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Samoan Material Culture

Dwelling Houses

Dwelling Houses

The ordinary dwelling houses are usually termed fate o'o and are situated at the back of the guest houses which they serve. They are also termed fale vao from the material used. Here vao (forest) signifies any of the timbers of the forest except breadfruit which is cultivated. Dwelling houses vary in construction according to the means of the family. The better-built ones derive their technique from the guest houses built by skilled labor. The humble and presumably more ancient type are those situated near cultivations page 17or being owned by less affluent families, have been erected by less skilled labor. Unskilled labor makes more use of the earlier technical methods employed in the cooking house, which a guild carpenter would consider beneath the dignity of his craft. Both the median supporting post and the tie beam methods of supporting the ridgepole are in use, but the tie beam is the more common. A house seen near a cultivation in Tutuila complied most with study requirements. (See figure 7.)

Figure 7.—Ordinary dwelling house (fale o'o) 23 feet long, middle section 12 feet long by 12 feet 6 inches wide with 5 wall posts on either side, 1 opposite each supporting post and others in the middle of the spaces:

Figure 7.—Ordinary dwelling house (fale o'o) 23 feet long, middle section 12 feet long by 12 feet 6 inches wide with 5 wall posts on either side, 1 opposite each supporting post and others in the middle of the spaces:

a, side view; b, front: 1, 3 pairs of supporting posts; 2, tie beams; 3, king posts; 4, ridgepole, 12 foot; 5, wall posts; 6, wall plate fitted to notches cut square on the outer side of the upper ends of the wall posts; 7, three pairs of strong straight poles used as rafters (la'au fange'a) a pair at each end and one midway; 8, six horizontal straight purlins (la'au fa'alava) evenly spaced on either side outside the rafters; 9, graduated chocks of wood placed between rafters and the 4 intermediate purlins, so arranged that the deeper chocks are toward the middle; 10, thatch rafters; 11, tie beam purlins; 12, upper ridgepole; 13, eave battens.

Figure 8.—Rounded end section of dwelling house (fale o'o):

Figure 8.—Rounded end section of dwelling house (fale o'o):

a, end view from within; b, side view: 1, end wall post; 2, two intermediate reinforcing posts; 3, curb plate; 4, thatch rafters; 5, end rafters of middle section; 6, ridgepole; 7, curved purlin (fau tu); 8, top purlin; 9, bottom purlin; 10, middle section wall posts; 11, wall plate; 12, upper ridgepole.

The principal rafters were strong stout poles and the purlins were still attached to their outer side. The feature of the construction was the insertion of graduated chocks of wood between the rafters and the purlins.

The effect produced when the thatch rafters are applied, is an evenly curved roof slope. The tie beam purlins though they still assist in supporting the rafters are now page 18definitely separated from the thatch rafters by the addition of the lower purlins which removes the awkward curve shown in the tie beam type of cooking house. (See fig, 5b.) The rafters, ridgepole, and the eave battens were as in the cooking house. The end sections (fig. 8) show a marked change. The straight end rafters of the cooking house (fig. 6) disappear altogether and their function is discharged by an increased number of curved purlins. The end wall post is reinforced by two intermediate wall posts on either side to support the curb plate. A number of thatch rafters are stretched in the middle line by being attached to the end side rafters of the middle section, near the ridgepole. The lower ends hang over the middle part of the curb plate. Three curved purlins of the split fau sasae kind are now placed in position.

The middle one (fau tu) bisects the end section of the framework and its lower ends rest on the curb plate at its junction with the wall posts of the side section as in the case of the single curved purlin of the cooking house. The top purlin is midway between the middle purlin and the ridgepole in the middle line. It runs parallel with the middle purlin and its ends rest against the side rafters about midway up. The bottom purlin is midway between the middle purlin and the curb plate in the middle line. It also runs parallel with it and its ends rest on the curb plate. While the purlins keep the thatch rafters in a lateral or transverse curve, they also form a longitudinal curve from the side rafters to the curb plate. This curve is formed by tying the middle purlin in the middle line to the thatch rafters mentioned and then propping it up from below with temporary struts. The same is done with the other two purlins until the longitudinal curve is obtained. (See fig. 8b.) The thatch rafters are tied to the rafters above, to the purlins, and finally to the curb plate, the additions working out from the middle line to either side. The purlins are curved in as the work proceeds and the extra lengths at the ends cut off to fit against the parts mentioned. The thatch rafters are set as closely together as three inches. The eave batten takes its usual place.

Attention must again be drawn to the use of chocks (fig. 7b, 9) between the principal rafters and the straight purlins of the sides to produce a curved roof. Compare this with the straight slope in the cooking house. The abandoning of the principal rafters in the end sections is an important step. The transference of their function to the curved purlins has been due to the desire to continue the curved slope of the roof of the middle section to that of the ends. The downward slope of the end roof in the cooking house is straight, and the single purlin used is merely to prevent the sagging of the slender thatch rafters between the stiff principal rafters. It is quite probable that chocks may have been used to raise the curved purlin above the straight end rafters. A curve, however, requires to be graduated, and an extra purlin above and below the middle fau tu eased the problem. More careful work in the dwelling house brought the thatch rafters closely together. When they were lashed to three purlins instead of one, their strength became evident. They were quite strong enough to carry the weight of thatch and brace the end section together. The principal end rafters became unnecessary and were abandoned in the dwelling house. The curved purlins were readily adapted to the required roof curve by being tied to the mesial thatch rafters and then propped up in the middle line to comply with it. The ends were purposely left long and as the addition of the thatch rafters brought them round laterally their subsequent length was settled automatically. No builder calculated out the exact length of split curved purlins beforehand but he let the work page 19do it for him. The curved purlins thus became important arches from a very humble beginning.

The wooden chocks, if they were used, disappeared with the straight principal rafters that gave them support. In the middle section both rafters and chocks remained as a better solution for the curve of the side roof was beyond the means of the builders of the humbler type of dwelling house. It had to await the more affluent circumstances of the guest house.

Sennit braid was used for lashing both framework and thatch. Thatch sheets were put on more closely together, and the ends were cut off evenly below the eave batten. Sugar cane leaves replaced coconut leaves in good houses.

The median supporting posts were seen in a fale o'o at Falesao, Tau. The dimensions were practically the same as in the house described. See p. 17.) There were two median supporting posts and three curved purlins at either end.

The floor was built up of stone after the completion of the building, and smaller stones spread over the surface. Wall screens of plaited coconut leaf are used in all dwelling houses.