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O le
(Samoan Legends)




















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T A L A O L E V A V A U

Samoan Legends

Collected and translate by
Brother Herman
























Published by
The Association of the Marist Brothers Old Boys
Pago Pago, American Samoa
1955
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Table of contents..
1. O LE TALA IA IAULUALO.THE STORY OF IAULUALO
2. UA MELE LE MANU E AFONO..HOW AFONO SPURNED ITS FORTUNE
3. TAGALOA FAATUPUNUU......TAGALOA THE CREATOR
4. TAGALOA MA PAVAA..TAGALOA AND PAVA
5. O LE FAATUPINA O MANO....THE ORIGIN OF MANONO AND APOLIMA
6. TUIMANUA MA TUITOGA.FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN TUIMANUA AND
TUITOGA
7. O MUAMUA I FAGASA.THE DOLPHINS OF FASAGA
8. O LE UFI A SINA...HOW THE YAM SAVED SINA
9. O LE TAFINA O IAMAFANA....HOW LELATO PUT LAMAFANA TO
FLIGHT
10. O LE TALA IA TAPUITEA.THE STORY OF TAPUITEA
11. O LE TALA I LE AUAMANU...THE ENCHANTED CONITO HOOK
12. O LE MALIE MA LE LAUMEI....LEGEND OF THE SHARK AND THE
TURTLE
13. O LE TAUA MA PAPATEA..HOW SAMOA WAAS PEOPLED
14. TIETIE I LE SAULA.THE BOY WHO RODE THE SWORDFISH
15. TAEMA MA TILAFAIGA...TAEMA AND TILAFAIGA
16. TUITOGA MA PULELEIITE..TUITOGA AND PULELEIITE
17. UI MA LUAMAA......UI AND LUAMAA
18. O LE TALA LA NAFANUA.NAFANUA THE WAR GODDESS
19. LUPE MA SINALUPE MA SINA
20. O LE TALA I LE AVA..WHY KAVA DRINKERS HAVE SCALY SKINS
21. O LE SAUAITAGATA I OFU..THE CANNIBAL OF OFU
22. FETALAI I MAGAFETAU SOIFUA..VERDICT GIVEN BY THE FLYING
FOXES
23. O LE TALA IA PILITHE LEGEND OF PILI
24. O LE TALA IA VAEA...THE STORY OF VAEA
25. O LE TALA I LE MALIETOA...ORIGIN OF MALIETOA TITLE
26. O LE TALA IA AO EE..THE STORY OF TUITUOGA AO EE
27. O LE IA IAAULI..THE STORY OF LAAULI
28. O LE TALA IA TIETIEATALAGA.HOW FIRE WAS BROUGHT TO
SAMOA
29. O LE TALA I LE NIU.ORIGIN OF THE COCNUT TREE
30. O LE TALA IA LEIAVAA....THE STORY OF IEIAVAA
31. O LE TALA IA FATUTHE LEGEND OF FATU
32. O LE FAATOA MAUA OE LE PUAA.HOW THE FIRST PIG CAME TO
SAMOA
33. O LE MAA I AMALAU..THE ROCK OF AMALAU
34. O LE TALA I LE FALEGASE................THE LEGEND OF THE FALEGASE
35. O LE TALA I LE MASINA....THE WOMAN OF THE MOON
36. O LELEI MA LEAGA..THE STORY OF LELEI AND LEAGA
37. O MANU MA ONA VAAMANU AND HIS BONITO CONOES
38. O LE TALA LA MANIATHE LEGEND OF MANIA
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39. OLOSEGA MA AUNUU.THE ORIGIN OF OLOSEGA AND AUNUU
40. SAUMANIAFAESE MA LE LAUMEI.SAUMANIAFAESE AND THE TURTLE
41. O LE PULOU O LE OLA..THE HISTORY OF A FINE MAT
42. O LE TALA I LE TIFITIFITHE SOTRY OF THE TIFITIFI FISH
43. O LE TAEAO I SAMANA..THE DAWN IN SAMANA
44. O ALO MA LE PAITELEHOW SAFATA GOT ITS HARBOR
45. LEFAOSEU MA ULUMU.THE PIGEON SNARING CONTEST
46. TIGILAU MA ANA LAUMEI..TIGILAU AND HIS TURTLES
47. O LE TALA IA SAGATEATHE LEGEND OF SAGATEA
48. O LE IGOA O SAMOA.ORIGIN OF THE NAME SAMOA
49. O LE TALA IA LUPEULUIVA..THE STORY OF THE LUPEULUIVA
50. LEAUVAA TUANAI AEEGA MALIE..THE ORIGIN OF SOME VILLAGE
NAMES
51. O LE PIOA MA LE MATAFAOLEGEND OF THE PIOA AND THE
MATAFAO
52. O LE TALA I LE MAUGALOATHE ORIGIN OF THE MAGALOA
53. O LE TALA IA VAILIMATHE ORIGIN OF THE NAME VAILIMA
54. O LE VAI O FALESEEIA..THE WATER IN FALESEEIA
55. ALIAMATUA MA ALIATAME..ALIAMATUA AND ALIATAMA
56. O LE TALA IA UTULELE..THE LEGEND OF UTULELE
57. O LE TALA IA MAAVA.THE LEGEND OF THE CANNIBAL MAAVA
58. O LE TALA IA MOSO MA SEPO..THE LEGNED OF MOSO AND SEPO
59. O LE TALA I LE PA ATU..THE ORIGIN OF THE BONITO HOOK
60. O LE TALA IA TALIOATOTOSOTHE LEGEND OF THE LONG EARNED
CANNIBAL
61. O LE IA SA A ANAANALAGI.ANAANALAGIS SACRED FISH
62. TAUA A MANU FELELEI MA IA..WAR BETWEEN BIRDS AND THE
FISH
63. TALA IA TALIGAMAIVALU.THE LEGEND OF TALIGAMAIVALU
64. GAUPAPA MA SAILIMALO.GAUPAPA AND SAILIMALO
65. O LE AITU MA TAUFAFO.TAUFAFO AND THE SPIRIT
















