Peʻa, ormalofie, is the traditional maletattoo (tatau) ofSamoa.[1] It covers the body from the waist to the knees, and consists of perfectly symmetrical heavy black lines, arrows, and dots.[2] It is a common mistake for people to refer to thepeʻa as sogaimiti, because sogaimiti refers to the man with thepeʻa and not thepeʻa itself.
The tattooing tools (au) were originally made of bone or sharpened boar husk, cut into a comb style with serrated teeth shaped like needles. It was then attached to a small patch of sea turtle which was connected to a wooden handle.
In the 1830s, Englishmissionaries attempted to abolish thepeʻa by banning it in missionary schools. The purpose of this was to "westernise" the Samoans, but during the time that tattooing was banned, it was still done in secret.[3] Because of this, Samoa has managed to retain its traditional tattoos in modern times, although it is done to a much lesser extent than it used to be.[4]
In present times, the traditional design ofpeʻa continues to be a source of sacred cultural heritage, as an act of honour.
Thepeʻa covers the body from the middle of the back to the knees. The wordtattoo in the English language is believed to have originated from the Samoan word "tatau".
Thetatau process for thepeʻa is extremely painful,[5] and undertaken bytufuga ta tatau (master tattooists), using a set of handmade tools: pieces of bone, turtle shell and wood. Thetufuga ta tatau are revered masters in Samoan society. In Samoan custom, apeʻa is only done the traditional way, with aspects of cultural ceremony and ritual, and has a strong meaning for the one who receives it. Thetufuga ta tatau works with two assistants, called'au toso, who are often apprentice tattooists and they stretch the skin, wipe the excess ink and blood and generally support the tattooist in their work. The process takes place with the subject lying on mats on the floor with the tattooist and assistants beside them. Family members of the person getting the tattoo are often in attendance at a respectful distance to provide words of encouragement, sometimes through song. Thepeʻa can take less than a week to complete, or, in some cases, years.
The ink colour is black. The tattoo starts on the back and finishes on the navel. Overall, the design is symmetrical with a pattern consisting mainly of straight lines and larger blocks of dark cover, usually around the thighs. Some art experts have made a comparison between the distinctive Samoan tattoo patterns to other artforms including designs ontapa cloth andLapita pottery.[6]
Traditional Samoan tattooing of thepeʻa, body tattoo, is an ordeal that is not lightly undergone. It can take many weeks to complete, is very painful and used to be a necessary prerequisite to receiving amatai title; this however is no longer the case. Tattooing was also a very costly procedure, the tattooer receiving in the region of 700 fine mats as payment. It was not uncommon for half a dozen boys to be tattooed at the same time, requiring the services of four or more tattooers. It was not just the men who received tattoos, but the women too, although their designs are of a much lighter nature, resembling a filigree rather than having the large areas of solid dye which are frequently seen in men's tattoos. Nor was the tattooing of women as ritualised as that of the men.[7]
Better known by itsHawaiʻian name,kukui, the oily kernel of thehusked candlenut, known in Samoan astuitui orlama, is burned and the black soot collected is used as the color base for the traditional ink used in Samoan tattooing. The moderntufuga artists utilize commercially produced inks that comply with international tattoo regulations and local health safety codes.[8][9]
Samoan males with apeʻa are calledSoga'imiti and are respected for their courage. Untattooed Samoan males are colloquially referred to astelefua ortelenoa, literally "naked". Some who begin the tattooing ordeal do not complete it due to the pain, or more rarely the inability to adequately pay the tattooist. The incomplete tattoo is calledpeʻa mutu, a mark of shame.[10] The traditional female tattoo in Samoa is themalu. In Samoan society, thepeʻa and themalu are viewed with cultural pride and identity as well as a hallmark of manhood and womanhood.
