The Samoan Story of Creation, Part 2 of 2

The Production of Other Gods.

“Then various decrees were made in the Ninth Heavens; the children of Ilu and Mamoa were appointed all of them to be builders, and to come down from the Eighth Heavens to this [Earth] below; perhaps they were ten thousand in all that were appointed to be builders; they had one name all were [called] Tangaloa. Then they built houses for the Tangaloa; but the builders did not reach to the Ninth Heavens - the home of Tangaloa-lē-fuli - which was called the ‘Bright House’ [fale-‘ula]. Then said Tangaloa, the creator, to Night and Day: ‘Let those two boys go down below to be chiefs over the offsprings of Fatu and ‘Ele-‘ele.’ But to the end of the names of the two boys was attached the name of Tangaloa-lē-fuli who is King (‘Tupu’) of the Ninth Heavens; hence the [Samoan] Kings (‘Tupu’) were named ‘Tui o Manu‘a-tele ma Samoa atoa.’ Then Tangaloa, the creator, said to Night and Day: ‘Let those two boys, the Sun and the Moon, go and follow you two; when day comes, let the Sun follow; also when Night comes, the Moon too comes on.’[…]”

“Then Tangaloa, the creator, first went down; He went to it; He looked, and it had brought forth something like worms; wonderful was the multitude of worms; then Tangaloa, the creator, shred them into stripes, and fashioned them into members, so that the head, and the face, and the hands, and the legs were distinguishable; the body was now complete, like a man’s body; He gave them heart and spirit; four persons grew up; so this land was peopled; there grew up Tele and Upólu, which are the children of the Fue; Tutu and Ila, that is a pair; these are the children of Fue; four persons, Tele and Upólu, Tutu and Ila. […]

Then Tangaloa gave his parting command thus; ‘Always show respect to Manu‘a; if any one does not, he will be overtaken by calamity; but let each one do as he likes with his own lands.’ [Here] the story of the creation of Sāmoa finishes with this parting command, which was given at Malae-lā.”