Nonu and said to him: "Nonu, you are wrong; the moon is not now seen in the morning. But, lest you should be killed, I will go and be the moon in the horizon to-morrow morning, and make the king believe you were right after all, and so save your life." In the morning Salevao, as the moon, was seen, and Nonu was saved. Such stories added alike to reverence for the G.o.d and to the treasury of the priest.

3. Salevao was the name of a family G.o.d also, and incarnate in the eel and the turtle. Any one of the family eating such things was taken ill; and before death they heard the G.o.d saying from within the body: "I am killing this man; he ate my incarnation."

In a case of sickness, a cup of kava was made and poured on the ground outside the house as a drink-offering, and the G.o.d called by name to come and accept of it and heal the sick.

In another family the head of the household was the priest. At the evening hour, and other times fixed for wors.h.i.+p, all were studiously present, as it was supposed that death would be the penalty if any one was absent.

28. SEPO MALOSI--_Sepo the strong._

1. Was wors.h.i.+pped in Savaii as a war G.o.d, and incarnate in the large bat, or flying-fox. While the bat flew before the warriors all was right; but if it turned round and shut up the way, it was a sign of defeat and a warning to go back.

2. But Sepo in many places was a household G.o.d. In an inland village family in Upolu he was called the "Lord of the mountain," and incarnate in the domestic fowl and the pigeon. In another family he was seen in a very small fish which is difficult to catch; and by another family he was supposed to be in the p.r.i.c.kly sea-urchin (_Echinus_). The penalty of eating this incarnation was death from a supposed growth of a p.r.i.c.kly sea-urchin inside the body.

29. SIULEO--_Tail of the voice, or echo._

This was the name of a village G.o.d in Savaii. Said to have come from Tonga, and able to walk on the sea. He was the fisherman's G.o.d. He had a fisherman's hut erected for him on the sea-sh.o.r.e, and was supposed to preside over a certain division of coast.

30. TAAFANUA--_Walk the land._

This was the name of a war G.o.d of one of the islands in the east end of the group. It was incarnate in the Ve'a, or rail _(Rallus Pectoralis)._ When the bird screeched and flew before, the people went to battle; but if it turned and flew back, they hesitated.

31. TANGALOA LANGI--_Tangaloa of the heavens._

The derivation of Tangaloa is uncertain. Loa means long, and tanga, a bag; or, as an adjective, freedom from restriction. The unrestricted, or unconditioned, may therefore fairly be regarded as the name of this Samoan Jupiter. Tangaloa langi tuavalu, Tangaloa of the eighth heaven; Tangaloa faatupu nuu, Tangaloa the creator of lands; Tangaloa asiasi nuu, Tangaloa the visitor of lands; Tangaloa lafoai nuu, Tangaloa the abandoner of lands--these were some of the names by which this G.o.d superior was known.

1. At one place he was seen in the moon, and princ.i.p.ally wors.h.i.+pped in the month of May. He was also incarnate in the Turi, or snipe. At the stated time of wors.h.i.+p no one went from home, and no strangers were allowed to pa.s.s through the land. Only men were allowed to partake in the offerings of food; women and children were excluded from any share.

2. At another place his image was a large wooden bowl, said to have come from Fiji. He was also supposed to be present in a hollow stone.

A temple was built for him there, and called "The house of the G.o.ds."

It was carefully shut up all round; thinking that if it was not so, the G.o.ds would get out and in too easily, and be all the more destructive. Offerings were presented on war occasions; and he was also presented with gifts, and had prayers offered to him, before going to fish, before planting some fresh section of bush land, and also in times of sickness or special epidemic. It was firmly believed that if there was no prayer to Tangaloa there could be no blessing.

Thunder was a sign that the prayer was heard. Slight tremulous reverberation, however, was a sign rather of rejected prayer and threatened punishment.

3. In another district Tangaloa was said to have come along the ocean in a canoe, with seven of a crew, and to have taken up his abode in the bush inland of the settlement. Confused noises from the bush there were supposed to be the murmurs of the G.o.ds, and a cause of death in the village.

When war broke out two of the chiefs went inland to consult Tangaloa.

One sat down in front of the sacred grove of high trees, and the other went round behind. This man was covered from head to foot with leaves, and had only a hole left for the eyes. No creepers ran up the trees, and no leaves were allowed to be seen on the small stones under the trees, as it was supposed the G.o.d was in the stones. If the stones appeared separated and unusually far apart, that was a sign that the district was about to be broken up and killed or banished. But if the stones were huddled together, that was a good omen, and indicated union, victory, and strength.

32. TAPAAI--_Beckoning._

This was a war G.o.d of a family on Tutuila. He was supposed to be present in a trumpet-sh.e.l.l. When the people were about to go to war the sh.e.l.l was blown by the priest, and all listened. If it blew rough and hollow it was a bad sign; but if clear and euphonic all were cheered, and went off joyfully under the good omen.

33. TAEMA--_Glittering black._

1. The name of a war G.o.d incarnate in the kingfisher bird. If it flew right on before the troops without returning it was a good sign.

There was also a temple with only one opening. In times of difficulty the old men of the place went inside and addressed the G.o.d, who replied in a human voice, but no body was seen.

