Tui Fiti or Tuifiti is the name of a figure referred to in different legends in

Samoan mythology Samoan culture tells stories of many different deities. There were deities of the forest, the seas, rain, harvest, villages, and war. There were two types of deities, ''atua'', who had non-human origins, and ''aitu'', who were of human origin. Taga ...

and in other parts of

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

. In other stories, "Tui Fiti" means "high chief of Fiti."

Savai'i

On the island of Savai'i in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

, a spirit deity called Tui Fiti resides in

Fagamalo Fagamalo is a village situated on the central north coast of Savai'i in Samoa. It is a sub-village or ''pito nu'u'' of the larger traditional village enclave of Matautu in the political district of Gaga'emauga. The population of the village is 3 ...

, a village said to have once been settled by

Fijians Fijians ( fj, iTaukei, lit=Owners (of the land)) are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji, who speak Fijian and share a common history and culture. Fijians, or ''iTaukei'', are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in ...

. The special abode of Tui Fiti was a mound within a grove of large and durable trees called '' ifilele'' (''Afzilia bijuga''). Tui Fiti's abode is called the ''vao sa'', a sacred part of the forest which is tapu in Fagamalo. Tui Fiti is referred to as the ''ali'i'' (high chief) of Fagamalo. There are no other ''ali'i'' chiefly titles in the village where all the ''matai'' chief titles are of orator ''tulafale'' status. Fagamalo is one of the ''pito nu'u'' sub-villages of the greater

Matautu Matautu is the name of different villages in Samoa. Places named Matautu are found on the two largest islands, Upolu and Savaiʻi. Matautu, Upolu Island On Upolu island; *Matautu, a village located on the central north coast of the island to th ...

village on Savai'i island's central north coast. The missionary George Turner wrote in ''Samoa, a Hundred Years Ago and Long Before'' (1884) that Tuifiti was the name of a village god in Savai'i who appeared as a man who walked about but was never visible to the people of the place. However, he could be seen by strangers. In 1978, the Governor-General of Fiji, Ratu Sir

George Cakobau Ratu Sir George Kadavulevu Cakobau (6 November 1912 – 25 November 1989) was Governor-General of Fiji from 1973 to 1983. A great-grandson of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Bau who had unified all the tribes of Fiji under his reign ...

, arrived in Fagamalo during a state visit to Samoa. The High Chief of Fiji had requested a visit to Tui Fiti's burial ground. Cakobau was bestowed the chiefly title of Peseta{{cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UiZzAAAAMAAJ , title=Samoans in Fiji: Migration, Identity and Communication , first=Morgan A. , last=Tuimaleali'ifano , page=45 , year=1990 , publisher=University of the South Pacific , isbn=9789820200197 , access-date=November 20, 2018 by the ''matai'' of

in recognition of Samoa's ancient connection with Fiji. The ''matai'' chief title of Peseta is referred to as a ''manaia'' title, one of the highest chief titles in Matautu. The title Peseta is included in the ''fa'alupega'' genealogy in Samoan oratory for the people of Matautu.

References

Samoan deities Fijian deities Polynesian deities