Mauna Afi is a volcanic mountain on the island of Savai'i

Savai'i

Savaii is the largest and highest island in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is also the biggest landmass in Polynesia outside Hawaii and New Zealand. The island of Savai'i is also referred to by Samoans as Salafai, a classical Samoan term used in oratory and prose...

 in Samoa

Samoa

Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...

. Its name means Burning Mountain or Mountain of Fire, from the Samoan language mauga (mountain) and afi (fire).

The most recent eruption of Mauga Afi was around 1725.{cn}}

The island of Savai'i consists of a massive shield volcano

Shield volcano

A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...

 and is still volcanically active. Other volcanoes on Savai'i include Mt Silisili

Silisili

Mount Silisili is the highest peak in Samoa and the Samoa Islands chain. It is located in the centre of a mountain chain running the length of Savai'i island.Mount Silisili rises to a height of 1,858 m...

, the highest mountain in Samoa and Mt Matavanu

Mt Matavanu

Mt Matavanu is an active volcano on the island of Savai'i in Samoa.The most recent eruptions from Matavanu occurred between 1905 - 1911 with lava flows on its northern side flowing towards the island's coastline and into the sea in the district of Gaga'emauga....

. The eruption of Mt Matavanu (1905–1911) destroyed villages on the central north coast of Savai'i which can be seen by the lava fields in Saleaula

Saleaula

Sale'aula is a village on the central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa and is the traditional center of the Gaga'emauga political district...

 village.

In Samoan mythology

Samoan mythology

Samoan mythology tell stories of many different gods. There were gods of the forest, the seas, rain, harvest, villages and war. There were two types of gods, atua who had non-human origins and aitu who were of human origin. Tagaloa was a supreme god who made the islands and the people. Mafui'e was...

 the god of earthquakes is Mafui'e

Mafui'e

In Polynesian mythology , Mafui'e is the god of earthquakes.Mafui'e was the keeper of fire. Ti'i Ti'i won the fire from Mafui'e in a battle and thus fire was brought to the people of Samoa....

. Another mythical figure Ti'iti'i

Ti'iti'i (Samoan mythology)

In Samoan legend, Ti'iti'i is the son of Talaga. He goes down to the earthquake-god, Mafui’e, who dwells in the underworld, and, receiving some fire from him, takes it back to the world, and begins to cook. Mafui’e then comes and blows on the fire, scattering it, and breaking up the oven. Ti'iti'i...

tricked the earthquake god so that Samoans could have fire to cook their food. Samoans well understood the connection between volcanic eruptions/earthquakes and tsunamis, as shown by the ancient term for tsunami - galuafi, or "wave of fire/volcano".

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