Each stone represents one of the wives of the high chief Vaovasa.
According to the story behind the stones, Vaovasa, who reportedly had 99 wives, was killed by villagers as he tried to escape from Upolu with his 100th, abducted, wife.
His body was brought back to Manono in his raiding fautasi (longboat) for burial in a grave built with 100 stones. That grave remains unfinished, and today you can see a large gap where the final stone was to be placed.
