European contact. Each village maintain autocratic authority through the institution and organization of matai under the four Godly names that were from Tagaloa (Siauane, 2004, p. 31).

This chapter will explore the oral histories and folklore that describes and articulates the history of

Samoa from a Samoan perspective. Using the African categories of folklore, this chapter will make connections between the similarities of Samoan folklore and African folklore as a basis for this spiritual knowledge and indigenous epistemology in understanding how Samoan society was created, sustained and maintained.

The Origin of Earth and People

Tala o le Vavau is an anthology of Samoan history by Samoan scholars written in the Samoan language (Steubel et. al. ed., 2010). Tala o le Vavau translated into English means: “talk of the spiritual realm”. The title of the anthology itself is very significant in acknowledging the spiritual realm from the beginning. The book opens with the creator, Tagaloalagi who is one of many Gods however he never leaves the heavens. According to Samoan oral history there are 9 levels of heaven that the Gods reside in

(Steubel et. al. ed., 2010, p. 98.. Within these nine levels of heaven each God is in charge of various aspects of the world. Tagaloaalagi was the oldest and supreme God because all the other Gods would seek and rely on his knowledge and spiritual powers. Tagaloaalagi existed before time was created and before was created. Accoriding to Tala o le Vavau, Tagaloaalagi left his stool in the 9th level of heaven and went down to earth to search for a place to create a place that he could visit and make his second home whenever he pleased (Steubel et. al. ed., 2010, p. 99). Tagaloaalagi along with his wife Sinaalagilagi had one child;

Puleilugax (sky) who married the God Puleilaloneixi who created earth (Steubel et. al. ed., 2010, p. 4).

Puleiluga and Puleilalonei then had a child Puleileeleexii who married Faagaeexiii Puleileelee and Faagaee then had a child named Papaeleele who was made out of rock. Tagaloaalagi then took Papaeleele and taught him how to make more rocks. As papaelelele made these huge rocks they fell in the ocean and created land mass across the South Pacific Ocean. Tagaloaalagi then designated a piece of land to each of his descendants where they created villages under the names of each God or Alii they descended from creating the villages of “Safotulafai, Saleaula, Safotu, Satupaitea, , Matautu, , and

Safune” (Steubel et. al. ed., 2010, p. 98). Each of these villages still exist today and are considered to hold the Ali’I Pule or Suafa Paia titles which mean that the high chief titles in this village are Sa (sacred).

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