Not far from Tutuila, two rock formations called Fatu and Futi stick out of the water. The iconic geological formation is said to be related to the legend of the local "shipwrecked lover".
Written by: Gulnaz Khan
Photo by Travis Dove
Located more than 3,000 kilometers southwest of Hawaii Island, American Samoa is a small island with lush vegetation and abundant seafood, which locals proudly call the "Sacred Land." There, wonderful and beautiful legends envelop this sacred island as if it were haunting the air, seeping into the mud and into the sea, as it has been for hundreds of years. People there pass on the legends from generation to generation, but because of this, some details are blurred, and many of the legends are now circulating in several versions. But only one thing has not changed, a Samoan cosmology that has been believed for generations: that people and the environment are interdependent.
Legend of the ShipwreckEd Lover: This love will never change
Fatu ma Futi, the legendary site of the shipwrecked lover, is now a popular place to swim.
Legend has it that Fatu and Futi were a couple who set sail from Upolu, an independent state of Samoa, to Tutuila, the largest island in American Eastern Samoa. But just a few weeks later, their boat capsized in a storm. Although the two struggled to swim to the shore, they eventually drowned not far from the shore due to exhaustion. Like the ending of many legends, the two turned into leafy rocks and looked at the island forever, waiting for each other.
The sun shines on ofu, and the water glows golden.
Fatu and Futi now stand at the entrance to Pago Pago Harbor and are known as "Flowerpot Rock." This bay harbor is one of the most popular ports in the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by dense forests and rich coastal products. Historically, many colonial powers have taken advantage of these characteristics of the bay and chosen to establish naval bases here. The United States at the end of the 19th century is a typical example.
The eel that falls in love with the princess: obsessive
Sina is a beautiful princess with long black hair and waistlines, and her bronzed skin is like a gift from heaven to make her the brightest focus of the village. Every day Sina would go to the creek to bathe, but she did not expect that an eel in the stream would fall deeply in love with her, and every day she would peek at her every move in the water. The princess rejects the eel's pursuit, and the eel falls into despair. On its deathbed, the eel begged the princess to cut off its head after its death and bury it in the dirt. In this way, the remaining trunk of its body will grow coconut trees, the leaves can be woven into pieces and then made into a shed, and the coconut water can be enjoyed by the princess and her descendants. Although the obsession is fruitless, the unshakable love of the little eel until death has been passed down from generation to generation.
In Samoa culture, the treasured coconut tree is known as the "tree of life".
According to legend, the coconut tree of the eel incarnation is an important cash crop on which the Samoans live. Coconuts are an extremely important part of Samoa's agriculture and traditional culture. In ancient times, the Samoans regarded coconuts as a gift from the gods – coconut shells could be used to store water during long voyages, coconut water was a commonly used drink, coconut meat was used to cook traditional Samoan cuisine, and coconut oil was used as a ritual tribute. Not only that, but coconut shells are also indispensable objects in life, and people will weave mats, baskets, fans and ropes from coconut tree leaves.
The man uses coconut water to make one of the Favorite Dishes of American Samoa.
Coconut shells are a common utensil used in traditional Feasts in Samoa.
Maiden Aloaloalela and the Sun: Revenge, in the Name of Love
An elderly couple has two lovely daughters, Aloloalela and Sautia. Her sister, Aloloalela, was beautiful and dignified, and when she became an adult, the sun asked to marry her. It wasn't long before Aloaloalela became pregnant, but the two sisters planned to escape the sun. One day, they took the opportunity to jump into the sea, swimming non-stop, trying to escape from the place, but it was not long before the sister gave birth, and the child fell into the sea. The god Tagaloalagi saw the blood-red waters and couldn't bear to rescue the child and raise it himself. Looking at the two sisters who had fallen into disgrace, the gods took pity on their suffering and created a land for the two of them to survive.
Two women are resting on the white sand beach of Offu Island. The island is surrounded by Samoa's most thriving coral reefs.
The child in the story grows up, and he learns from the rumors that he is not the son of Tagaloalagi. So he asked to see his mother and aunt, only to see them suffering in the heat of the sun. The young man was impatient and begged the gods to save the two. The gods could not bear it, and finally agreed to the boy's request, so they created plants, animals, and birds on earth. The earth became beautiful, and the two sisters were able to find a place to shelter them from the scorching sun.
The promise of the god Tagaloalagi is believed by locals because American Samoa is made up of volcanic islands that surround more than 800 species of native fish and more than 200 species of coral. Not only that, but there are many kinds of flora and fauna in the area, such as the fox bat (also known as the fruit bat), which is regarded as the flying protector of the forest.
Pago Pago Bay is an extremely important port in the Pacific Ocean.
According to the U.S. National Park Service, the beautiful archipelago of American Samoa is facing invasions of exotic plant and animal species, rising ocean temperatures, increased populations and inadequate garbage disposal. In most of the Samoan legends, humans were conceived by the land. Today, this beautiful sacred island is in deep trouble, and it seems to warn us that since the grace of the dripping water should be repaid by the spring, it may be time for humanity to repay the favor.
Warm-coloured street lights mark the main road on Tutuila Island.
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