Samoan Superstitions.

Samoanische Zeitung, Volume 21, Issue 17, 23 April 1921, Page 6

Samoan Superstitions.

COMMENTS BY A NATIVE. From P. S. Mareko. a native Samoan, the Samoa Times has received a letter headed " Samoan Priest of Evil Spirits." The writer says :

"One day this Samoan Priest of Evil Spirit was hungry. She lias nothing to buy a loaf of bread or any other thing to support her. Then she went to the other family and told them a He or wrong story to make tbh family believe, thus: ' I saw this morning one old woman and a few little boys ; the old woman carried with her a load of tree roofs One lady of this family ask°d her: What is the meaning of that rooty load ? Priest Mid : The meaning of that was the spirit oi tlm old woman has a bad f eling ou you, because there are plenty of tree roots in the graves whore thei- dead body is buried, which they did not take away. Another re< <oj of the spirit's anger was their bones which they did not wash with toilet soap. Another reason was that their bones you kept with pans and any bad place. This family was afraid about what the priest said. Afterward they went to the stores and bought toilet soaps, silks and several things ; the expense is about £is, all caused by the lies of this "priest of evil spirit" How sad ! this family has spent so much money but this time is too bigh with the cost of living. The family have packed up the bones and put them in order. Afterward, they wished to know where the dead people desired them to bury their bones. Then one member of the family went into the room where bones kept, and asked to the bones thus: Please bones, which place do you want to make a resting place for your grave? The bones gave no answer. A little insect butterfly flew in suddenly and stood on the shoulder of the one who asked of the dead bones; the butterfly was caught and packed

up. They think, it was the spirit of the dead persons. Afterward, they opened the insect that had been kept in the end of the tapa clothes : it was dead, and it had no head This family fetch the priest of evil spirit again *nd ask her about why the head ot the butterfly was cut off. The priest said : 'The meaning oi the cutting out of the cutting out of the head of the butterfly was that some bones are left in the grave, and a few dry bones, with some leafs of a plant called "lautagitapi " Then they fetch the priest again and asked 'what is the meanirj of these things? Also they said that the bones did not look like the bones which they did pick up from the grave. The priest said that the old woman who died had an anger because since she died you never bought a good flower bundle tor her. ' What is the meaning of bottles?' said the family. Then the priest said: * There are some children's bones which you did not pick up. Then the family follows everything what the big liar tell them to do.

Samoans, think how our country is still in the darkness of old customs. The priest made a fool ot this family. Because she did not have sixpence to buy a piece ot bread, she tells lie to this family. But the family need not be afraid, for the living God has authority all over the world or earth and the heaven,