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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T

The Marist Brothers Old Boys Association takes great pleasure in publishing the
Book of Legends. Brother Hermans work typifies the spirit of dedication which the
Marist Brothers have shown for the education and spiritual guidance of the youth of
Samoa, for which we, as their students, are indeed grateful.

F A A F E T A I
E fiafia tele le Sosaiete a Tama tuai o Aoga a Felela e faasalalau le Tusi o Tala
Faa Samoa. Ua Faatino e le galuega a Felela Emani le agaga o le tinou alofa pei ona
faaaliae Alii Felela mo le aoaoga ma le taitaiga faaleagaga o tupulaga o Samoa, ua
matua fiafia ai I matou o e na latou aoaoina.

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F O R E W O R D
The Legends have been gathered from friends living scattered throughout
Samoa, fom Fitiuta to Falealup, and are, in most cases, set down in the
contributors own words.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to all contributors.
In stories handed down by tradition there are, necessarily, variations due
to the memory and the fancy of the story teller or to his abode. The reader,
therefore, should not be surprised, if the version given in this book differs
somewhat from the one with which he is familiar.
There are, no doubt, many more Samoan legends that have never been
committed to print and which would be well worth handing down to posterity.
May the present collection be an incentive to the reader to make these stories
public and thus do his share towards the preservation of the old island lore.


UPU TOMUA
O uo loo alaala solo i Samoa, mai Fitiuta I Falealupo, na aumaia ai Tala nei. O
le tele foi o nei tala ua tusia lava i upu a e na ia auamaia. Ua faafetai ia I latou uma.
O tala ua leI au lomia, ae ua na ona tuu-gutu i lea tupulaga ma lea tupulaga, o
ao ina i ai ni eseesega e tusa i mea o manatua a le n ate faia le tala ma lona alaalafaga
foi. O lea e le ao ai ina teI le tagata faitau pe a ese teisi le le faiga o se tala o I lenei tusi
mai le mea e masani ai o ia.
E le masalomia le tele o isi tala faa-Samoa us lei au lomia, ae aoga pe a faasolo
I tupulaga fai mai. Tau ina ia avea lenei tusi ma mea o fia faalauiloaina ai e le aufaitau
niisi tala us ia te I latou. O le faiga lea o le a mfai ai ona faatumauina e le poto faa-
anamua o le atunuu.

