CHURCHILL— SAMOAN KAVA CUSTOM 



Tala 'ese mai Tutuila 

 'ua tala i le fa'aananafi na 

 ni 'ava na toto i Niniva, 

 na fa'aifo i le lagi tuaiva. 



'Ua le tala i le fa'aanamua 

 ni 'ava na toto i Lalopua, 

 na fa'aifo i le lagi tualua. 



From Tutuila comes a variant tale 

 told in the yestere'en 

 that kava was planted in the Giddy Place, 

 that it was brought down from the ninth 



heaven. 

 A tale there is of ancient days 

 kava was planted in Lalopua, 

 that it was brought down from the second 



heaven. 



It is no unusual picture of primitive man to regard humankind as 

 living in destitution until it is able to wrest from the gods the things 

 which make life sweet. The foregoing lay points in this direction and 

 is told in greater detail in the myth of Lefanoga, the hero, who fought 

 the gods in the heavens and brought down kava to make glad the 

 hearts of men, though in the prose versions at present accessible it 

 is the eighth heaven in which he won his victory. 



Yet one more lay of origin, here we return to the Fijian credit, yet 

 it becomes associated with the gods: 



'0 'ava 'ula na solo mai Fiti 

 i le atunu'u o sauali'i. 



This ruddy kava cometh from Fiji 

 and the islands of the gods. 



These notes may fitly be rounded out with a brief vocabulary of 

 the various terms which are used in connection with the Samoan kava. 



ata the stem of the kava plant. 



'ata a branch or twig of kava, particularly pieces cut for setting. 



ati to pull up kava. 



fa'asoasoa to serve the beverage in order of rank. 



folafola to proclaim the kava ceremonial. 



fono the food which follows the service of kava. 



fui'ava to mix water with the comminuted root. 



le'a the strongest kava, reserved for the highest chiefs. 



lele'a fermented, said of kava that has stood too long. 



lili'ava to prepare kava for drinking. 



logopapa descriptive of kava planted in rocky soil and therefore stout in 



texture, 



loma to watch to see to whom the first cup shall be served, 



maga a mouthful of kava chewed and ready for mixing with water, 



pipifai'ava kava root from which the cortex has been scraped in making 



ready for chewing, 



solo'ava songs of kava drinking, 



sua'ava green in hue, a synonym of lanulau'ava. 



sui to mix the comminuted kava with water, 



sula a song of thanks for a present of kava. 



tane the kava stain in bowl and cup. 



tanea to be stained with kava 



tanetanea to be full grown, said of the kava plant, 



tanoa the kava bowl. 



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