 The malu takes its name from a particular motif of the same name, usually tattooed in the popliteal fossa (sometimes referred to as the kneepit, or poplit) behind the knee.It is one of the key motifs not seen on men.According to Samoan scholar Albert Wendt and tattooist Su'a Suluape Paulo II, in tattooing the term ‘malu’ refers to notions of sheltering and protection.