SAMOAN TATTOOS TEST
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
When did they start? ANSWER No date is recorded.
What was the projected date of their origin? ANSWER They are thought to
have started 5000 years ago.
Why is the date unclear? ANSWER Because they lacked a means of
transcription until the advent of the missionaries, all events in Polynesia were
passed down orally prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
1. ANSWER Along with their woven mats, tattoos were probably the first
cultural art form used by the Samoans.
2. ANSWER According to Samoan tradition, tattooing was brought to Samoa
by two Fijian women named Taema and Tilafaiga.
3. ANSWER They are reported to have made a mistake and changed their song
from "tattoo the women and not the men" to "tattoo the men and not the
women" while canoeing from Fiji to Samoa.
4-ANSWER The error was left unfixed when they got to Samoa, and the men
were given the majority of tatau when it was adopted by the Samoans.
5. ANSWER The procedure of getting a Samoan tattoo is drawn out and
unpleasant.
6-ANSWER Although a Pe'a takes several weeks to complete, it can be
completed in as short as five days, with interruptions to allow the inflammation
to go down.
, 7. ANSWER Animal bones or teeth that have been sharpened are used to make
tattooing combs.
8. ANSWER They are continuously pounded with a hammer known as a sausau
after being soaked in a dye created from the soot of burned lama nuts. The
middle rib of a coconut palm leaf is used to make the nearly two-foot-long
sausau.
9. ANSWER Every Pe'a has new hygienic instruments created for them.
Autapulu: ANSWER Autapulu, a broad comb used to cover huge, dark tattoo
regions
Tuluma: ANSWER A container for combs
Ipulama: A response (dye-holding cup)
Tu'l-ANSWER (dye is ground up using a pestle)
1. ANSWER The Malu is the female counterpart of the Pe'a, a customary tattoo
for men.
2. ANSWER The Malu is frequently used to symbolize flying foxes, birds,
octopi, and centipedes. It is more "lacy" and lighter than the Pe'a, with less of
the big black patches that are frequently found in the Pe'a.
3. ANSWER It extends from the upper thigh to the bottom of the knee. Though
the ladies also have tattoos on their hands, it is typically considerably smaller
than the Pe'a.
3. ANSWER Similar to men, having an incomplete tattoo is a major source of
embarrassment and is nearly always concealed.
Pe'a: ANSWER The customary tattoo for men is the pe'a.
3. ANSWER The Pe'a have intricate and abstract patterns and motifs. They are
made up of numerous interlaced, interlocked patterns and shapes.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
When did they start? ANSWER No date is recorded.
What was the projected date of their origin? ANSWER They are thought to
have started 5000 years ago.
Why is the date unclear? ANSWER Because they lacked a means of
transcription until the advent of the missionaries, all events in Polynesia were
passed down orally prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
1. ANSWER Along with their woven mats, tattoos were probably the first
cultural art form used by the Samoans.
2. ANSWER According to Samoan tradition, tattooing was brought to Samoa
by two Fijian women named Taema and Tilafaiga.
3. ANSWER They are reported to have made a mistake and changed their song
from "tattoo the women and not the men" to "tattoo the men and not the
women" while canoeing from Fiji to Samoa.
4-ANSWER The error was left unfixed when they got to Samoa, and the men
were given the majority of tatau when it was adopted by the Samoans.
5. ANSWER The procedure of getting a Samoan tattoo is drawn out and
unpleasant.
6-ANSWER Although a Pe'a takes several weeks to complete, it can be
completed in as short as five days, with interruptions to allow the inflammation
to go down.
, 7. ANSWER Animal bones or teeth that have been sharpened are used to make
tattooing combs.
8. ANSWER They are continuously pounded with a hammer known as a sausau
after being soaked in a dye created from the soot of burned lama nuts. The
middle rib of a coconut palm leaf is used to make the nearly two-foot-long
sausau.
9. ANSWER Every Pe'a has new hygienic instruments created for them.
Autapulu: ANSWER Autapulu, a broad comb used to cover huge, dark tattoo
regions
Tuluma: ANSWER A container for combs
Ipulama: A response (dye-holding cup)
Tu'l-ANSWER (dye is ground up using a pestle)
1. ANSWER The Malu is the female counterpart of the Pe'a, a customary tattoo
for men.
2. ANSWER The Malu is frequently used to symbolize flying foxes, birds,
octopi, and centipedes. It is more "lacy" and lighter than the Pe'a, with less of
the big black patches that are frequently found in the Pe'a.
3. ANSWER It extends from the upper thigh to the bottom of the knee. Though
the ladies also have tattoos on their hands, it is typically considerably smaller
than the Pe'a.
3. ANSWER Similar to men, having an incomplete tattoo is a major source of
embarrassment and is nearly always concealed.
Pe'a: ANSWER The customary tattoo for men is the pe'a.
3. ANSWER The Pe'a have intricate and abstract patterns and motifs. They are
made up of numerous interlaced, interlocked patterns and shapes.
