Ina ‘ua maliu Māl ietoafaigā, sā soloa’i ane lona alo ‘o Mālietoa Ui- tuālagi. ‘E tasi le mea o lo ‘o tā’ua e uiga ‘i a te ia,’e fa’apea sā usu ‘o ia ‘i ā Gātoloaiao’olelagi. ‘E to’alua alo o le ali’i, ‘o tama ‘uma. ‘0 le ulumatua ‘o La’auli (la’a i le pōgisā), ‘o le tama a lona faletua, ‘ae ‘ua fa’atamafai e lā’ua; ‘o le isi ‘o Fuaoleto’elau (fua o le tau ma- ‘alili). ‘0 Fuaoleto’elau na ‘avea ma tupuga o ni ‘āiga lauiloa, ma e fa’a- pea le tala sā suafa fo’i ia i le Mālietoa. ‘Ā fai e moni sā Mālietoa ‘o ia, ‘ā tonu pe mō sina vāitaimi pu’upu’u.
‘0 Ali’amānaia ma Gātoloaiao’olelagi. pei ona tā’ua i luga, ‘o 1e fSnau a Tunavaetele, ‘o se ali’i i Tifitifi, Vāimauga. ‘0 le tasi aso ina ‘ua fo’i mai Ali’amānaia sā i se taumafataga, sā ia maua mai lona tuafafine ‘o lo ‘o moe to’atasi i lo lātou fale. Sa ia iloa atu ‘ua tau_leai se lavalava o lona tuafafine, ona ia fa’alatalata atu lea ma savali lemū, tamotu lana ‘ula ma fa’asalalau i luga o le tino o le teine e tau ufjufi ai. Sā te’i mai le teine ‘o GStoloaiao’olelagi, ma_va’ai atu ‘i le galuega o lo ‘o fai e lona tuagane, ona ia faiatu ai lea, “‘A fai ‘ua teu, ‘ia ma teu; a ua fai, ‘ia ma fai.”
Sā mālamalama Ali’a i le uiga o le tala a lona tuafafine,ma sa la faia loa e pei ona mālamalama ‘i ai. Na mavae ni nai aso, ona ia malaga ai lea e asiasi ‘i lona ’aiga i se tasi motu. _Sā iloa lelei lava e la le mea e tupu pe ‘ā fai e iloa e lona tamā sāuā lenei āmioletonu.
‘Ina ‘ua iloa e Gātoloai ‘ua mah’ ‘o ia (ma’i tō), sā tonu loa i a te ia e tatau ona ta’u ‘i lona tamā, ‘ina ‘ia puipuia ai le igoa ta’uleleia o lo lā- tou ‘āiga. S3 ita tele Tunavaetele, ma ‘o le meamoni, ‘ā na fa’apea ‘o iai
lona atali’i.’e matuā mo’amo’a lona pa’u. ‘Ona ‘o lona manatu ‘ia nātia lenei māasiasi mai lona ‘Siga (ufiufi manu gase), sā tonu loa i lona manatu e ofoina atu lona afafine e ‘avea ma faletua o Mālietoa Uituālagi, ‘ua ‘uma ona mōlia ane lona mana’o tele mo Gātoloāi. Taluai ‘o lenei Mālietoa e fiafia tele ‘i tama’ita’i,’e pei fo’i ‘o lona tamā i lona ia fiatele, sā talia loa lava Gātoloai ma ‘avea ma ana masiofo.
Nā ‘o ni nai māsina na mavae, ‘a e fānau loale tama ulumatua ma sā fa’a- igoa ‘i ā La’auli. ‘Ina ne’i māasiasi le ‘āiga,sā fa’atamafai loa eMālie- toa le tama. Sā i’u ai lava ina ta’ua La’auli ‘o Te aio o Mālietoa. Muli- muli ane, na toe fānau 1e isi tama. ‘0 ia lea ‘o Fuaoleto’elau, sā tā’ua mua- mua.
‘Ina ‘ua mātutua La’auli ma Fuaoleto’elau, sā lā malaga loa i le tasi aso ‘i Falealili, ‘o se itūmālō i saute-sisifo o Ātua. ‘Ina ‘ua taunu’u i Fale-
alili, sā malaga_loa La’auli e seu gogo. ‘Ae ‘o lona uso’o Fuaoleto’elau, sā nofo e aumoe ‘i ā Gauifalea’i ma Totogatā, ‘o le fānau-teine a Tui Sāmoa.
Na mavae ni nai itūlā, ‘a ‘o La’auli fo’i ‘ua pei e manuia, ‘ae na te le iloa. ‘I le,na fa’afuase’i ona ia fa’alogoina le pTsaga ma le talie o teine ‘ua latalata ane ‘i le mea o lo ‘o lafi ai e fa’atali ni isi gogo mo lana Sa fāliu lona ulu ma, fa’auta, ‘o tua tonu lava o ia ‘o lo ‘o tū mai ai Gauifalea’i, le alo ulumatua o Tui Sāmoa.
