SOME FOLK-SONGS AND MYTHS FROM SAMOA. 97 



attend the fonos or sacred councils in the heavens, and were called the 

 Sa-Tangaloa, " the family of Tangaloa." At every fono, the very first 

 observance was the Tcava cup. The drink was prepared from the heavenly 

 plant in the same way as is described in these solos; the cup of ceremony, 

 when filled, was handed by some Polynesian Ganymede, first to the god 

 highest in rank ; he drank of it ; then to him who was next in dignity ; 

 and so to all the circle, the order of precedence being carefully observed. 

 Then, when all the members of the council had tasted thereof, the ' grand 

 consult ' began. Such was the order of their doings in heaven above. 

 But, on one occasion, Tangaloa-le-Mana, that is, 'the miracle-working 

 Tangaloa/ whose seat was the Eighth Heavens, happened to be on earth; 

 and, desiring some kava to drink, he sent his attendants to heaven to get 

 the requisite appliances ; they brought down not only the bowl, strainer 

 and cup, but the whole of a kava plant which they had, in their hurry, 

 torn up by the roots. Of this, Tangaloa threw away the most part, as it 

 is only the ' rhizome/ or root stem, that is chewed. Pava, a mortal, who 

 saw all that was done, watching an opportunity, gathered up the portions 

 which the god had rejected, and planted them ; they grew luxuriantly, 

 and thenceforth men enjoyed the god-like drink. Meanwhile, however, 

 Le-Mana had called for fresh water wherewith to make his beverage. 

 The rain came down in torrents at his will ; it rained night and day ; it 

 rained even in sunshine ; and Pava was swept away by the flood, but 

 escaped drowning. 



In these six solos, the myth-makers do not expressly say that they re- 

 gard Pava's appropriation of the stray pieces of the kava as theft and 

 sacrilege, but it is clear that they look on him as an unprincipled man, 

 a man of bad character ; for they call him ' a bad man '; they record his 

 irreverence towards the god A-Ui ; and they bring him to a bad end ; for 

 he is compelled to leave his country and wander from place to place, the 

 all-searching eyes of Tangaloa-a-Ui following him everywhere. It is this 

 god who now takes up the action, Le-Mana having apparently returned 

 to heaven. Although A-Ui was partly of human parentage, he was 

 noble to look on and godlike, for he was tall as the ridge pole of Pava's 

 house, and could work a miracle on Pava's child ; and when Pava and his 

 wife had to flee in dread, A-Ui's eyes were like a flame of fire in pursuit 

 of them. 



When Tangaloa-a-Ui first went to visit him, Pava was at work some 



distance from home ; for, while the islanders may have their houses near 



the sea, the taro patches which they cultivate are often several miles 



inland, among the volcanic soil formed on the slopes of the mountains* 



G— September 2, 1891. 



