Samoan Mythology
Samoan mythology offers legends about a variety of deities. There were forest deities, sea deities, rain deities, harvest deities, village deities, and battle deities. There were two kinds of deities: atua (non-human origins) and aitu (human origins). Tagaloa was a great god who created the islands and their inhabitants. The Tuilaepa was related to Tagaloa and to the high god Afahalolo, and in the Afahalolo’s anger, Tagaloa took the Tuilaepa with him to the sky and threw them to the world below. The Tuilaepa died at sea and were transformed into dragons.
Another god, Afanisi’a, married Afanisiti and gave birth to the dragon. There was also another great father, Faumaalolo, who fathered many offspring. One of his offspring was the fighter Aiga, the storm-god, who gave Tagaloa a wife, the warrior Fenefo’afili, who gave Tagaloa a boy, Togi’ilakeba, and Tagaloa wanted Togi’ilakeba to be his greatest god. Togi’ilakeba lost a war and, as a punishment, Togi’ilakeba was cursed to live on the bottom of the ocean and became a turtle who could breathe through the sea. It was a great punishment to Togi’ilakeba and that was why Togi’ilakeba is sometimes said to be always angry.
There was also the warrior named Salumafili, who captured Fenefo’afili and gave him to Tagaloa. It is said that after Fenefo’afili’s death, he was reborn as Atua, the founder of the Tuiloma. All the deities came from the sky. Tagaloa took his wife, Fenefo’afili, and disappeared into the sea. Tagaloa’s son is the warrior Nafanua. Nafanua’s brothers are the two sea deities, Nifasolu and Nafatimotu. The Tuilaepa’s enemies were the two brothers Nafi’avae and Lefiti, who lived on a big island with trees. The brothers had a very big land of their own. Nafatimotu’s son was Tuiula, who led the Tuilaepa to the big land. Tuiula’s brother was the warrior Tui o le So’o, the guardian of the ocean. In time, the Tuilaepa used Tui o le So’o as a human sacrifice. There was another king, Fale, who ruled over the highlands. His brother was the warrior Setulu. Fale’s two daughters were named Meo and Tuilamae. In time, Fale had two sons, Tuilaepa and Afaloafata. They were the people who built the Tuilaepa’s temple.
There was another famous king, Tuaua, who was the son of Fatafehi, the first high chief of the Tuilaepa. Tuaua’s mother was the wind goddess, Tuiula. Atua is a god of the sky who gave the Tuilaepa the islands. Afalaulo, the god of the sea, gave the Tuilaepa two other islands. Tagaloa’s wife was Fenefo’afili, who gave birth to Nifasolu and Nafatimotu. When Afaloafata died, Fenefo’afili became the ruler of the highlands and, when he died, his son, Tuiula, became the ruler of the highlands. Nafatimotu was the name of the brother of Nafatimotu. Nafatimotu’s sons were the two sea deities, Nafi’avae and Nafatimotu. Nafatimotu’s sons were the two sea deities, Nafi’avae and Nafatimotu. The Tuilaepa’s son was Tuiula, who was named after his ancestor, the great chief Tu’ilo. Tuiula’s brothers were Tu’ilo and Tui o le So’o. When Tuiula died, Tui o le So’o became the ruler of the highlands. Tuiula’s daughter was Meo. Tuiula’s wife was Meo. In time, Tuiula’s brother, Tui o le So’o, died and his son became the ruler of the highlands. Tuiula’s wife was Meo. In time, Tuiula’s brother, Tui o le So’o, died and his son became the ruler of the highlands.
