2.  In some places Salevao was a general village god, as well as a war god.  A time was fixed for giving thanks for good crops, and prayers were offered for more.  Each family took it in turn to provide food, and they feasted until it had gone the round of the village.  The family who had a great display of good things was praised; but the stingy, stinted offerers were cursed.  After all had prayed and partaken for the day, nothing was kept for another meal.  Whatever was over was thrown away or buried.  At one place in Savaii Salevao had a temple in which a priest constantly resided.  The sick were taken there and laid down with offerings of fine mats.  The priest went out and stroked the diseased part, and recovery was supposed to follow.  At this place Salevao was declared to be a good god in raising a plentiful supply of food, and also noted for his power in keeping away other gods.  A story is told of a party of gods from Upolu who were on a journey, but on coming to that place left the public highway along the beach and took a circuitous course far inland, owing to their dread of Salevao.  He was generous, however, to travelling parties of mortals.  When the chiefs laid down a previously arranged number of cooked pigs and other food to visitors, there was an odd one over and above found among the lot, and this they attributed to the special favour of the god (see 11).

A story of his kindness to Nonu, one of his worshippers, relates that when Nonu was on a visit to the King of Tonga, he and the king had a dispute about the age of the moon.  Nonu maintained that it was then to be seen in the morning, the king held that it was not visible in the morning.  Nonu said he would stake his life on it; and so it was left for the morning to decide.  In the night Salevao appeared to Nonu and said to him:  “Nonu, you are wrong; the moon is not now seen in the morning.  But, lest you should be killed, I will go and be the moon in the horizon to-morrow morning, and make the king believe you were right after all, and so save your life.”  In the morning Salevao, as the moon, was seen, and Nonu was saved.  Such stories added alike to reverence for the god and to the treasury of the priest.

3.  Salevao was the name of a family god also, and incarnate in the eel and the turtle.  Any one of the family eating such things was taken ill; and before death they heard the god saying from within the body:  “I am killing this man; he ate my incarnation.”

In a case of sickness, a cup of kava was made and poured on the ground outside the house as a drink-offering, and the god called by name to come and accept of it and heal the sick.

In another family the head of the household was the priest.  At the evening hour, and other times fixed for worship, all were studiously present, as it was supposed that death would be the penalty if any one was absent.

28.  SEPO MALOSI—­Sepo the strong.

1.  Was worshipped in Savaii as a war god, and incarnate in the large bat, or flying-fox.  While the bat flew before the warriors all was right; but if it turned round and shut up the way, it was a sign of defeat and a warning to go back.