The Tale of Vaea and Apaula
Photo and retelling by Jordan Kwan
Once upon a time, long ago, a couple in the Vaimauga district bore two sons. They named one Va'atausili, and the other Vaea.
Both sons were unusual.
Va'atausili grew up to be half the size of a normal man, whereas Vaea grew to be a giant of epic proportions. So big was Vaea that he could be seen for miles around, for his head easily cleared the highest of tree tops.
Tales of Vaea's strength and stature soon reached other neighboring islands. Tui Fiti, the King of a neighboring island, became jealous of the tales. He believed none was as strong nor as big as he. He decided to travel to Samoa to see this famed Vaea and to challenge him to a duel.
Tui Fiti gathered three of his brothers and traversed the open ocean to reach the shores of Upolu. As they neared their destination, the brothers grew boastful, loudly proclaiming the downfall of Vaea by their hands. Darkness had fallen by the time they had arrived, and with it came torrential rain. Tui Fiti and the brothers decided to rest until the morning.
Unbeknowst to them, fishing nearby were Vaea and Fa'atausili's parents who overheard them plotting to murder Vaea.
The couple rushed home to tell Vaea of his impending death, but Vaea only laughed and laughed. He had not faced a foe he was not able to humble.
Vaea strolled down to the beach, his heavy footsteps masked by the sounds of torrential rain and clapping thunder. He found Tui Fiti and his brothers fast asleep in their canoe. As easily as a normal man would pick up a pebble on the beach, Vaea picked up the canoe and perched it atop nearby trees.
Dawn came and the brothers awoke to find water in their canoe from the night before. Using coconut shells, they emptied their canoe, only to hear no splash against the ocean surface. The brothers looked over and were shocked to see the dizzying heights to which they had been suspended.
Vaea, who stood nearby, let out a loud booming laugh that shook the earth. The brothers looked up to see a towering figure looming over them, with arms as wide as a trunk of a Banyan Tree. The tales of Vaea were indeed no exaggeration.
The brothers begged for their lives from Vaea, but Vaea would not heed their pleas. He raised his fist, intending to bring it smashing down upon the brothers and canoe -- but just before he did, a beautiful woman emerged from the depths of the canoe. Unbeknowst to Tui Fiti and the brothers, they had a stowaway -- their sister, Apaula.
So beautiful was Apaula that Vaea was stopped dead in his tracks. With head bowed, Apaula pleaded with Vaea to spare the lives of her foolish brothers and to let them go.
When Vaea finally found his voice, he acquiesed -- but only on the condition that Apaula remain behind to become his wife.
Apaula reluctantly agreed.
Tui Fiti and the brothers were released, and they quickly made their way back home bemoaning the loss of their sister, and the humiliation they suffered at the hands of the giant Vaea.
Apaula was true to her word, for not long after her brothers left she married Vaea.
Vaea was smitten with Apaula. He made sure she would want for nothing, and soon Apaula began to return his feelings.
The couple lived happily for many years, until Apaula fell pregnant with their first child. As is tradition, Apaula's brothers upon hearing of her pregnancy, returned to bring their sister home to give birth.
Vaea bid his wife a sad farewell, and stood by the sea as his wife and her brothers slowly disappeared towards the horizon. But the brothers had not forgotten their humilation.
Just as the sun was about to dip over the horizon, the brothers tore the baby from Apaula's swollen womb, and cut it in half before tossing it into the ocean. The ocean ran red.
Vaea watched all this unfold, and could do nothing but watch helplessly. He let out a wounded cry that was heard in all corners of the island, and he slowly began to petrify.
By the time Apaula managed to return to her husband, most of his body had turned to earth and stone with the exception of his head. Vaea was pleased to see his wife, but it was too late -- his transformation was too foregone. He begged his wife to seek out his brother Va'atausili in Falealupo, on the neighboring island of Savai'i, to avenge their child's untimely death.
Apaula traveled to Falealupo on the far end of Savai'i to alert Va'atausili of her brothers' betrayal. Her tale of woe angered Va'atausili, for he had lost not only his brother, but a nephew he had not yet met. He set off to seek revenge.
Apaula returned to her husband in Upolu, but there was nothing of him left except the earth and stone he had transformed into. She fell to her knees and cried, until a stream formed at her feet. Soon, even Apaula herself turned into earth atop her husband, leaving only her tears behind.
Today, the famed author Robert Louis Stevenson is buried atop the same mountain that Vaea had turned into, aptly named Mt. Vaea. If you visit the famed author's grave, you can still see the stream that sprung from Apaula's tears running along Mt. Vaea, forever reminding visitors of the couple's doomed love.
