SAMOAN TRADITION OP CREATION AND TIIK DELUOR. , 158 



Tagaloa the Creator thou said to Night and Day, '^ Let 

 those two youths, the Sun and Moon, follow yourselves. 

 When Day proceeds, let the Sun follow ; when Night proceeds, 

 let the Moon follow/' These two are the shadow of Tagaloa, 

 and are named, all the world over, " The Reflection " [literally 

 the moon] of Tagaloa/' 



Tagaloa the Creator then appointed that they should pro- 

 ceed along one side only of the heavens, and that the stars 

 should accompany them. [It is said by the legend-keeper, 

 that the stars all had names, but the present generation has 

 forgotten them.] 



We novj seem to have a reference to the Deluge. 



(a.) The .Emergence of Land. 



Then Tagaloa the Messenger, having assumed the form of 

 the Turi,* went about to visit the lands ; but no land could 

 be seen, only the wide expanse of waters. f Commencing at 

 the group or range where the Eastern group now stands (l),he 

 caused that group to emerge from the waters. Then he pro- 

 ceeded to where Fiti [Figi] stands (2), and caused it to emerge. 

 Then, wearied with traversing so wide an expanse of ocean, 

 he stood and looked towards Tagaloa the Creator, in the 

 heavens. Tagaloa the Creator looked down and the Tongan (3) 

 lands emerged. Again he turned towards Samoa [Manuka is 

 meant] ; but, unable to continue his course, he looked again 

 to the heavens, Tagaloa the Creator and Tagaloa the 

 Unchangeable looked down, and the land called Savai^i (4) 

 emerged. 



Tagaloa the Messenger then returned to the heavens and 

 reported the existence of those lands. Tagaloa the Creator 

 then went on a black cloud to inspect them. J He was much 

 pleased and said, ''Ualelei'' i.e., '^ It is good.'' Then he 

 stood on the tops of the mountains and ti'od them down so as 

 to prepare them well for the habitation of man. 



and are inherited by the present king of Manua, whose council-house is 

 called " Le Falk'ula." This is related in another tradition which seems 

 to have reference to the blessings bestowed on Abraham and his posterity. 



The prioritj' of Tiiimanu'a to all other Sanioan chiefs seems fully substan- 

 tiated by an ancient custom, which is that, when a chief dies, whether of 

 Savai'i or Upohi, to carry about the corpse from pUice to place, and for 

 persons to cry out during the procession, " Tuimanu^i c, lo'u alii" " my 

 chief, Tuimanu'a ! " 



* See note on " Tuli," ante. 



t We have here, probably references to (1) the Asiatic mountains ; 

 (2) the African continent ; (3) Syria ; (4) Arabia. 



X Ps. civ. 3. " Who maketh the clouds his chariot : who walketh upon 

 the wings of the wind." 



