Tagaloa : The Supreme God

Tagaloa

Introduction

In Samoa, the deity known as Tagaloa is regarded as the creator of the universe and the head of all gods. He is also believed to have created nine different Heavens. According to the people, he lived in space and made the various elements of the sky, land, sea, and trees. After he made the islands, humans evolved from worms. From 1830, the Christian and missionary presence in Samoa led to the removal of some of the Atua gods, such as Tagaloa.

Physical Traits

It is believed that Tagaloa bore the same physical characteristics that is seen of modern Samoans and other Polynesians. He is believed to be strong and well set having a flat nose, strong shoulders and a belly.

Family

According to a legend, Tagaloa had two children: a son known as Moa and a daughter known as Lu who in turn also had a son named Lu. The little Lu once argued with his uncle Moa and he fled to Earth and called it Samoa. Other legends tell us that Tagaloa is also the father of the gods Losi and Alo’alo who married Tuifiti’s daughter, Sina. In a different story, a legend about a figure known as Tui Fiti states that Tagaloa lived on a remote island in Savai’i.

Powers and Abilities

Tagaloa is the supreme creator god and has ultimate powers over all that is present in the universe. At the beginning of the universe, there were only the waters and the sky. When he looked down from the sky, Tagaloa thought about creating a resting place on the Earth. He then constructed a rock known as Manu’atele. He was very pleased with how he made the rock and he divided it into various pieces so that it could serve as stepping stones.

From the pieces of rock, he created various islands such as Samoa, Upolu, Fiji, and Savai’i. After he finished building all of these islands, he went back to Samoa. He then placed a rock halfway between the two islands, and it was named “Tutuila.”

Modern Day Influence

In the past, Samoa only used oral language. Instead of using written words, their ancestors would talk to their children through oral communication allowing them to keep the past alive. This was believed to have led to the strong cultural value associated with Tagaloa and the various myths of the region still having a strong bond despite the Christianisation of the Islands in the past few centuries.

Rise of popular Hollywood stars of Samoan heritage like Jason Momoa and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson who proudly flaunt their ancestry and reggae artist J Boog who has become a Tik Tok sensation have succeeded in popularising Tagaloa and other Gods of the region.