ʻO le Tala o Limaleleimaʻoloa ma Lona Tamā

Introduction

Early European visitors to Sāmoa wrote very clear descriptions of how Samoans greeted each other, with the noun "sogi" and verbs "feasogi" and “faʻafeasogi” included in the first Samoan-English (Pratt 1862), Samoan-French (Violette 1879), and Samoan-German dictionaries (Neffgen 1918), defined as "to salute by rubbing noses," or "greeting when rubbing noses."

In 1830, Mulipola Faueā brought the Rev. John Williams to Sāmoa, and Williams wrote that when people greeted Faueā they "touched noses with him."

In 1832, Williams met with chief Tuilaʻepa Matetau of Manono and wrote that they greeted each other and "rubbed noses."

In 1890, Otto Sierich wrote, "the locals welcome each other by extending their right hand from afar, bending their upper bodies toward one another, approaching each otherʼs faces gently, and touching foreheads and noses together" (translation from German by Dr. Vainuʻupō Jessop).

In 1899, US Commissioner Bartlett Tripp described how the war parties led by Mālietoa Tanumafili I and Matāʻafa Iosefo greeted each other: “each chief grasped a chief of the opposite party by the hand and… they bring their noses together and inhale each other’s breath. This lasts for several seconds…”

Prior to the influenza pandemic of 1918 (which wiped out more than 20% of Samoans), the sogi was the universal, everyday greeting in Sāmoa. But the practice was discontinued once it was understood that pressing faces and inhaling respiratory droplets were potent vectors of the disease. The sogi continued on in restricted settings though, like certain saofaʻi and ifoga rituals, and it is still practiced today among some families.

The Story of Why We Greet Each Other By Pressing Noses Together 

Matila-foafoa was born in a canoe. His mother, Sina-a-le-moana, craved fish throughout her pregnancy and his father, the god Tagaloa, was constantly sending servants out fishing to fulfill his wife’s appetite. One day, Sinaalemoana’s craving was so strong that she jumped into the nearest canoe and told her husband to paddle to the reef so she could catch her own fish. She just couldn’t wait for the fishermen to return to shore and she definitely didn’t have the patience to wait for the fish to be cooked. Tagaloa caught fish after fish and after his wife was happy, he turned the canoe back to shore. 

Just a few paddle-strokes away from the beach, Sinaalemoana went into labor. Tagaloa sent Tulī the plover bird (his swift, trusted messenger) to the sky-heaven to bring the elderly midwife Mata-molali to help his wife. The old woman was blind, so she judged the position of the baby in the womb with her hands and she could sense the mother’s pulse, anxiety, and pain through her extraordinary sense of touch, hearing, and smell.

Matamolali snapped a bamboo fishing pole (“matila”) and used the sharp edge to cut the baby’s cord. She held the baby up to her face and sucked the fluid from his tiny nose and mouth to help him take his first breath. After the conch shell trumpets (“faofao”) announced the birth of a new member of the Sā Tagaloa family, Sinaalemoana named her baby Matilafoafoa.

Since he was born in the hull of a canoe, no one was surprised when Matila grew up to become a master fisherman who spent his days sailing the seas, discovering new reefs and fishing spots. He could hold his breath long enough to dive to the bottom of the sea, and he was strong enough to lasso a whole pod of whales at once. One version of the story says that he became Tagaloa Matila, the god of fishing and protector of sailors.

One day, Matila arrived at the north coast of Savaiʻi island where he met a beautiful young lady who was collecting limu (seaweed) along the beach. Judging by his stunning ulalei necklace (made of precious whale ivory) and the important-looking talking chiefs who walked next to him, the maiden knew that this was not just an ordinary fisherman. After chatting on the beach for a while, Matila invited the lady for a cruise on his canoe where they enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the night.

In the morning, Matila asked his lover to marry him, but the young lady turned down his proposal. Sure, he was handsome, and as the son of a god he could offer a life of luxury, but she did not want a husband who was always gone on fishing trips. Plus, he smelled like the ocean and all he wanted to talk about was fishing.

As a parting gift for the maiden, Matila placed his exquisite ulalei necklace around her neck. As a goodwill offering for her family, he cast his net and hauled up all the fish from the shore to the horizon and cooked an enormous feast for the entire island.

The spot where Matila brought up (aʻe) all those fish (nā iʻa) are still remembered today, and you can still visit the place called Aʻe-nā-iʻa on the road between Sāfotu and Manase villages on the north coast of Savaiʻi .

Later that year, the maiden had a daughter who was simply called Funa (“Girl”). As Funa grew up, she knew she wasnʻt like the other girls in the village. They all knew who their fathers were, and they were all named after other women in their families. Funa had never met her father and she had no idea why she wasn’t given a name. The other girls loved to dance and play games, but she just wanted to sail her canoe and go fishing.

One day, Funa confronted her mother, who explained who her father was and that her true name was Lima-lelei-ma-ʻoloa, in memory of the priceless whale tooth necklace (ʻoloa) that was given with love (limalelei) by her father. With her mother’s blessing -- and wearing her fatherʻs ulalei necklace -- Limalelei set off on an epic adventure to find her father, Matilafoafoa.