2. This was also the name of a G.o.ddess said to have been found by some fishermen swimming between Tutuila and Upolu. They covered her with some fine native cloth, and conveyed her to a place in the bush, where they built a temple for her. Offerings of food and fine mats were taken to the place, and laid before two men who acted as priests. On the change from heathenism to Christianity these men had a large quant.i.ty of fine mats among the temple treasures. The temple was destroyed, and with the fine mats pigs were bought, and a grand feast was the final adieu to the darkness and follies of the past.

3. In another place Taema was a war G.o.d, and present in a bundle of sharks' teeth. These curiosities were done up in a piece of native cloth, and consulted before going to battle. If the bundle felt heavy, that was a bad omen; but if light, the sign was good, and off they went to the fight.

4. Taema and Tila fainga, or Tila the _sportive_, were the G.o.ddesses of the tattooers. They swam from Fiji to introduce the craft to Samoa, and on leaving Fiji were commissioned to sing all the way,

"Tattoo the women, but not the men."

They got muddled over it in the long journey, and arrived at Samoa singing,

"Tattoo the _men_ and not the women."

And hence the universal exercise of the blackening art on the men rather than the women.

5. Taema and t.i.ti were the names of two household G.o.ds in a family at the east end of the group. They were twins, and _Siamese_. Their bodies were united back to back. They swam from the east, and as they came along the one said to the other: "What a pity it is that we can only hear each other's voice, but cannot see each other's face!" On this they were struck by a wave, which cleaved asunder the joining and separated them. Members of the family going on a journey were supposed to have these G.o.ds with them as their guardian angels. Everything _double_--such as a double yam, two bananas adhering, etc.--was sacred, and not to be used under penalty of death. It was also forbidden for any member of the family to sit back to back, lest it should be considered mockery and insult to the G.o.ds, and incur displeasure.

34. TAISUMALIE--_Tide gently rising._

1. This was the name of a lady in Upolu who went away among the G.o.ds, was wors.h.i.+pped first by her family, and then by all the people of the land where she resided. She spoke through one of the heads of the family. The bat also was an incarnation, and an unusual number of them came about the temple in time of war. One flying ahead of the troops was always a good omen. If a neighbour killed a bat, it might lead to war to avenge the insult. Another representative of this deity was a shrub (_Ascarina lanceolata_). The leaf of the ti (_Dracaena terminalis_) was carried as a banner wherever the troops went. June was the usual month for special wors.h.i.+p. All kinds of food from the land and the sea were provided as a feast, but only the one family of the priest was allowed to partake. Whatever was over after the meal was buried at the beach. After that followed club exercise, and in terrible earnest they battered each other's scalps till the blood streamed down and over their faces and bodies; and this as an offering to the deity. Old and young, men, women, and children, all took part in this general _melee_ and blood-letting, in the belief that Taisumalie would thereby be all the more pleased with their devotedness, and answer prayer for health, good crops, and success in battle.

2. This was also the name of a war G.o.d in Savaii. Incarnate in a man and spoke through him. When the war fleet was about to cross to another island to fight, they went out from the sh.o.r.e half a mile and then returned to a streamlet where they prayed for success, and were sprinkled or purified, and then went off to the fight, free, as they thought, from any delinquency curse which might have been resting upon them.

This deity was also supposed to be incarnate in the sea eel (_Muraena_). In a village where the first Christian native teachers were located one of them caught an eel and had it cooked. Two lads of the place who were their servants ate a bit at the evening meal. As soon as the people heard that these lads had "eaten the G.o.d," they mustered, gave them a beating, and dragged them off to a cooking house. They laid them down in the oven pit, and covered them with leaves _as if_ they had been killed, and were now to be cooked as a peace-offering to avert the wrath of the deity. It was expected that the lads would immediately die, but as nothing amiss happened to them beyond the weals of the rods used by mortals, it was concluded that Taisumalie was a mere sham, and that they had better now turn to the G.o.d of heaven.

3. Taisumalie was also the name of a household G.o.d, and wors.h.i.+pped among various families in different parts of the group.

(1.) In one place a member of the family was the incarnation, and consulted on everything of importance. Before going to war each one would ask whether he should go, what was to befall him, etc. If wounds or death were predicted, the person would perhaps turn round and beat the priest for giving _such_ a response!

(2.) In another place this G.o.d was incarnate in an old man who acted as the doctor of the family. The neighbours also took in their sick to him. His princ.i.p.al remedy was to rub the affected part with oil, and then shout out at the top of his voice five times the word Taisumalie, and five times also call him to come and heal. This being done, the patient was dismissed to wait a recovery. On recovery the family had a feast over it, poured out on the ground a cup of kava to the G.o.d, thanked for healing and health, and prayed that he might continue to turn his _back_ towards them for protection, and set his _face_ against all the enemies of the family.

(3.) To another family he was incarnate in the cuttle-fish (_Octopus_). To another in the mullet. To another in the turtle. If, through a stranger or by any member of the family, an incarnation had been cooked in the family oven, it could not be used again until some one had been laid there as a mock burnt-offering, and gone through the "make-believe" process of cooking. It was death to the family if the oven was used without this ceremony.

35. TILI TILI--_Swift._

A village G.o.d in Upolu, noted for mischief-making, and supposed to be the cause of quarrels, war, and darkness. Seen in the lightning. If there was much of it in a time of war it was believed that the G.o.d had come to help and direct. Constant lightning in a particular place indicated an ambushment of the enemy. Continued flashes in front was a sign that the troops of the enemy were driven. But if the lightning moved from the front backwards, that betokened danger, and was an order to retreat.