Samoan myths and legends book

This tale tells the legend of how the coconut and coconut tree came to be with. Students samoan myths and legends debut in auckland rnz. This book is a great addition to a samoan, polynesian or ancient legends collection. Archaeological excavations in western samoa revealed lapita pottery dating back to about 800 b. The legend tells of a beautiful girl called sina, from the island of savaii, who had a small pet eel. Ancient origins articles related to samoan in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. In most cultures, there are proverbs used, however, in samoa, proverbs become the official language when discussing important happenings between the chiefs. Tuna is the samoan word for eel the story is also well known throughout polynesia including tonga, fiji and maori in new zealand different versions of the legend are told in different countries in oceania. Nafanua chased the bad guys as far as a neighboring village, where she abruptly stopped when a gust of wind blew her shirt up, revealing she was a woman. The samoan story of creation forgotten books fraser, dr. The samoan creation legend national park of american samoa. May 15, 2018 one of samoas most revered gods of all was female nafanua.

I ve read many books on samoan mythology now i know why this pamphlet was. A figure of another legend is tui fiti, who resides at fagamalo village in the village district of matautu. The top deities in samoan mythology balladeers blog. The story of the stone that blocked the road round the cape at matauea, safotu. Traditional myths and legends are just a part of the curriculum here. Sina and the eel is a myth of origins in samoan mythology, which explains the origins of the first coconut tree in the samoan language the legend is called sina ma le tuna. It may not be as prevalent as it was in the old days, but its still there. They are beautiful and fearsome in equal measure, they are the spirit women who wander the villages of samoa guarding different villagesone of the most well known is telesa the aiku goddess of. This version of the maori legend is my childhood memory of the story, as it was passed down to me by my late grandfather. The islands of tahiti have several legends, each one more beautiful than the other. How ancient love legends shape life on american samoa captivating tales of love, revenge, and redemption are tied to the cultural traditions of the samoan people.

Eua island is the oldest island in the tonga it is 40 million years older and has some great myths, legends and stories. The myths, legends and customs of old samoa pasefika press, 1976. From the preface the myths, legends and customs of the samoan people contained in this book were collected in the samoan language by c. Along with her parents and siblings, donna runs a holistic style primary elementary school. Differentiated reading passages along with close reading activities make this unit of study inte maori myths and legends traditional literature passages and questions bundle. Widespread stories across the pacific described the most beautiful woman in all the islandsa samoan girl. Myths, legends, and storytelling open windows to the past while simultaneously providing a. Stuebel, who was german consul in samoa from 1884 to 1894. Apr 16, 2014 along with her parents and siblings, donna runs a holistic style primary elementary school. Myths, legends and stories are the heart of almost every culture.

How to maintain a spiritual practice while traveling. The samoans explain their islands colonization differently from anthropologists. Therefore, it can be assumed that all of the samoan islands have been inhabited by people for over 2,500 years. The elders in the family would sit down all of the children and tell them stories of their past and their parents past. These maori myths and legends activities will be loved by your year five, year six students.

Myths and legends of samoa tala o le vavau book, 1976. In the samoan language the legend is called sina ma le tuna. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Born of a blod clot and buried in the ground, this ancient diety rose from the underworldfind the full documentary women of power. People tend to group these island cultures together and stereotype them, as well. How ancient love legends shape life on american samoa. Hi there does anyone know any prominent reads about samoa culture, superstitions, and myths. The island nations of the south pacific have an incredible oral history, their folklore and myths past down through the.

In this edition the order of the stories has been changed and stuebels original samoan grammar has been. According to them, the legends were made up in order to frighten and discipline children and teenagers, so they would obey adults. The myth of sina and the eel tells the tale of how the first coconut tree came to the islands. Offering rare insights into chamorro and carolinian cultures, this volume contains legends, poems, folklore, history, traditions, rhymes and riddles, and shiver stories collected from the elders and youth of the mariana islands.

The word of the tuli, which is the emblem of tangaloa the messenger, to tangaloa the creator of lands. Fortunately, these peoples cultures are accessible through their rich and varied legends and folktales. A place where we discuss all the myths, stories, legends about samoa. The samoan creation legend national park of american. Millions of products all with free shipping new zealand wide. I have previously covered various deities of the hawaiian islands and in the future i will address the gods of the other polynesian island groups. South pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series various on. This authoritative work, based on extensive field stu. A proverb is a bit of advice that is said in a story or poem. Tala o le vavau myths, legends and customs of old samoa. The siamese twins are often mentioned in samoan legends. Often associated with natural sites or important or divine characters from the ancient polynesian society, these beautiful legends will take you on a mystical voyage. Those two words have had the power to inspire your heart to pump excitement through your veins in double time ever since you were a kid, and undoubtedly will do the same as you embark on a getaway to a new country and hear those two words while learning about the local culture. The ancient cultures of polynesia, particularly those from samoa, tonga, hawaii, and new zealand maori, can be particularly exciting for young children.

Kollers flooding, rollers dashing, rollers struggling, rollers clashing the sweep of waters, and the extension of waves. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The story is also well known throughout polynesia including tonga, fiji and maori in new zealand. Not only are they valued for their literary merit but they also give us a glimpse into past times, places and practices. John fraser of sydney for permission to reproduce in this journal his paper originally pnblished in the transactions of the royal society, n. The tattoo serves to enhance the physical appearance of the male body. In far west faleilupo in the island of savaii, lived a couple whose names were muli and muli. Because of this, most of their family history was told to the next generation through oral communication. South pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa. Embracing these fears by sharing them with a group is a way of confronting and coping with those things that scare us most. Why celebrating idhul adha isnt just about the animal sacrifice daily rituals in honduras. The coconut is known to be the fruit or tree of life for its refreshing juice and nourishing flesh within the shell. The polynesian myths, as those from samoa, reveal information about a possible connection between america and polynesia, and provides another view about the book of mormon.

