Old Samoa

Life, customs and beliefs in Samoa before the missionaries arrived

Silhouette of a Banyan tree

In old Samoa, the gods lived here, amongst us

In old Samoa the gods lived amongst the people. They grew the food and sent the fish, brought the rain, attended births, settled disputes and scores and brought blessings - and curses - to the people

Lilieni·14 October 2026
An owl, lulu in Samoan.

In old Samoa every family had guardian animals

This one is a Samoan story about spiritual connections. Every family had its own guardian aitu, or guardian spirit. The aitu was usually thought to live in a familiar creature or object.

Lilieni·7 October 2026
A moon over the tropics

In old Samoa, we set our year by the moon and palolo

In the old days, Samoans tracked the seasons by the moon and palolo. What we now know as Tau Masina had no fixed dates. Each month began with the new moon: masina fou. In Aotearoa, Matariki celebrates...

Lilieni·2 October 2026