NAFANUA WAS CREATED by a blood clot from her parents. Her father was Saveasiʻuleo, who some refer to as Elo. Elo was the god of the Samoan underworld, Pulotu. Her mother was Tilafaiga, one of the conjoined twins who brought the art of tatau, or tattooing, to Samoa.
Nafanua’s items were made from toa, or koa wood. The letters T and K are replaced in some Polynesian cultures. This was how Captain Cook conversed with Hawaiians, thanks to his previous South Pacific expeditions.
The entrance to the underworld, Pulotu, was in Falealupo, the west end of Savaiʻi Island. Falealupo was where Nafanua’s relatives lived and where she governed. Many traveled to Falealupo seeking Nafanua’s advice in war and governance. It’s unclear how or when she died, but toward the end of her reign, a king asked her