Photographer: Jordan Kwan
Models: John Lemoa, Janine Tuivaiti
Both sons were unusual.
Va'atausili grew up to be half the size of a normal man, whereas Vaea grew to be a giant of epic proportions. So big was Vaea that he could be seen for miles around, for his head easily cleared the highest of tree tops.
Tales of Vaea's strength and stature soon reached other neighboring islands. Tui Fiti, the King of a neighboring island, became jealous of the tales. He believed none was as strong nor as big as he. He decided to travel to Samoa to see this famed Vaea and to challenge him to a duel.
Tui Fiti gathered three of his brothers and traversed the open ocean to reach the shores of Upolu. As they neared their destination, the brothers grew boastful, loudly proclaiming the downfall of Vaea by their hands. Darkness had fallen by the time they had arrived, and with it came torrential rain. Tui Fiti and the brothers decided to rest until the morning.
Unbeknowst to them, fishing nearby were Vaea and Fa'atausili's parents who overheard them plotting to murder Vaea.
The couple rushed home to tell Vaea of his impending death, but Vaea only laughed and laughed. He had not faced a foe he was not able to humble.
Vaea strolled down to the beach, his heavy footsteps masked by the sounds of torrential rain and clapping thunder. He found Tui Fiti and his brothers fast asleep in their canoe. As easily as a normal man would pick up a pebble on the beach, Vaea picked up the canoe and perched it atop nearby trees.
Dawn came and the brothers awoke to find water in their canoe from the night before. Using coconut shells, they emptied their canoe, only to hear no splash against the ocean surface. The brothers looked over and were shocked to see the dizzying heights to which they had been suspended.
Vaea, who stood nearby, let out a loud booming laugh that shook the earth. The brothers looked up to see a towering figure looming over them, with arms as wide as a trunk of a Banyan Tree. The tales of Vaea were indeed no exaggeration.
The brothers begged for their lives from Vaea, but Vaea would not heed their pleas. He raised his fist, intending to bring it smashing down upon the brothers and canoe -- but just before he did, a beautiful woman emerged from the depths of the canoe. Unbeknowst to Tui Fiti and the brothers, they had a stowaway -- their sister, Apaula.
So beautiful was Apaula that Vaea was stopped dead in his tracks. With head bowed, Apaula pleaded with Vaea to spare the lives of her foolish brothers and to let them go.
When Vaea finally found his voice, he acquiesed -- but only on the condition that Apaula remain behind to become his wife.
Apaula reluctantly agreed.
Tui Fiti and the brothers were released, and they quickly made their way back home bemoaning the loss of their sister, and the humiliation they suffered at the hands of the giant Vaea.
Apaula was true to her word, for not long after her brothers left she married Vaea.
Vaea was smitten with Apaula. He made sure she would want for nothing, and soon Apaula began to return his feelings.
The couple lived happily for many years, until Apaula fell pregnant with their first child. As is tradition, Apaula's brothers upon hearing of her pregnancy, returned to bring their sister home to give birth.
Vaea bid his wife a sad farewell, and stood by the sea as his wife and her brothers slowly disappeared towards the horizon. But the brothers had not forgotten their humilation.
Just as the sun was about to dip over the horizon, the brothers tore the baby from Apaula's swollen womb, and cut it in half before tossing it into the ocean. The ocean ran red.
Vaea watched all this unfold, and could do nothing but watch helplessly. He let out a wounded cry that was heard in all corners of the island, and he slowly began to petrify.
By the time Apaula managed to return to her husband, most of his body had turned to earth and stone with the exception of his head. Vaea was pleased to see his wife, but it was too late -- his transformation was too foregone. He begged his wife to seek out his brother Va'atausili in Falealupo, on the neighboring island of Savai'i, to avenge their child's untimely death.
Apaula traveled to Falealupo on the far end of Savai'i to alert Va'atausili of her brothers' betrayal. Her tale of woe angered Va'atausili, for he had lost not only his brother, but a nephew he had not yet met. He set off to seek revenge.
Apaula returned to her husband in Upolu, but there was nothing of him left except the earth and stone he had transformed into. She fell to her knees and cried, until a stream formed at her feet. Soon, even Apaula herself turned into earth atop her husband, leaving only her tears behind.
Today, the famed author Robert Louis Stevenson is buried atop the same mountain that Vaea had turned into, aptly named Mt. Vaea. If you visit the famed author's grave, you can still see the stream that sprung from Apaula's tears running along Mt. Vaea, forever reminding visitors of the couple's doomed love.
Photographer: Jordan Kwan
Models: John Lemoa, Janine Tuivaiti