In addition to its social role, thepeʻa holds deep spiritual meaning within Samoan cosmology. Ethnographers andtufuga ta tatau describe the process as a sacred covenant between the recipient, the tattooist, and the ancestral spirits (atua). The act of receiving apeʻa is understood as a form of purification, endurance, and self-offering that strengthens a man’s connection to his family lineage, village, and to God.[11]
Traditional ceremonies often begin with prayers and blessings invoking courage and protection for both the subject and the artist. The period before tattooing may involve fasting, abstinence, or other preparations to ready the mind and spirit. The ordeal of pain endured during the process is regarded as a test of humility and faith, symbolising a moral transformation. Contemporary Samoan theologians have also drawn parallels between the discipline of thepeʻa and Christian notions of sacrifice and rebirth, viewing it as a reconciliation of ancestral custom with modern Christian belief.[12][13]
Tatau is an ancientPolynesian art form which is associated with the rites of passage for men.Peʻa is also the Samoan word for theflying fox (fruit bat,Pteropus samoensis), and there are many Polynesian myths,proverbs andlegends associated with this winged creature.[14] One legend from the island ofSavai'i is aboutNafanua, Samoa's goddess of war, rescued by flying foxes when she was stranded on an inhospitable island.[15]
In Polynesia, the origins of tattoo is varied. Samoa creditFiji as the source of thetatau, the Fijians credit the act ofVeiqia the tattooing of Fijian women only, and theMāori ofNew Zealand credit the underworld.[16]
InSamoan mythology, the origin of thetatau in Samoa is told in a myth about twin sistersTilafaiga andTaema who swam from Fiji to Samoa with a basket of tattoo tools. As they swam they sang a song which said only women get tattooed. But as they neared the village ofFalealupo on the island of Savai'i, they saw aclam underwater and dived down to get it. When they emerged, their song had changed, the lyrics now saying that only men get the tattoo and not women. This song is known in Samoa as thePese o le Peʻa orPese o le Tatau.[17]
The wordtatau has many meanings in Samoa.Tā means to strike, and in the case of tattooing, the tap tap sound of the tattooist's wooden tools.Tau means to reach an end, a conclusion, as well as war or battle.Tatau also means rightness or balance. It also means to wring moisture from something, like wet cloth, or in the case of thepeʻa process, the ink from the skin.Tata means to strike repeatedly or perform a rhythm. For example,tātā le ukulele means 'play the ukulele.'
The tools of thetufuga ta tatau comprise a set of serrated bone combs (au), which were lashed to smalltortoise shell fragments which were in turn lashed to a short wooden handle; a tapping mallet (sausau) for driving the combs into the skin;coconut shell cups (ipuniu) to mix and store the tattooing ink ("lama") made from burntcandlenut soot; and lengths oftapa cloth ("solo") used to wipe blood and clean tools.[18] The tools are traditionally stored in a cylindrical wooden container called "tunuma" which are lined withtapa cloth and designed to hold the 'au vertically with the delicate combs facing the center of the cylinder to prevent damage. The "sausau" mallet was shaped from a length of hardwood approximately as long as the forearm and about the diameter of the thumb. Various sizes of "au" combs were painstakingly fashioned by filing sections of boar tusk with tiny abrasive files knapped from volcanicflint,chert, and/orbasalt rock.[19] The smallest combs, used to make dots ("tala"), are aptly called 'au fa'atala, or 'au mono. Single lines of varying widths were tapped with various sizes of 'au sogi, while the solid blocks of tattooing were accomplished with the 'au tapulu.
The prestigious role of master tattooist (tufuga ta tatau) has been maintained through hereditary titles within two Samoan clans, the Sa Su'a (matai) family fromSavai'i and the Sa Tulou'enamatai family ofUpolu.[20] In ancient times the masters were elevated to high social status, wealth, and legendary prestige due to their crucial roles in Samoan society. It is known that Samoantufuga also performed tattooing forTongan andFijia paramount chiefly families. The lateSua Sulu'ape Paulo II was a well-known master whose life and work features in the photography of New ZealanderMark Adams. His brotherSu'a Sulu'ape Petelo, who lives and carries out Samoan tattooing atFaleasi'u village inUpolu, is one of the most respected master tattooists today. Masters from theseʻaiga (families), were designated in their youth and underwent extensive apprenticeships in the role ofsolo and tattooist assistants for many years, under their eldertufuga.