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1. O L E T A L A I A I A U L U A L O
O le ulugalii: O Fanuaoa le tane, o Sinasepoa le fale taulaga I le aiga o
Sasaumani. O le masani a lenei ulugalii, e fanau sa la tama, o ave e fono ai le ava o le
lima. Ona faapea atu lea a le tamaloa I le tasi aso, Pag lea, ua tele lo ta manatu I
sina tama sei ola, ae ua fai e te toe fanau, ona nana lea o le tamaititi. Ua faapea ona la
faia ina ua toe fanau le fafine I le tasi aso. Ua maua foi le pepe, o le tama. Ua igoa lea
tama o Iaulualo.

Ona nana loa lea o le tamaititi. Ua matua teisi le tama, ona fefefe lea o le ulugaliI
neI iloa. E I ai ona la maua se isi togafiti ina ia ola si a la tama. Ua o le ulugaiI ua fufui
mai le talafi I le vaitafe e tafe tonu I toua tuu o le nuu o Afono. Ona ave lea o le tama
ma le taafi, ua tuu le tama I le nuu fagafaga e lata ane I Afono I se faatanoa I luga o le
papa. O le igoa o lena papa O le vaivaio Ia, aua o le mea tonu lena sa nana ai le
tama a le UlugaliI ina o laititi. I le o le tuutuuga o lenei nuu e sa se tasi e soona pisa
ai, aua e faigata le aiga Sasaumani.
Ua oo ina matua le tama I si ona faatuafua sa faalafi ai e ona matua. Ona alua
lea I le sami e faasee ma tuli-falaumu ma pisa ai. Ua lagona lea tuli-faaumu ma le pisa
e le aiga Sasaumani, one toatamai ai lea. Ua alu le asiga po o ai lea tagata ua soona
pisa I le nuu. Ona sau ai le tu, Paga, leaga le tagata e saua; tailo I ai pe mafia ona tatou
fouina.

Ona alu ai lea o le tagi a le aiga Sasaumani I le aitu tau, o le matuu vae valu; aua
e valu ona vae. Ua talia le tagi e le Matuu vae valu, ona alu ai lea I Afono. Ua oo I
le taeao o le tasi aso, ua usu le tamae faasee e pei o lana masani. Ona alu atu lea o le
Matuu, tu I luga I le papa, ae faatali I le see mai tai o le tama. O le papa e igoa ia Tulaga
Matuu e oo mai I nei aso. Ua see mai loa le tama I le galu, iae falo atu le ua o le
Matuu e loa le tama I le galu. Ae tei loa loa ua feaofai vae e valu o le Matuu e le tama,
o le a fasi. Ona faapea atu lea o le Matuu, Se, Iaulualo, a e alofa ia ou ola, ou te le
toe mafai se mea ia te oe. Ia e alofa, faaola au. Ona faapea atu lea o le tama, Ia, ua
lelei; o le a e ola. A o ona tuutau o le a tuu ou vae e lua ma lou ua o le a faapuupuu.
O le mea lea ua na o le lua ai vae o le Matuu I nei ona po ma lona ua, ua faapuupuu.

Ia iloa e le aiga Sasaumani ua faiaina le Matuu I le tama, ona toe alu ai lea o le
tagi I le aitu sa I le va tonu o Upolu ma Savaii: o le Ia tele sa nofo ai I lea sami. Ona
talia lea. Ua alu le Ia I Afono I le avaavae masani ai Iaulaualo ona faasee ai. Ua taatia
ai, ae faamaga I tali lona gutu I le mea e see mai ai le tama. O le igoa o lenaavaava O
le ava o le Ia. Ona see mai loa lea o le tama. Ua ulu lava I totonu o le manava o le Ia.
O loo I ai ma Salelesi ma lo latou vaaalo. Ona tu lea o le tama ma fesili atu I ei tagata,
Po o outou ni fea? Ae ua tali mai, O matou o Samoa. Ua vaai atu le tama I le vaaalo,
ona toe fesili lea, Pe I ai se magamate? O le igoa lea anamua o le ofe sisi atu, tatou te
tau I nei on po o le launiu. Ona tali mai lea, O loo I ai. Ona tapa lea o le tama e
aumai, ona lepeti lea o le ofe ma faasoa atu ile motu o tagata sa I lea mea. Ua faatonu
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foi tagata I lea itu ma le isi itu, ma fai atu I ai. Ia galulue loa e selei le tino o le Ia. E I
ai nei ona maua le tasi upu ua tatou auaugagana ai I ona po, Galulue a itu vaa aua