sea, but they secured a plank of a canoe, on which they floated away and finally reached Manu'a. It is not known where the girls came from. At Manu'a was an aitu or god named Sa-le-vao. The girls said to him, Ta fia ola,[1] 'I wish to live' (a prayer). Sa-le-vao came down to the beach where the girls were and said, 'Where do you two come from?' We two were swept away from the north (itu mātū); our land is altogether scattered.' Sa-le-vao then spat at the girls, at which they said, 'Spit towards the heavens' (anu i langi). (This is an expression still used. If anyone treats another disrespectfully, it is the usual and proper thing to say).
"Tangaloa-a-langi saw what was going on from his place in the eighth heaven, and he said to his son, 'Alu ifo, go down and bring the girls up here.' Tafa'i was the son of Tangaloa-a-langi. He went down and brought the girls up. As he was doing so, Sa-le-vao pursued them, and on reaching the eighth heaven he found the girls staying in Tangaloa's house. The latter said to Sa-le-vao, 'Hurry up and go down; wait down there until morning and then we will fight it out.' So Sa-le-vao returned below, and the next day Tangaloa went down and fought with Sa-le-vao and killed him. One of the girls Langi married Tangaloaa-langi, the other Tafa'i. They all came down from heaven and lived on earth at Manu'a. The girls gave birth to sons—the wife of Tangaloa had Tūtu, Tafa'i's wife Ila. Then were born U, and Polu and Saa, and Uii. Then Tangaloa-a-langi made his tofinga, or appointment of occupations. One of the sons was to live in Manu'a and be called Tui-Manu'a; Tūtu and Ila were to live in Tutuila; U and Polu in Upolu; Sa and Uii, the youngest sons, in
- ↑ Ta is an old form of the first person singular "I."