Sā matuā meia La’auli i lenei fotua’i fa’afuase’i mai o le Taupou a le nu’u, na i’u ina galo ai ona ia fa’afeiloa’i le tama’ita’i. Peita’i, ‘o le teine, ma le leai o se matamuli^sā faiatu, “‘O le ā le mea ‘ua ‘e nofo mai ai ma lou ulu ‘ua va’iva’ia? Na toe maua le_to’a ma le maumanatu o La’auli, ma sā ia tali atu e fa’a- pea, “‘E valavala a tūmanu.” ‘E moni lava e pei ‘o tūmoafa’i e tutū ma fa’a- sasaga solo. SS toe faiatu le teine, e pei e taufa’alili, “La’u uō e, ‘ua palapalā lou pa’u. ‘0 le ā sau tali ‘i ai?n Sā tali atu La’auli, “‘E lafulafu ā1 tama seu gogo.” ‘0 le palapala o 1e tama sā alu e seu le manu ‘o le gogo.
Ona alu loa lea o La’auli *ua tā’eie, ‘ae nā ‘o Gauifalea’i lava sā ia iloa atu e le gata ‘i_le poto o le tama ‘a e ‘aulelei tele fo’i. ‘0 lea lava taimi na tonu ai ‘i ā te ia ‘ia lā fa’atasi ma ‘avea La’auli ma ana tāne,‘a e 1S ‘o Fuaoleto’elau.
‘Ina ‘ua iloa e Fua e leai se tasi o teine e fia fa’aipoipo ma ia, sā toe taliu loa ‘i Malie ma lona uso. Sā iloa e La’auli le pogai na fa’afitia ai lona uso.’ona taluai le lā’ua feiloa’iga ma Gauifalea’i i le vao. Sā le’i ta’uina e ia lea mea. ‘Ina ‘ua mautinoa ‘o ia lava e manuia, sā ia toe fo’i loa ‘i Falealili i le aso na soso’o ai.
ma e vave ai fo’i ona lā fa’atasi.
Na le’i pine ona fa’alogo Fuaoleto’elau i le mea ‘ua tupu; ‘ae’ina ‘ia fai mālū pea le faiva, sā ia fa’apea ai, “‘O lau o le fiso, lau o le tolo. Po
‘o ai o mā’ua e fa’aipoipo, ‘e le āfāina, taluai ‘o mā’ua ‘o le uso; ‘o le’a manuia lava le ‘āiga o Mālietoa *i lenei feso’ota’iga; ‘ai se ā ‘ou te popole ai?”
‘Ina ‘ua māe’a le fa’aipoipoga a La’auli ma Gauifalea’i, sā alu loa Fua- oleto’elau ma nofo i Si’umu. Sā nofo pea La’auli i Malie fa’atasi ma lona tamā matua ‘o Mālietoa Uituālagi. ‘0 Totogatā, le alo tama’ita’i lona luao Tui Sāmoa, sā fa’anoanoa lava_inā ‘ua lā tete’a ma lona uso ‘o Gauifalea’i. Sā tonu loa i lona manatu‘o le’ā malaga atu ma nonofo fa’atasi ma lona uso i Malie. ‘E le gata fo’i ‘i lea, sā alofa tele fo’i ‘o ia ‘i_ā La’auli ma na ia lagona fo’i ‘o le lumana’i fiafia e fa’alagolago i le la nonofo fa’atasi ma ia.
I ona pō anamua, sā taga lava lea uiga, ‘a e maise i_se aliM maualuga, e nonofo ma le tasi pe sili atu fo’i ni ona faletua. ‘E le gata i lea, a fai ‘o le fafine muamua e pā (1e fanau), po ‘ua tau le fiafia fo i l ai lana tāne, ‘e mafai lava ona malie ‘o ia e ‘avea lona uso ma ava lona lua a lena ali’i, ‘e sili atu lenā i lō se isi fafine ‘ese.
Sā fa’apea lava le tūlaga na o’o ‘i ai La’auli, sā ‘avea e ia lenei uso e ma ‘ilā’ua. ‘0 Gauifalea’i na ‘avea ma tinā o Gato’aitele, ‘ae na fānaua e Totogatā Gāsoloaiaoolelagi. 1 0 teine ‘uma ‘ilā’ua, ma ‘o ‘ila’ua fo’i sa lauiloa i tala’aga o Sāmoa.
Preface: When the cannibal king Malietoafaiga died, he was succeeded by his son Uitualagi, who took the Malietoa title. Uitualagi is not known for much more than having been the husband of Gatoloaiaoolelagi (Gatoloai). Uitualagi and Gatoloai had two sons and a daughter. The eldest child, La’auli (step in the dark), was the son of his wife, and had been adopted by him. Their other child was Fuaoletoe’lau (Fua) (fruit of the cool season). Fuaoleto’elau was the progenitor of many well known families, and may have held the Malietoa title briefly.
La’auli’s mother Gatoloai was the daughter of Tunavaetele, a chief of Tifitifi, Vaimauga (east of Apia) whose son was her brother named Ali’amanaia (Ali’a).
This is the story of how La’aui was born to Gatoloa and adopted by Uitualagi, his marriage to Guiafaleai, and subsequent marriage to her sister Totogata.
