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Samoan Material Culture

Guest Houses

Guest Houses

The guest houses occupied the front lines in all villages. They consisted of two types; the long house (fale afolau), and the round house (fale tele). They were built of the best material. Tradition has it that when the original guild was ordered by Tangaloa-langi to choose timber from the forest for the building of the first house, Malama selected the breadfruit ('ulu). This received heavenly approbation and breadfruit has been the correct timber since that incident. Thus, except for the long principal rafters and sometimes the supporting posts, breadfruit is the only timber for a proper guest house. The house is then called a fale 'ulu in distinction to the fale vao, built of any timber. The fale 'ulu type became associated with chieftainship, and one of the most disparaging taunts is to tell a man that his father never lived in a fale 'ulu.

The guest house in addition to material, size, and shape, was decorated, with ornamental lashings in sennit braid. They were built by skilled carpenters belonging to an ancient guild, and involved much expense in food and ceremonial gifts which took the place of a set estimate of cost. The chief had to summon his people to his assistance. For months beforehand the interminable plaiting of sennit braid went on and was stored in large coils. Fine mats had to be accumulated in sufficient number and extra work in the cultivation was necessary to provide food for the extra demand. The chief had to provide all material (timber, sennit braid, and fau bark for temporary lashings) and transport it to the site. He had also to feed the guild during page 20the whole time they were at work and pay them with food and fine mats on the completion of the house. The type of house therefore depended on the wealth of the family, and the finish of the various parts on the way in which the carpenters were fed. A guest house was no light financial undertaking, but pride and prestige had to be adequately housed.