Limalelei sailed to ʻUpolu and hiked to the top of Mauga Uafato, where the earth meets the first level of the sky-heaven. If she truly was the granddaughter of Tagaloa, then she would have to climb to the ninth and highest sky-heaven to find her father. The trouble was that the āitu spirits and atua gods had not been on good terms with humans since the mortal Lū-fasi-āitu (“Lū the Spirit-Conqueror”) invaded the skies and defeated the Sā Tagaloa gods on their own turf.

Limalelei pulled herself up into the first heaven, where she was met by an angry āitu guardian who threatened to eat her if she was a human. Limalelei tried to remember what her mother had told her, but it was all so new to her! She fumbled and stuttered, forgetting her fatherʻs name and mispronouncing her own name.

The āitu pressed his face against Limaleleiʻs, trying to sense if she was telling the truth. “If you really are one of the gods,” the spirit said, “then you have nothing to fear. But, if you are a mortal, you donʻt belong here.” She did not smell familiar, but the āitu noticed the magical ulalei around her neck…maybe she was divine after all. He did not want to risk being punished by Tagaloa, so he let the girl pass.

Limalelei pulled herself up into the second heaven, where she was met by a huge sauāliʻi ogre who threatened to eat her if she was a human. Limalelei tried to remember what her mother had told her, again she fumbled and stuttered, forgetting her own name and mispronouncing her grandfather’s name.

The sauāliʻi pressed his face against Limaleleiʻs, trying to sense if she was telling the truth. “If you really are one of the gods,” the ogre said, “then you have nothing to fear. But, if you are a mortal, then you donʻt belong here.” She did not smell familiar, but the sauāliʻi noticed the exquisite ulalei around her neck… maybe she was divine after all. He did not want to risk being punished by Tagaloa, so he let the girl pass.

Limalelei pulled herself up into the third heaven, where she was met by a mean-looking sauʻai spirit who threatened to eat her if she was a human. Limalelei tried to remember what her mother had told her, again she fumbled and stuttered, forgetting her grandfather’s name and mispronouncing her fatherʻs name.

The sauʻai pressed her face against Limaleleiʻs, trying to sense if she was telling the truth. “If you really are one of the gods,” the spirit said, “then you have nothing to fear. But, if you are a mortal, then you donʻt belong here.” She did not smell familiar, but the āitu noticed the unique ulalei around her neck…maybe she was divine after all. She did not want to risk being punished by Tagaloa, so she let the girl pass.

When Limalelei pulled herself up into the fifth heaven she was exhausted and thirsty from climbing the clouds and running from spirits. An old, blind woman sitting at the edge of a clear pond offered her a drink, asking what her name was. Limalelei tried to remember what her mother had told her, she fumbled and stuttered…and then sat down and cried in frustration.

The old woman wiped away the tears and washed Limaleleiʻs hair and face, so when she pressed her face against Limaleleiʻs trying to sense if she was telling the truth. The girl no longer smelled like sweat and fish and the earth. “You really are one of the gods,” the blind woman said. “So you have nothing to fear. You are the daughter of Matilafoafoa, and you belong here.”

Limalelei remembered that name! She asked the old, blind woman how she knew what her father’s name was. The old lady revealed that she was Matamolali, the midwife who delivered her father when he was born. She was there when he took his first breath and Limalelei smelled just like her father did.

Matamolali reminded Limalelei of who she was and practiced pronouncing the names of her father and grandfather. She told the girl to rub her skin with her mother’s favorite perfume (coconut oil scented with seilala flowers) and to wear her mother’s favorite flowers (mosoʻoi) in her hair and wished her luck on her quest.

Limalelei pulled herself up into the highest heaven, where she was met by Tulī, the sacred messenger of Tagaloa himself. Limalelei remembered what her mother (and Matamolali) had told her, she was confident and spoke clearly, “My father is Matilafoafoa! My grandfather is the great Tagaloa! I am Limaleleimaʻoloa!” Tulī was convinced and quickly brought the girl to the malae where Tagaloaʻs sons were competing in throwing tiʻa javelins.

No one recognized Limalelei when she arrived, and she had never seen any of the Sā Tagaloa before either. Matila recognized that she was wearing his ulalei and he demanded to know how she got the necklace that she wore around her neck! She declared, “My father is Matilafoafoa! My grandfather is the great Tagaloa! I am Limaleleimaʻoloa!”

Matila pressed his face against Limalelei’s, trying to sense if she was telling the truth. As he inhaled, he smelled the scent of seilala oil and mosoʻoi flowers. The memories of his lover, a passionate night on his canoe, and the mountain of fish at Aʻenāiʻa all came flooding back to his mind. “You truly are my daughter,” he exclaimed, “so you have nothing to fear. I am your father, Matilafoafoa, and I am happy that you are here!” Tulī took the message far and wide, flying throughout the nine sky-heavens and all the islands of the sea announcing, “Her father is Matilafoafoa! Her grandfather is the great Tagaloa! She is Limaleleimaʻoloa!”