I first became interested in the study of samoan legends. Myths and legends of samoa tala o le vavau 9780589009687 by c. Samoan author lani wendt young on hawaii, books, motherhood. Sina and her eel tuna a polynesian lady holds a coconut. It has nice illustrations which are by a contemporary samoan artist which gives them authenticity. The learning environment at le amosa is based on samoan values, and surprisingly, its the only school in samoa these days that delivers classes entirely in the samoan language. There were two types of deities, atua, who had nonhuman origins, and aitu, who were of human origin. Myths and legends of samoa tala o le vavau samoan text by c. Id love to hear from anybody if they have heard about the ghosts at aggie greys lagoon resort.

Whatever the case is, the lore is deeply rooted in the polynesian culture. In the beginning, there were only the heavens and the waters covering the earth. The memorable saying of saveasiuleo is popularly quoted by the talking chiefs of samoa, when they refer to relatives or loved ones who separated and lost trace of each other for years but by chance they were brought together and lived happily. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Myths and legends of samoa tala o le vavau by oscar stubel. There were deities of the forest, the seas, rain, harvest, villages, and war. Myths and legends of samoa tala o le vavau samoan text. Queenie rikihana hyland, illustrated maori myths and legends 2003. In a time long ago, eight personified mountains were born from the landscape. If one can understand the words being said, he or she still may not know what is meant.

Leilani momoisea was at the book launch at the tupu library in the auckland suburb of otara. Myths, legends and customs of old samoa paperback, new edition. Is there a connection between the book of mormon and. Myths and legends of samoa tala o le vavau samoan text by. Fantastic myths and legends tarot by js moore kickstarter. The following is a series of books of hawaiian mythology, folkore, and legends by w.

Sina and her eel national park of american samoa u. The investigation of samoan myths and legends not only sheds light on stories of the past, but also delves into other realms of samoan culture. Using polynesian legends and folktales to encourage. These stories have been either written or retold by wiremu grace. Sep 29, 2018 scary urban legends are rarely factually verified but do reveal important truths about our deepest, darkest fears. A performing arts student, passionate about indigenous myths and legends, chose a rarely used samoan fale in auckland as the venue to stage his debut show. There are stories about gods nga atua, mythical creatures, nature, warfare and astronomy to name a few. Mythology, culture, and law in the south pacific in.

Kia ora and welcome to maori myths, legends and contemporary stories. Here, you are able to view a collection of myths and legends alongside contemporary stories reflecting themes relevant to todays world. This made sina afraid so she tried to run away, but the eel followed her. Myths and legends in the past, samoa did not use written words, only oral language. A lot of guys were all, we lost to a woman nafanua. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900. Jun 16, 2015 samoan heroes is a collection of stories which includes contemporary figures like tana umaga, david tua, fiame naomi mataafa and neuroscientist associate professor donna rose addis as well as historical figures, and myths and legends. The paperback of the south pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series by various at. Contains legends in samoan in one half, with english translations in the other. This book is a fantastic collection of stories from such a vast area as the south pacific but share a common heritage. Stuebel and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Universally most story books have common threads such as gods and man, nature and man and even the occasional romance. The king of fiji, the tui fiti, heard this and decided to go there and win sina for his wife.

The world parent myth is explored and classified as two different types of thematic structure. Thats what our elders would say to get childrens attention before telling a fascinating tale, especially an old samoan myth or legend. This project will only be funded if it reaches its goal by tue, may 19 2020 9. Sina and the eel is a myth of origins in samoan mythology, which explains the origins of the first coconut tree. Samoan mythology tells stories of many different deities. The samoan myth of creation, still passed on from generation to generation, is as follows. Siu point, a good place to view the south coast of tau. The first is the two parents of the world, often the sky and the earth, are pulled apart and the world. Although westervelt often wrote in a romanticized style, the folklore is genuine. Maori myths and legends offer a fascinating take on new zealands origins and the earths creation. Apr 30, 20 the top deities in samoan mythology samoan mythology as a subset of polynesian mythology will be the subject of this blog post. Ancient origins articles related to samoa in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. The samoan myth of creation, still passed on from generation to. Westervelt 1910 a collection of hawaiian and polynesian legends about the culture hero, maui.

Tagaloa was a supreme god who made the islands and the people. It is a type of sexual union of the world, and often offspring are not present. Here are 11 tales that will introduce you to this rich cultural tradition. Inspired by the samoan legend of sina and her ten brothers, his work was conveyed through dance and singing with minimal dialogue. Myths and legends of the polynesians by johannes c. There lived seven males tongariro, taranaki, ruapehu, ngaruahoe, tarawera, tauhara and patauaki and one female, pihanga. The first is the two parents of the world, often the sky and the earth, are pulled apart and the world is created through their separation. Suitable for selfstudy, building vocabulary, and developing reading skills. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. A detailed book with terms for construction and parts of traditional houses.

Honolulu, hawaiithe first time she visited hawaii, samoan author lani wendt young was just a little girl on vacation with her parents and siblings. Read south pacific tales legends and myths from tonga, samoa, papua new guinea, easter island folklore history series by various available from rakuten kobo. I like that it is written in both samoan and english allowing for both documentation in the native language and translating it to share with others. Maori myths, legends and contemporary stories te reo maori.