Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-14
SAMOAN FOLK LORE
ST
Interesting Story Told by Former
CoIs1l General Churchill.
TRADITION OF 4 ROMANTIC ALLIANCE
Union of Samoan God Pill and
Hawaiian Goddess PeIe.
|lTI0N OF A ROMANTIC ALLIANCE
A n INFL e ENTAIL DEITY

ne gathered while in that country.
one OF the oldest and one of the most
interesting of these old stories which l
heard, said Mr.. Churchill to The Star
reporter, related to the marriage of the
Samoan god Pill to the Hawaiian goddess
Pele. The tradition is one of the Oldest
haEded down by the Samoans, being
transmitted from one generation to anoth-
err, and is known only to the eldest chiefs
and priests of the race. The royal family
and many Of the most prominent chiefs
declare themselves descended from Pill.
His advent in Samoa dates back many
hundreds of years. The god is supposed
to be the eighth generation from the su-
preme god of the Samoans, Tangaloa-a-
Lingi.
Pill is the name of a lizard which is
common in Samoa. The lizard is about a
root long, and is found throughout the
oush IN that country. Pill was one of the
most influential deities of ancient Samoa.
Like all the Samoan gods he was anthro-
morph1c-that Is, had the faculty of
changing from one form to another. At
winch was his most common one; at an
other he would assume the appearance Of
man to suit his own convenience.
Voyage of Pill.
THE tradition is that Pill started off
many years ago from Samoa in a canoe
and sailed away with a number of his
companions. There was no sign of the re-
turn of the canoe for long, long time
Plh himself never returned, in fact, but
the ones who went with him came back
in the canoe. They told of the voyage of
Pill.
1T may be we'll to state in this connec-
ton said Mr.. Churchill, THE location of
Samoa. 1t is in IA degrees south latitude
l. l., ne trade winds are southeast. They car
r rh southeast somewhere near the equator.
There are to 10 degrees of the winds
known as the doldrums North of that
besins the northeast trade, which extends
IN most seasons as high as the Islands of
tude.
The story of the crew which returned
was that, after Pill set Out from the Island
OF Tau. in Manua, they sailed to the north
ward many days until that wind finally
died After this they padded many days
In the same. direction over a boiling sea,
where there was no wind. At last an
other wind a1cse,z blowing from IL quarter
OF the heavens from which it had been
unknown formerly to blow by the members
of the crew. They sailed by this wind un-
Ill they reached a large island, and a high
one. 1t wits an island, some of whose
mountains were capped with living flames.
Others We're gray head and cold as ex-
pressed by the Samoans. They landed on
the shore and climbed these mountains
HAWAII is identified by everlasting snow
on Mauna kea. which means snow-capped
mountain. There are also two craters of
Mauila Loa, the latter meaning Long noun
tain. These craters are named Moquawe-
oweo and Kilaulea.
Meets the Goddess PeIe.
Landing On the island Pill and his COM
panions penetrated to the interior. Pill
met on the crater slopes of Kilaulea the
Goddess Pele who was there with her sis
tiers. After some Httle courtship, Pill mar
ried Pele and went to live with her in the
hottest part of the crater Kilaulea. This
was in the central fire lake in the crater
Halema umau also known as Lua Pele.
Satisfied that Pill had settled down to the
remaining le1iod of his existence, his com
panlonS thot eht there was nothing for them
TO do but to Ieturn to Samoa, which they
did. and told the story of their adventures"
In Samoa. Mr.. Churchill declared the
chiefs or Priests We're taught proper pray
ers with which to approach the homes of
Pill and Pele. These prayers have been
forgotten for the most part. and it is only
from q few of the most ancient wise men
who are now living that the details of the
finding of his love by Pill and his mating
with her are learned.
From one of these chiefs, Mr.. Churchill
said, old that he was almost ready to
lay down the cares of his Samoan exist
ence. Commodore Wilkes learned the proper
procedure by which to approach the habita-
ton of Pill and Peie. Directions were re-
ceived to the proper manner of ap-
preaching the Samoan god and the Ha-
Waiian goddess
How to Gnin m Audience.
when you come to the island of the
mountains of fire." the old priest said, 1.-The
home of Pill and Pele will be found far in
land in the bush. AS you climb the noun
tain on which they live you will find grow
ing there fruit more delicious than any
known in Samoa. If you are like most
men you will sit down. gather the fruit and
eat 1t until night overtakes you. Then you
will build yourself shelter of branches.
Next day the fruit will tempt you SO that
you will eat it again, and this will happen
the next day. and the next, and the next
Many days you will do this, until you for
get the errand on which you came and the
probability is that you will never return to
Samoa.
But if you are a man of strong will
power and purpose you will not taste the
fruit at all. Instead, you will pluck a few
sprigs of it and tie them together with a
bark wrapping of the fau' tree of Samoa
When you reach the brink of Lua Pele
you will recte the prayers to the god and
goddess which old Samoans have never for
gotten When finished you will cast the
bunch of fruit into the lake. Pele will pick
the fruit up, untying the fau bark, throw
ing 1t to one side as of no value She will
eat the fruit of which she is passionately
recognize it as something from Samoa, for
a Hawaiian would tie the bundle together
with 'olona, of a different fiber entirely.
Recognizing. therefore, that some of his
own people are at the brink of the crater,
Pill will start to climb up to see and talk
with them. He always finds this too diff
cult of completion. Returning, he will sit
down beside Pele to weep. When she asks
him why he is weeping he throws her the
fau and begs her to cast a blessing on his
Samoan friends, to grant all they ask for
and all theyShave forgotten to ask for He
will also ask herato give his countrymen a
safe return to Samoa"
The old chief told Commodore Wilkes
that not in recent years had any one made
the voyage2 but in olden times, nights of
darkness as he expressed it, a voyage
had been mahe, successfully several times
The Ancient Legend,
In connection with the story of the Sa-
means it is interesting to note the fact, Mr..
Churchill stAtes. THAT the ancient Hawaii
ans had legend that a god came from
Hamoa which Is their name for Samoa
long ago. dnd married Pele. Until long
years after fhe Introduction Of Christianity
the Hawaiian made sacrifices to Pele. the
goddess of KaIauea. These sacrifices were
of a triple nature. consisting of a bunch of