Pa'itele

monster · Samoa · Pacific

Pa'itele is a monstrous sea creature of Samoan legend that terrorized the Apolima Strait, overturning and attacking the canoes that crossed the channel between Upolu and Savai'i. According to oral tradition, the hero Alo eventually defeated the beast, ending its assaults on voyagers. The tale stands as a Samoan hero narrative about courage and the mastery of dangerous waters.

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