Tui Manu'a
Encyclopedia
An ancient prodominant title of the Manu'a islands of the Samoa Islands (Ta'u, Olosega, and Ofu Islands), which are now part of the United States Territory of American Samoa
. At its peak over a millennium ago, the powerful and influential Tui Manu'a was the ruler of a Polynesian empire which included a significant part of western Polynesia including Fiji
, Niue
, Tokelau
, Tuvalu
, Tonga
and Wallis and Futuna
. The last titleholder was Tui Manu'a Elisala, who died in 1909. After a fifteen-year break in 1924 another title holder was declared and ordained but he was transported to the capital in 1924 by the American civil authorities and Governor of American Samoa Edward Stanley Kellogg
and held under house arrest for the remainder of his reign. The genealogy of the title went back more than 1,000 years, and was only terminated with the colonization of Manu'a by the United States. The Tui Manu'a lineage is connected to various chiefly titles of the Pacific Islands, including the Tui Tonga and the Rarotonga chiefly lines. The Tui Manu'a was also a spiritual leader with many sa
or tapu/taboo connected with the body and actions of the titleholder. The Tui Manu'a as a divine, godly and supernatural figure, is part of the legends of many fa'agogo
or village stories throughout Samoa and among other island groups.
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
. At its peak over a millennium ago, the powerful and influential Tui Manu'a was the ruler of a Polynesian empire which included a significant part of western Polynesia including Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Niue
Niue
Niue , is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the "Rock of Polynesia", and inhabitants of the island call it "the Rock" for short. Niue is northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga to the southwest, the Samoas to the northwest, and the Cook Islands to...
, Tokelau
Tokelau
Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400...
, Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu , formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbours are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. It comprises four reef islands and five true atolls...
, Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
and Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna
Wallis and Futuna, officially the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands , is a Polynesian French island territory in the South Pacific between Tuvalu to the northwest, Rotuma of Fiji to the west, the main part of Fiji to the southwest, Tonga to the southeast,...
. The last titleholder was Tui Manu'a Elisala, who died in 1909. After a fifteen-year break in 1924 another title holder was declared and ordained but he was transported to the capital in 1924 by the American civil authorities and Governor of American Samoa Edward Stanley Kellogg
Edward Stanley Kellogg
Edward Stanley Kellogg was a United States Navy Captain who served as the 16th Governor of American Samoa. Kellogg graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1892, and joined the Naval Engineer Corps. He served as an assistant engineer on numerous ships, and participated in the...
and held under house arrest for the remainder of his reign. The genealogy of the title went back more than 1,000 years, and was only terminated with the colonization of Manu'a by the United States. The Tui Manu'a lineage is connected to various chiefly titles of the Pacific Islands, including the Tui Tonga and the Rarotonga chiefly lines. The Tui Manu'a was also a spiritual leader with many sa
Sa
Sa or sa may refer to:*sa , Egyptian hieroglyph meaning 'protection'*Sa , romanisation of the Japanese kana さ and サ*Sá, a Portuguese surname*Sa or Saa language, spoken in Vanuatu*.sa, Saudi Arabia's top-level domain...
or tapu/taboo connected with the body and actions of the titleholder. The Tui Manu'a as a divine, godly and supernatural figure, is part of the legends of many fa'agogo
Fa'agogo
Fāgogo is a word in the Samoan language to describe a type of storytelling of the Samoa Islands. It is called "a performing art, almost a type of theatre, where people, events and stories are brought to life through the skills, voice and action of a narrator"...
or village stories throughout Samoa and among other island groups.
See also
- Fa'amataiFa'amataiFa'amatai is the chiefly system of Samoa, central to the organization of Samoan society.It is the traditional indigenous form of governance in the Samoa Islands, comprising American Samoa and the Independent State of Samoa...
, chieflty system of Samoa. - Tui Atua
- Tui A'ana
- MalietoaMalietoaMalietoa is a state dynasty and chiefly title in Samoa. Literally translated as "great warrior," the title's origin comes from the final words of the Tongan warriors as they were fleeing on the beach to their boats, "Malie To`a, Malie tau"....
- Mata'afaMata'afaMata'afa is a high chief title in Samoa under the country's Matai system of socio-political governance where individuals are bestowed with family names...
- Tu'imaleali'ifano
- Tupua TamaseseTupua TamaseseTupua Tamasese is the title of one of Samoa's four important paramount chiefs. Samoa's other three important paramount chiefs are the Malietoa, Mata'afa and Tu'imaleali'ifano....