Samoan Tattoos Culture

It is said that the Samoan tattooing tradition actually came from Fiji. There is a myth about two Fijian sisters who swam across the sea. On their journey they chanted, “we shall tattoo the women, not the men.” (In Fiji it is customary that the women are tattooed). Along the way the two saw a giant clam on the sea bed and dove for it. In excitement they jumbled the words and, on their return to the surface, again began chanting, “we shall tattoo the men, not the women”(A.R.). Anders Ryman, a freelance journalist, writes, “there are places in Polynesia...where tattooing is undergoing a revival, but only in Samoa has the tradition remained unbroken over the years,” (Ryman). The tradition of the tatau is an enormous part of Samoa’s culture and has stayed active for a number of years. The Samoans believe “both sexes must endure pain” (Ryman). Women suffer through childbirth, so men must experience something relatively equivalent. It’s only fair.
The verb “to tattoo” comes from the Samoan word “ta tau,” meaning fitting, correct, or appropriate (Australian Museum). The …show more content…
This tattoo shows strength and power.
The Malu is a female tattoo going from the knees to below the hips. This is the female equivelant to the Pe’a, except the designs are much smaller and only takes a few hours to complete. The tattoo is less filled in: it consists of small dots and dashes and simple geometric designs using not nearly as much ink. The actual “malu”, a small rhombus, is tattooed on the back of the knees. The meaning of the word malu has been lost over time, so no one is quite sure what it where the tattoo itself originated from or what it signifies. It was customary for daughters of chiefs to bare this tattoo.
And finally, there is the Lima, a female hand tattoo. One of these used to be required to serve kava, a beverage typically served at tribal