two women fought all the women of Fiji. Taema sprang up with the tree, and Fiji was defeated. Three times was Fiji repulsed. Again they fought and Fiji was defeated, and [its people] were chased to the cave in which they dwelt. They reached the end of the cave when the lady struck her head against the basket of tattooing instruments. She took hold of it to take it down to the sea. They swam here to Samoa with the basket, and thus they sang: "The women are marked and the men left." The clam shell, used as a cup, fell, and they dived for it. When they rose up they had forgotten the song, "Tattoo the women, but leave the men", and they made a mistake, saying, "Tattoo the men, but leave the women". This was the origin of tattooing in Samoa; but for this, they would not have been tattooed.[1]
They reached Falea-lupo (a settlement at the west end of Savaii). Two boys were keeping watch there. The women said to the boys, "Children, where are your parents?" The boys answered, "They have gone to work." They said to them, "You go to them and say, 'There is a travelling party of ladies by the sea.' Come quickly; and when you come, do not throw down anything, lest we should be startled."
The boys went to fetch their parents. Their father said to them, "What is it?" They answered, "There is a travelling party of ladies by the sea, who say that you are to come quickly." The man ran down, for he doubted whether visitors had come to the house where the ladies were. He saluted them with, "You are come!" The ladies said, "Yes; come here. What is the noise [we
- ↑ Taema and Tilafainga (the sportive) were the goddesses of the tattooers. They swam from Fiji to introduce the craft to Samoa, and on leaving Fiji were commissioned to sing all the way: "Tattoo the women, but not the men." They got muddled over it in the long journey, and arrived at Samoa singing, "Tattoo the men, and not the women." And hence the universal exercise of the blackening art on the men rather than on the women. (Turner, p. 55.)
