In another family he was incarnate in the domestic fowl, and if any of them ate a piece of fowl the consequence was delirium and death.

In another family Moso was incarnate in the cuttle-fish, and none of them dared to eat one.

Another family had Moso incarnate with them in a creeper bird called the Fuia (Sturnoides atrifusca).  If it came about in the morning or the evening it was a sign that their prayers were accepted.  If it did not come Moso was supposed to be angry.  The bird did not appear at noon owing to the glare of the sun.  The priest interpreted to the family the meaning of the chirps as his inclination or fancy dictated.

7. Long Moso was the name of another family god.  The turtle and the mullet were sacred to him, and eaten only by the priest.  The family prayed to him before the evening meal.

8.  The Fai, or stinging ray fish, and also the mullet were incarnations of Moso the strong in another family.  If visitors or friends caught or brought with them either of these fish, a child of the family would be taken and laid down in an unheated oven, as a peace-offering to Moso for the indignity done to him by the strangers.  If any member of the family tasted of these sacred fish he was sentenced by the heads of the family to drink a cupful of rancid oil dregs as a punishment and to stay the wrath of Moso.

16.  NAFANUA—­Hidden inland.

This was the name of the goddess of a district in the west end of the island of Savaii.  She was the daughter of Saveasiuleo, the god of Pulotu, and was hidden inland, or in the bush, when an infant by her mother, who was ashamed of the illegitimate birth.  She came from Pulotu, the Samoan haedes, at a time when the ruling power was so oppressive as to compel the people to climb cocoa-nut trees with their feet upwards, their heads downwards, and to pluck the nuts with their toes.  As she passed along she saw a poor fellow struggling up a tree with his head downward, and calling out in despair that he could endure it no longer.  She told him to come down, and that she would put an end to it.  She summoned all to battle, took the lead herself, and completely routed the enemy, and raised the district to a position of honour and equality.  When she went to the fight she covered her breasts with cocoa-nut leaflets that the enemy might not see she was a woman, and the distinguishing mark or pass-word of her troops was a few cocoa-nut leaflets bound round the waist.  After the battle in which she conquered, she ordered cocoa-nut leaflets to be tied round the trees, marking them out as hers, and defying the enemy or any one else to touch them.  To this day a strip of cocoa-nut leaflets encircling a tree is a sign that it is claimed by some one for a special purpose, and that the nuts there are not to be indiscriminately plucked without permission.

2.  Nafanua was also the name of a village god on the island of Upolu.  In a case of concealed theft, all the people assembled before the chiefs, and one by one implored vengeance on himself if he was guilty.  If all denied, the chiefs wound up the inquiry by shouting out, “O Nafanua!  Compassionate us, let us know who it was, and let speedy death be upon him!”