Samoan culture tells stories of many different deities. There were deities of the forest, the seas, rain, harvest, villages, and war.
There were two types of deities, ''atua'', who had non-human origins, and ''aitu'', who were of human origin.
Tagaloa
In Samoan mythology, Tagaloa (also known as Tagaloa-Lagi or Tagaloa, Lagi of the Heavens/Skies) is generally accepted as the supreme ruler, was a supreme god who made the islands and the people.
Mafuiʻe In Samoan mythology, Mafuie is the god of earthquakes. He dwells in the volcanic regions below the Earth, and has only one arm.
Mafuie was also the keeper of fire. Tiitii, a demigod, won the fire from him in a battle; thus, fire was brought to the ...
was the god of
earthquakes. There were also a number of war deities.
Nafanua, Samoa's warrior goddess hails from the village of
Falealupo at the western end of
Savai'i island, which is also the site of the entry into
Pulotu, the spirit world. She also is regarded as a peace bringer, having brought peace to Savai'i through winning the wars between the two regions of the island.
Tilafaiga is the mother of Nafanua. Nafanua's father,
Saveasi'uleo, was the god of Pulotu.
Another well-known legend tells of two sisters, Tilafaiga, the mother of Nafanua, and
Taema, bringing the art of tattooing to Samoa from Fiti.
A figure of another legend is
Tui Fiti, who resides at
Fagamalo village in the village district of
Matautu. The village of
Falelima is associated with a dreaded spirit deity called, ''Nifoloa''. The
Mata o le Alelo 'Eyes of the Demon' freshwater pool from the Polynesian legend
Sina and the Eel is situated in the village of Matavai on the northern coast in the village district of
Safune.
Fetu ("star") is the god of the night. His wife is
Ele'ele.
Samoan mythology is a variant of a more general
Polynesian mythology
The Polynesian narrative or Polynesian mythology encompasses the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia (a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian Triangle) together with those of the scattered cult ...
in the
Samoa Islands.
Prominent entries on Samoan mythology
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Afa
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Atonga
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Atu
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Faʻatiu
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Fisaga
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Ila
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Losi
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Mafuiʻe In Samoan mythology, Mafuie is the god of earthquakes. He dwells in the volcanic regions below the Earth, and has only one arm.
Mafuie was also the keeper of fire. Tiitii, a demigod, won the fire from him in a battle; thus, fire was brought to the ...
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Moso's Footprint
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Nafanua
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Pulotu
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Sava
The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally t ...
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Savali
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Saveasiʻuleo
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Sina and the Eel
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Taema
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Tagaloa
In Samoan mythology, Tagaloa (also known as Tagaloa-Lagi or Tagaloa, Lagi of the Heavens/Skies) is generally accepted as the supreme ruler,
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Tinilau
In Polynesian mythology, stories about Tinirau are found throughout the islands of Polynesia. He is a guardian of fish. Many themes recur in the various versions. Often he travels to another land in search of his wife, or his wife travels to ...
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Tiʻitiʻi
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Tui Fiti
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Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approxim ...
See also
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Culture of Samoa
The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Fa'a Samoa, the unique socio-political culture. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. The traditional living quarters, or '' fale'' (houses), contain no walls an ...
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Polynesian mythology
The Polynesian narrative or Polynesian mythology encompasses the oral traditions of the people of Polynesia (a grouping of Central and South Pacific Ocean island archipelagos in the Polynesian Triangle) together with those of the scattered cult ...
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Hawaiian religion
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Samoan proverbs
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Religion in Samoa
References
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