01
‘Au-falea — the ladder of triangles
Stacked triangle teeth running edge to edge, the structural spine of every band. Counted in odd numbers so the centre tooth aligns with the body’s midline.
Position — outer thigh, top stripe
02
Alaalafaga — the eel-track zigzag
Continuous spine of zigzag, read as the eel’s travel through reef-channels. Wraps the limb in a single unbroken line, never interrupted by negative space.
Position — inner thigh, encircling band
03
Ila — the star-rosette
Eight-point compass set as a punctuation mark between bands. Marks a name, a navigator-ancestor, a covenant. Earned, not placed for symmetry alone.
Position — bilateral, at the hip-anchor points
04
Lava’ulu — the fishhook
Hooked stroke closing the lower band before the knee. Records the household’s right to fish a named reef — provision, not ornament. Always paired, never single.
Position — lower thigh, closing motif