Limalelei returned to earth as a famous celebrity. The other villagers stopped teasing her about not having a father and not having a name. Now they knew who Limalelei was and they apologized for treating her differently. When Limalelei grew up and had a son of her own, she named him Matilafoafoa. The first thing she did when he was born was to pick him up and hold him face-to-face and share his first breath. From then on, all the people of Sāmoa began greeting each other with the sogi, the same way the gods and spirits did in the sky-heavens.

MORAL OF THE STORY

According to the genealogy, Limaleleimaʻoloa lived 28 generations ago, and while most of this story is easily dismissed as fairytale, itʻs neat to think that when we sogi today, we are continuing a custom that our ancestors have practiced for at least 800 years.

The story has a great central message of the importance of knowing who you are by understanding who you come from. It also reminds us that there is great power in names and the stories behind our names and the people who named us. This is why in the Samoan language we do not ask “what” someoneʻs name is, we ask “o ai lou igoa?” which means, “WHO is your name?”

CHARACTERS

• Sauʻai-Spirit

• Sinaalemoana- Mother of Matilafoafoa

• Tagaloa- See Sā Tagaloa

• Tagaloa Matila- God of fishing & protector of sailors

• Tulī- Plover bird, messenger

• Funa- Girl

• Limaleleimaʻoloa- Daughter of Matamolali

• Matamolali- Midwife that delivered Matliafoafoa

• Matilafoafoa- Son of Tagaloa and Sinaalemoana

• Sā Tagaloa- Creator of the Universe

• Sauāliʻi- Ogre

PLACES

Aʻenāiʻa- abundant fishing area located on the road between Sāfotu and Manase villages on the north coast of Savaiʻi .

Manase-  village located on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa in the political district of Gagaifomauga.

Mauga Uafato- mountain where the earth meets the first level of sky-heaven.

Sāfotu- village located on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa.

Savaiʻi: The largest and highest Samoan island. Also known as Salafai.

‘Upolu: The second largest Samoan island. Apia, the capital of Samoa is located on Upolu.

VOCABULARY

Aʻe: To go or bring up

Āitu: Spirits

Atua: Gods

Faʻafeasogi: See feasogi

Feasogi: “To salute by rubbing noses”

Faofao: Conch shell horn

Ifoga: “Bow down, worship, make a formal apology.” Traditional apology. (See Cluny La’Avasa Macpherson in References)

Limu: Seaweed

Limalelei: “Given with love”

Malae: The open area in front of the large meeting houses (fale), facing the main thoroughfare or road in a village, is called the malae, and is an important outdoor area for larger gatherings and ceremonial interaction.

Matila: Bamboo fishing rod

Mosoʻoi: Native ylang ylang flowers

Nā iʻa: Fish

ʻOloa: Valuable items

Saofaʻi: Formal matai acceptance ceremony

Seilala: Fragrant garcinia flower

Sogi: See feasogi

Tiʻa: Javelin

Ulalei: Whale tooth necklace

MEDIA

REFERENCES

Krämer, Augustin. The Samoa Islands: An Outline of a Monograph with Particular Consideration of German Samoa. Constitution, pedigrees and traditions--. United States: University of Hawaii Press, 2000.

Macpherson, Cluny, and La’avasa Macpherson. “The Ifoga: The Exchange Value of Social Honour in Samoa.” Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 114, no. 2, June 2005, pp. 109–133. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2005901750&site=ehost-live.

Meleisea, M., Meleisea, P. S., & University of the South Pacific. Lagaga: A short history of Western Samoa. Suva, Fiji: University of the South Pacific, 1994. (Reference to Mulipola Faueā).

Milner, G. B. “The Samoan Vocabulary of Respect.” The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 91, no. 2, 1961, pp. 296–317. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2844417.

Neffgen, H, and Arnold B Stock. Grammar and Vocabulary of the Samoan Language: Together with Remarks on Some of the Points of Similarity between the Samoan and the Tahitian and Maori Languages. K. Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1918.

Pratt, George. A Samoan dictionary: English and Samoan, and Samoan and English; with a short grammar of the Samoan dialect. Samoa, The London Missionary Society's Press, 1862. 

Sierich, Friedrich Otto. Deutsch-Samoanisches Taschenwörterbuch. Ebert, 1890.

Tidman, A, and John Williams. A Narrative of Missionary Enterprises in the South Sea Islands : With Remarks Upon the Natural History of the Islands, Origin, Languages, Traditions, and Usages of the Inhabitants. John Snow, 1837.

Tripp, Bartlett. My Trip to Samoa. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Torch Press, 1911.

Violette, Louis. Dictionnaire Samoa-Français-Anglais Et Français-Samoa-Anglais: Précédé D'une Grammaire De La Langue Samoa. Paris, Maisonneuve et cie, 1879. 

More on Va’aalo- fishing canoe

• Flickr photos: VA'AALO, The Samoan Fishing Canoe

• Herdrich, David and Armstrong, Karen Historic Fishing Methods in American Samoa, June 2, 2008.

Reference to ‘Oloa in reference to Tongal Koloa

• Wonu Veys, Fanny. Unwrapping Tongan Barkcloth: Encounters, Creativity and Female Agency, Bloomsbury Publishing, Jan 26, 2017.

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