Tala o le Vavau

Stories from the vavau or the ancient past are important to us as Samoans and Pacific Islanders. They tell us the history of our people and our connections to our ancestors and other Pacific Islanders. Sāmoa's stories are deeply intrenched in our genealogies and stories told to us by our parents and grandparents and beyond. They are also important to keeping our legacies alive, especially for our posterity.
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Tala mai le Vavau

  • Tala o le Tupuʻaga

    These stories tell us about how Sāmoa came into being.
    "E tala lasi Sāmoa" means that there are multiple versions of
    different stories, as told by different people at different times. Here we
    explore the multiple versions of different Samoan origin stories, including the
    "Solo o le Vā," the genealogy of the rocks, and stories about how the
    name "Sāmoa" came into being.

    Tupuʻaga o Sāmoa 

  • Talatuʻu o le Atunuʻu

    These are common stories about
    Sāmoa, including Sina and the eel, the octapus and the rat, Maui
    Tiʻitiʻiatalaga, and others.

    Tala o le Atunuʻu  

  • Tala o Nuʻu ma Afioʻaga

    All Samoans belong to different ʻāiga (extended
    families), who are headed by matai (chiefs), who
    are tied to different nuʻu (villages).
    Each ʻāiga and village has their own genealogies and stories. Some of these are
    kept closely only within families and others are so well known, they are
    published in different forms of writing.

    Tala i Nuʻu ma Afioʻaga 
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