The English word “tattoo” comes from the Samoan tatau. Samoan tattooing is one of the oldest continuous tattoo traditions on earth, practised for more than two thousand years and never interrupted. This is what the two great tatau mean, and why they are earned rather than chosen.
What is the pe'a?
The pe'a is the male tatau. It covers the body from the waist to the knees in dense black patterning, applied by hand with combs of bone or boar tusk struck with a mallet. It takes days spread over weeks, and it is agonising. The pain is the point: it is endured in front of family as proof of commitment to them.
A man who completes it is soga'imiti. A man who begins and stops carries pe'a mutu, an unfinished mark that brings shame on the family. There is no casual version.
What is the malu?
The malu is the female tatau, worn from just below the knee to the upper thigh. It is finer and more open than the pe'a, with distinct diamond and star motifs. The word means “to shelter” or “to be protected”, and it marks a woman's role in protecting the dignity of her aiga.
It is traditionally received by women of rank, a taupou, or a daughter with standing in her family, and worn quietly, revealed only in dance or ceremony.
Warrior geometry drawn from the pe'a: teeth, spear points, the marks of protection. On a case built to take a hit.
Shop it →What do the symbols mean?
- Aso: parallel lines marking rows and structure
- 'Aveau: starfish, meaning resilience and regeneration
- Pula tama: small filled shapes representing children and continuation
- Fa'avaetuli: the plover's footprint, for the navigator
- Atualoa: the centipede, for strength and defence
Motifs are not chosen from a catalogue. The tufuga tā tatau, the master tattooist, a hereditary title, composes them for the person and their lineage.
Can anyone get a Samoan tattoo?
The pe'a and malu are not available to outsiders, and no reputable tufuga would apply one to someone without Samoan lineage and family sanction. They are not designs; they are markers of standing within an aiga.
Wearing Samoan patterns on clothing is a different act entirely, and an open one, particularly when bought from Samoan-owned makers. The line is between honouring a design and claiming a status you have not earned.
Elei on a necktie. The open pattern. Cultural design made to be worn, with none of the obligation the tatau carries.
Shop it →Common questions
Does the word tattoo come from Samoan?
Yes. The English word derives from the Samoan and wider Polynesian tatau, brought back by European voyagers in the eighteenth century.
How long does a pe'a take?
Typically several days of tattooing spread across weeks, depending on healing. It is done by hand with traditional tools, not a machine.
What is the difference between pe'a and malu?
The pe'a is the male tatau, from waist to knees and densely filled. The malu is the female tatau, below the knee to upper thigh, finer and more open.
Can non-Samoans get a pe'a or malu?
No. Both require Samoan lineage and the sanction of the family. A tufuga tā tatau would not apply one otherwise.
What does malu mean?
To shelter or protect, referring to a woman's role in protecting the dignity and standing of her family.