The traditional art of tattoo in Samoa was suppressed with the arrival of English missionaries andChristianity in the 1830s.[21] However, it was perpetuated throughout the colonial era and was continually practiced in its intact form into the modern age.[22] This was not the case, however, in the otherPolynesian islands, and the master tattooists of the Su'a Sulu'ape family have been instrumental in the revival of traditional tattooing inFrench Polynesia,Tonga,New Zealand, theCook Islands, andHawaii, where a new generation of Pacific tattooists have learned the Samoan techniques and protocols.
It is extremely rare for non-Samoans to receive thepeʻa or themalu. Tongan nobility of theTu'i Kanokupolu dynasty established the practice ofpeʻa tattooing among Tongan aristocracy in the pre-contact era. There are stories of Tongan royalty,Tu'i Tonga Fatafehi Fakauakimanuka and KingGeorge Tupou I of the ritual under Samoantufuga ta tatau. European beachcombers and runaway sailors were the first non-Polynesians to receive thepeʻa during the early 1800s; among the earliest non-Polynesians to receive thepeʻa was an American named Mickey Knight, as well as a handful of Europeans and Americans who had jumped ship, were abandoned, or visited Samoa.[23] During the colonial era whenSamoa fell underGerman rule, several Europeans underwent thepeʻa ritual, including Englishman Arthur Pink,Erich Schultz-Ewerth (the last German governor of Samoa), and a number of German colonial officials.[24][25][23] In more recent times, manyafakasi (half Samoans) and other non-Samoan men have becomesoga'imiti, including Noel Messer, FuneFe'ai Carl Cooke, Rene Persoons and artistTony Fomison, (1939–1990), one of New Zealand's foremost painters, who received apeʻa in 1979. It is also known that several women, such as Karina Persoons, received amalu fromtufuga Su'a Sulu'ape Petelo.[26]
It is known that the last verse was written in modern times, as it does not match the orthography of the first verses. Oral tradition maintains that this song is derived from a pre-colonial chant.
O le mafuaaga lenei ua iloa O le taaga o le tatau i Samoa O le malaga a teine to'alua Na feausi mai Fiti le vasa loloa Na la aumai ai o le atoau ma sia la pese e tutumau Fai mai e tata o fafine Ae le tata o tane A o le ala ua tata ai tane Ina ua sese sia la pese Taunuu i gatai o Falealupo Ua vaaia loa o se faisua ua tele Totofu loa lava o fafine Ma ua sui ai sia la pese Fai mai e tata o tane Ae le tata o fafine Talofa i si tama ua taatia O le tufuga lea ua amatalia Talofa ua tagi aueue Ua oti'otisolo le au tapulutele Sole Sole, ai loto tele O le taaloga a tama tane E ui lava ina tiga tele Ae mulimuli ana ua a fefete O atu motu uma o le Pasefika Ua sili Samoa le ta'taua O le soga'imiti ua savalivali mai Ua fepulafi mai ana faaila Aso faaifo, faamulialiao Faaatualoa, selu faalaufao O le sigano faapea faaulutao Ua ova i le vasalaolao | This is the known origin Of the tattooing of the tatau in Samoa A journey by two maidens Who swam from Fiji across the open sea They brought the tattooing kit And recited their unchanging chant That said women were to be tattooed But men were not to be tattooed Thus the reason why men are now tattooed Is because of the confusion of the maidens' chant Arriving at the coast of Falealupo They spotted a giant clam As the maidens dived Their chant was reversed To say that men were to be tattooed And not women Pity the youth now lying While the tufuga starts Alas he is crying loudly As the tattooing tool cuts all over Young fellow, young fellow, be brave This is the sport of male heirs Despite the enormous pain Afterwards you will swell with pride Of all the countries in the Pacific Samoa is the most famous The sogaimiti walking towards you With his fa'aila glistening Curved lines, motifs like ali Like centipedes, combs like wild bananas Like sigano and spearheads The greatest in the whole world! |
Kerosene soot or Indian ink was substituted for the traditional burned candlenut-soot pigment, turtle shell was replaced by Perspex and other plastics, and sennit by nylon fishing line. In the interests of hygiene, tufuga began to use steel needles that could be sterilised in place of bone, and took to wearing latex gloves and covering pillows with plastic.
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