A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Fonge and Toafa are the names of two smooth oblong stones standing on a raised platform of loose stones inland from an unnamed village. Turner calls them the parents of Saato, a deity controlling rain. Their association with pigeon-catching expeditions centres on requests for fine weather, and their association with scarcity includes gratitude for bush yams and guidance toward places where the edible roots can be found.

Turner also records small food gifts left by travellers. When dogs or rats eat these at night, the event is interpreted as a deity temporarily taking the animal’s form. This does not describe the stones physically walking away or establish a fixed dog-or-rat species: it records how the disappearance of food could be explained within the local account. The paired stones, rain-controller parentage and temporary animal interpretation remain together rather than being divided into invented independent creatures.

Paired oblong stone representativesSaato parentageFine-weather associationYam-finding associationTemporary dog or rat interpretation
01

Origins & earliest records

George Turner, Samoa, A Hundred Years Ago and Long Before, chapter IV, entry 4; first printed London 1884, selected transcription from University of the South Pacific 1984 reprint.

02

Records & interpretation

Historical missionary collector’s account of locally distinct representations, narrative and omen interpretations; not a direct contemporary community statement.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Samoa: chapter IV, entry 4

    George Turner, missionary collector · 1884; selected reprint 1984

    Selected numbered account retained without merging animal representatives into a zoological species or adopting missionary judgements.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary historical collected accountTurner: Samoa, chapter IVResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

FT·538 · RESEARCH EDITION 01Back to top ↑