Sina and the Eel

The past 2 weeks our POD group has been learning about the Samoan myth called Sina and the Eel.

In this legend, we hear first hand the origin of the coconut tree.  And so the legend goes...

On the island of Savai'i in Samoa, one version of the legend tells of a beautiful girl called Sina who had a small pet eel. When the eel grew, it fell in love with Sina. This made the girl afraid. She tried to run away, but the fish followed her. Sina finally sought refuge in a village, and thinking that she had escaped, went to the village pool to get water.

However, when Sina looked into the pool, she saw the eel staring up at her.

Angry, she cried 'You stare at me, with eyes like a demon!' (Samoan: E pupula mai, ou mata o le alelo!). Village chiefs came and killed the eel. As the eel was dying, it asked Sina to plant its head in the ground. Sina followed the eel's request, and planted its head in the ground. A coconut tree grew from the ground. When the husk is removed from a coconut, there are three round marks which appear like the face of the fish with two eyes and a mouth. One of the marks is pierced for drinking the coconut, and hence when Sina takes a drink, she is kissing the eel.

In Samoa, the fresh spring pool Mata o le Alelo in the small village of Matavai, Safune is associated with the legend of Sina and the Eel. The pool is named after Sina's words to the eel in the legend. The pool is open to visitors.

-Sourced from wikipedia.org

Behind the Coconut Tree and the Eel, the children created Samoan Siapo - tapa cloth designs and patterns using dye and crayons.