at
they might not even be looked at by day. Their food might not be handed
to them, but was thrown to them, and it was so sacred that no one might
eat any of it which they had left over.[48]

[46] H. Hale, _op. cit._ p. 28; Violette, _op. cit._ p.
168; G. Turner, _Samoa_, pp. 173 _sqq._; J. B. Stair, _Old
Samoa_, pp. 65 _sqq._; G. Brown, _Melanesians and Polynesians_,
pp. 283, 430.

[47] G. Brown, _Melanesians and Polynesians_, p. 431.

[48] G. Brown, _Melanesians and Polynesians_, pp. 280,
283, 285; Violette, _op. cit._ p. 168 (as to chiefs too holy to
be seen by day).

"The sacredness attributed to many chiefs of high rank gave rise to
observances which were irksome to their families and dependents, since
whatever they came in contact with required to undergo the ceremony of
_lulu'u_, or sprinkling with a particular kind of cocoanut-water
(_niu-ui_); both to remove the sanctity supposed to be communicated to
the article or place that had touched the chief, and also to counteract
the danger of speedy death, which was believed to be imminent to any
person who might touch the sacred chief, or anything that he had
touched; so great was the mantle of sanctity thrown around these chiefs,
although unconnected with the priesthood. Thus the spot where such a
chief had sat or slept was sprinkled with water immediately he had left
it, as were also the persons who had sat on either side of him when he
received company, as well as all the attendants who had waited upon him.

"This remarkable custom was also observed on other occasions. It was
always used on the occasion of deposing a chief, and depriving him of
his _Ao_, or titles, in which case the ceremony was performed by some of
those who had either conferred the titles or had the power to do so. In
the case of O le Tamafainga, the usurper who was killed in A'ana in
1829, his body was first sprinkled with cocoanut-water, and his title of
_O le Tuia'ana_ recalled from him, before he was hewn in pieces. The
ceremony consisted of sprinkling the body with cocoanut-water, and the
officiating chief or _Tulafale_ saying, 'Give us back our _Ao_,' by
which means the title was recalled, and the sacredness attaching to it
was dispelled. It was also used over persons newly tattooed, and upon
those who contaminated themselves by contact with a dead body. In each
of these cases the ceremony was carefully observed, and reverently
attended to, as very dir