The Samoan Story of Creation, Part 1 of 2

In the Samoan story of creation, the God Tangaloa created everything: the Earth, Sky, Sea, People, Immensity, and Space. He encouraged Immensity and Space to create children, which became the nine Heavens; they also created Day and Night, who created the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. He joined the spirit, the heart, will, and thought into people and made us intelligent and gave us the land on Earth to live in, filled with people of various nations.

Today, we are pleased to present “The Samoan Story of Creation” from the Journal of the Polynesian Society.

The Samoan Story of Creation

“The God Tangaloa dwelt in the Expanse; He made all things; He alone was [there]; not any sky, not any country; He only went to and fro in the Expanse; there was also no sea, and no Earth; but, at the place where He stood there grew up a rock. Tangaloa-fa‘a-tutupu-nu‘u was his name; all things were about to be made by him, for all things were not yet made; the sky was not made nor anything else, but there grew up a Rock on which he stood. Then Tangaloa said to the Rock, ‘Be thou split up.’ Then was brought forth Papa-taoto; after that, Papa-sosolo; then Papa-lau-a‘au; then Papa-‘ano-‘ano; then Papa-‘ele; then Papa-tu; then Papa-‘amu-‘amu and his children. But Tangaloa stood facing the west and spoke to the Rock. Then Tangaloa struck the Rock with His right hand, and it split open towards the right side. Then the Earth was brought forth (that is the parent of all the people in the world), and the Sea was brought forth. […]

Then Tangaloa spoke again, and Aoa-lālā, a boy was born, and [next] Ngao-ngao-le-tai, a girl; then came Man; then came the Spirit; then the Heart; then the Will; then Thought. That is the end of Tangaloa’s creations, which were produced from the Rock; they were only floating about on the sea; there was no fixedness there.

Then Tangaloa made an ordinance to the rock and said: (1) Let the Spirit and the Heart and Will and Thought go on and join together inside the Man; and they joined together there, and man became intelligent. […]”