20.  PAVA.

This was the name of a war god on the south side of Upolu.  It was originally the name of a man who came from the east end of the group.  He and his wife went to work as usual in the bush, and left their children in the house.  The children kindled a fire to cook some food.  Tangaloa, seeing the smoke, came down from the heavens.  He found only the children, and inquired where their parents were.  Gone to work, said they.  “Go and tell them I am here.”  The children ran off and told them there was a chief in the house.  Pava made haste home, found Tangaloa, and prepared a bowl of ’ava (Piper methisticum) for him.  A little child in creeping about the floor upset the ’ava.  Tangaloa flew into a rage, and beat the child to death.  He again made it live, however, but Pava got up in anger, went out, plucked a taro leaf (Arum esculentum), stepped on to it and went off to Fiji.  After a time he came back with a son of the king of Fiji, to the amazement of everybody, and when he died had a place in the Samoan pantheon.

His emblem was a taro leaf, and all his adherents in going to battle were known by taro leaf caps.  The slain of that particular village were also known by the round leaf cap.  Pava was seen in the rainbow.  If it was clear and reflected down on the village, that was a good omen; but if it appeared far inland, the sign was bad, and a veto on any fighting for that day at least.

Another story places the killing of the child in the east end of the group, and says that Pava fled from place to place, and from island to island to get away from the presence of Tangaloa.  As soon, however, as he reached a fresh place and thought of remaining there, he saw the terrible eye of Tangaloa looking down on him.  Off he went to another village or another island, but still the piercing eye of Tangaloa followed him, until he reached the district to which I have referred, and where the dreaded eye was no longer visible.

21.  PILI MA LE MAA—­The lizard and the stone.

These were the names of twin gods, and worshipped at certain villages in time of war, famine, and pestilence.  The month of May was a specially fixed time for prayers, and food offerings.  The lizard was the guiding incarnation, and carefully watched in times of war.  If in going to battle a lizard was seen darting across the road, they returned at once.  If it ran ahead, however, they were cheered, and went right on to meet the enemy.

Another plan in searching for an omen was to plait cocoa-nut leaves and cover the middle post of the great house, from the floor to the ridge pole, and there the chiefs sat and watched.  If a lizard from the roof came straight down on the matting, that was a good sign; but if it came down zigzag, the omen was bad, and fighting suspended.  Before going to the fight they met and were sprinkled with cocoa-nut juice by the priest, each at the same time uttering the prayer, “May the road I take flow with blood.”