Tilafaiga

Tilafaiga, one of the conjoined twin goddesses (with Taema) who brought the tatau from Fiji to Samoa, landing at Falealupo on Savaiʻi; reckoned also a war-goddess, and named the mother of Nafanua by Saveasiʻuleo. Documented by Krämer and Turner (secondary).

Children

• Nafanua

Domains

• tattooing tatau
• war and protective power

Powers

• Bring the art and instruments of the tatau from Fiji to Samoa
• Conceal her pregnancy and bear and save Nafanua from the devouring Saveasiʻuleo

Relations

• twin sibling: TaemaConjoined twin of Taema, born joined back-to-back and severed in the sea.A. Krämer, Die Samoa-Inseln (1902/03): Tilafaiga and Taema, the conjoined twins of the tatau (secondary)
• mother of: NafanuaMother of the war-goddess Nafanua, whom she saved at birth.A. Krämer, Die Samoa-Inseln (1902/03): Tilafaiga, mother of Nafanua by Saveasiʻuleo (secondary)

Sources

• existence: A. Krämer, Die Samoa-Inseln (1902/03; Eng. The Samoa Islands), the tatau-origin twins (secondary); G. Turner, Samoa, a Hundred Years Ago and Long Before (1884) (secondary)
• tatau-bringer-and-mother-of-nafanua: A. Krämer, Die Samoa-Inseln (1902/03): Tilafaiga, twin of Taema and mother of Nafanua (secondary)