Bells of Samoa

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Traditional logo (bells) in Samoa were hollowed out tree trunks hit with a length of wood.

This beautiful Catholic church at Leulumoega in Upolu still uses large logo called lali.

In many places these have been replaced by old gas cylinders hung up and hit with a piece of metal.

This bell house at Fasito’otai has all three kinds of bell,

two wooden logo, a gas cylinder and an uninscribed,

untuned conventional bell, about 30” in diameter.

This bell house has replaced a square tower on the

church which had loudspeakers at the top and played

recorded music before services.

I visited Samoa for a few days at Easter in 2003 and tried to visit all the bells between

Apia and Faleolo airport. I know that some have been missed as I was unable to see the

French bell in the Catholic church in Apia that I had taken details of the inscription from in

1973 and sent to the Ringing World.

Here are photos and descriptions of the other nine bells I managed to find on my brief trip.

I hope to make a more comprehensive study on future visits. I certainly want to find out

if there are any bronze bells in Savai’i.

This bell is bronze and hung at the school

at Leulumoega. It is about 24” in diameter

and has cannons. It has been tuned

and is rung with a clock hammer.

The inscription on the waist is: -

CHRISTUS VIVIT

I could find no explanation

for its being painted bright

sky blue!!

This bell at Vailu’utai is

also about 24” and has the

inscription:-

A & T BURT

FOUNDERS

N.Z.

This church at Afega has a bell of about 30”

diameter in the tower but I was unable to

examine it.

In the same village, Afega, the SDA church has

20” bell in a separate bell house, but I could not

decipher the inscription on the bell.

This church at Saina has a tower with a 24” bell

with a clapper, but I was unable to obtain

access.

The church at Vaimoso has a 20” bell with a

wheel and seems to be tucked up into the

headstock for slow swing chiming, but when I

visited there was no evidence of a rope.

There is an inscription on the bell but I could

not access it.

The church at Vaiusu has a 20” bell

with a clapper, hung for swing

chiming.

This small detached tower at Malua Theological College

has a steel wheel an several lines of inscription which can

only be read a quarter at a time as there is only room

inside for the bell and you have to read through the four

apertures in the sides of the tower.

The inscription appears to be:-

OF JAMES WHITE

C WILSON FOUNDER

GLASCOW

AD 1872

THE CHURCH AT SAMOA

The final bell I managed to find during my all too brief stay

was this 20” diameter swing chiming, Australian bell at Malie,

which has a wheel and the inscription:-

DANKS & SON

MANLEY

SYDNEY

Mike Fradd (Taio’o)

Dec 2003