Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago And Long Before by George Turner
page 42 of 222 (18%)
page 42 of 222 (18%)
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said they. "Go and tell them I am here." The children ran off and told
them there was a chief in the house. Pava made haste home, found Tangaloa, and prepared a bowl of 'ava (_Piper methisticum_) for him. A little child in creeping about the floor upset the 'ava. Tangaloa flew into a rage, and beat the child to death. He again made it live, however, but Pava got up in anger, went out, plucked a taro leaf (_Arum esculentum_), stepped on to it and went off to Fiji. After a time he came back with a son of the king of Fiji, to the amazement of everybody, and when he died had a place in the Samoan pantheon. His emblem was a taro leaf, and all his adherents in going to battle were known by taro leaf caps. The slain of that particular village were also known by the round leaf cap. Pava was seen in the rainbow. If it was clear and reflected down on the village, that was a good omen; but if it appeared far inland, the sign was bad, and a veto on any fighting for that day at least. Another story places the killing of the child in the east end of the group, and says that Pava fled from place to place, and from island to island to get away from the presence of Tangaloa. As soon, however, as he reached a fresh place and thought of remaining there, he saw the terrible eye of Tangaloa looking down on him. Off he went to another village or another island, but still the piercing eye of Tangaloa followed him, until he reached the district to which I have referred, and where the dreaded eye was no longer visible. 21. PILI MA LE MAA--_The lizard and the stone._ These were the names of twin gods, and worshipped at certain villages |
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