Names Upon the Land

The Manu'a Islands, Ofu & Olosega.

NPS

An Alternate Tale: The Papatean Refugees and the Naming of Samoa’s Islands

With so many myths and stories passed down through generations, it’s no surprise that some versions offer conflicting details. This old tale provides a slightly different account of the origin of the island names, compared to the creation story recorded by anthropologists Lyell and Ellen Holmes.

In an ancient war between the lands of Papatea and Puloto, some of the Papateans sought refuge from the attacking warriors of Puloto. Fleeing the conflict, four couples found sanctuary on the islands that are now known as Samoa. These couples settled in different parts of the island group:

• Sava and I'i settled on Savai'i.
• U and Polu settled on Upolu.
• Tutu and Ila made their home on Tutuila.

Another couple fled further east, to the islands now known as Manu'a. Upon arriving, they laid their newborn child on the beach while they went to search for food. When they returned, they discovered that their baby's back had been wounded (manu'a) by the sharp rocks on the shore. In memory of this, they named the place Manu'a.