One evening, when Ali’amanaia (Alia) came back from a feast, he found his sister alone sleeping in the fale (house). Noticing that she was only half covered, he approached her stealthily and, tearing up his lei of flowers, started to cover her body with the petals. Gatoloai awoke, and seeing what her brother was doing, she said, “A ‘ua teu, ia ma teu; ‘a ‘ua fai ia ma fai”. (Whatever you do, do it with all your might!).
Ali’a immediately grasped the meaning of her brazen words of invitation and seduction, and impetuously acted upon them, just as she demanded. Once he realized what he had done, he was stricken with shame and remorse, and he immediately fled to another island to live with a relative. He knew that when his father learned of this forbidden misbehaviour, in violating his own sister, his very life would be at stake.
Gatoloai soon discovered she was with child, and decided to tell her father in order to protect their good name. Upon learning of her violation, Tunavae was very angry, indeed, and had his son been at hand, the latter would have been dealt with very severely. Tunavae was very anxious to keep shame and disgrace from his family, (ufiufi le manu gase), and cunningly resolved to offer his daughter to Malietoa Uitualagi, since Uitualagi had already expressed his desire to marry Gatoloai.
The scheming Tunavae did not disclose to Uitualagi that Gato was carrying her brother’s child. As this Malietoa was as salacious as his father had been ambitious, he readily accepted and Gatoloai became his wife.
After only a few months, her first child was born and named La’auli (“a step taken in the dark”). Like Tunavae before him, Uitualagi feared disgrace to the family and Malietoa adopted him. La’auli is generally referred to as a son of Uitualagi. Later, another son was born to them, named Fuaoleto’elau (Fua).
When La’auli and Fua were grown up one day they went to Falealili, a district in the southwest of Atua, Upolu. La’auli went to catch seabirds or terns (gogo). His brother, however, set off in the other direction to court Gauifaleai and Totogata, the daughters of Tuisamoa, and to persuade one or the other to become his wife.
After only a few months, her first child was born and named La’auli (“a step taken in the dark”). Like Tunavae before him, Uitualagi feared disgrace to the family and therefore this Malietoa adopted him. La’auli is generally referred to as a son of Uitualagi. Later, another son was born to them, named Fuaoleto’elau (Fua).
The hours passed, but as La’auli had been lucky and was catching many birds, he barely noticed the time passing. Then, suddenly, he heard the laughter of a girl quite close to the place where he was lying in wait for the birds. He turned his head and there, right behind him, stood Gauifaleai, the eldest daughter of Tuisamoa.
La’auli was so dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of the Taupou (village virgin), that he even forgot to welcome her. But the girl, not the least bit shy, said, “Why do you sit here with such uncombed hair, all shaggy and rugged?”
La’auli, having recovered his self-possession and composure, answered, “E valavalaa Tumanu.” “Yes, it must look as if bananas are growing out of my head in every direction.”
Again the girl teased him, saying, “My friend, you look so dirty. How do you account for that?”
La’auli answered, “E lafulafu a tama seu gogo”. “This is how dirty boys get when they catch many sea birds!”
La’auli then went off for a bath; when he emerged, only then did Gauifaleai notice that he was a young man who was not only witty, but also very handsome. Then and there she resolved to win him for her husband instead of the stiff Fuaoleto’elau who had come courting her that very morning.
When Fua realized that neither of the sisters cared to marry him, he returned the same day to Malie with his brother. La’auli knew that the refusal his brother had received was due to his meeting with Gauifaleai. But, being very diplomatic, he did not mention this. Convinced that he himself would have better luck, he returned the following day to Falealili full of hope and expectation.
Here he met Guiafaleai, and proposed to her. She accepted on the spot. She was even willing to risk the wrath of her father by eloping with her lover, the following night. This would, she said, simplify matters and hasten their union (avaga).
Soon Fuaoleto’elau heard what had happened. He was surprised, but took it camly, saying, “O le lau o le fiso, 0 le lau o le tolo”. “Marrying him or me does not matter, as we are brothers; the family of Malietoa will profit by it, so why should I worry?”
After the marriage of La’auli and Gauifaleai, Fuaoleto’elau established himself at Si’umu. La’auli stayed in Malie with the aging Malietoa Uitualagi.
Totogata, who was the second daughter of Tuisamoa, felt very lonely after her beloved sister’s marriage and departure. So she resolved to join her in Malie. More to the point, she too loved La’auli and she was convinced that her future happiness depended on her living with him.
In those times, it was not a rare occurrence that a high chief lived with two or more wives. Furthermore, if the first wife was barren or found out that her husband might stray, she might contrive to procure him his second wife, her own sister in preference to a stranger.
So it was in the case of La’auli: he took both sisters for wives. In due time he had children from each. Gauifaleai became the mother of Gato’aitele, and Totogata bore him Gasoloaiaoolelagi (“scattering the clouds of heaven”). Both girls were destined to become famous in history.
Note: The history of the succession of the title of Malietoa in modern history is well established and originates in Samoan lore (as opposed to myth) which has a factual basis and legitimates the title as the highest in the land. It signifies the liberation of the Samoan people from the Tongan occupation and oppression which ended in c. 1300.
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