Easter Island
Easter Island, the name conjures up mystery, especially the mysterious stone head statues for which the island is famous.
But who are the natives of Easter Island, and what's their story?
In the beginning
To begin with, Easter Island, or by its original name, Rapa Nui, is a very lonely island in the southeastern portion of the Pacific Ocean.
It is commonly believed that the original inhabitants arrived there in the general time range around 1000 A.D. The oral story has it that such an island was first dreamed by a man named Haumaka on an island known as Marae Renga (perhaps in the French Polynesia area), and later scouted out. Later a chief named Hotu Matu'a led a two canoe expedition to colonize it.
Both the island and people became known as Rapa Nui.
Over time, the population of Rapa Nui divided into a confederation of two groups. This should not be taken to imply that the island had a huge population. The island is not that big, and it isn't the lush paradise of other Polynesia islands.
Sketches of Rapa Nui man and woman, 1777. Notice that the earlobes were stretched out.
Going public
The first European contact with Rapa Nui occurred when a Dutch ship arrived on April 5, 1722. Being Easter Sunday, the Dutch christened the island "Easter Island." Not surprisingly, they were fascinated by the set of hundreds of large stone heads.
In 1770 the next contact was by a couple of Spanish ships. Then, four years later in 1774, the famous British captain James Cook. But now there is an added mystery – in 1770 all the heads were standing, but in 1774 some of them had been toppled.
Great stone-faces
The native culture of the Rapa Nui traditionally was focused on ancestor worship. It was believed that deceased ancestors could be involved in the lives of the living and can be of help. The nature of this worship came in two phases.
Moai
The Moai (mo‘ai) are the giant stone heads the island is most known for.
The Moai represent important ancestors. It was believed that in building these statues the deceased ancestors could dwell in them and be among them.
Birdman
About the 1500s (it is believed) the ancestor worship switched to that of the "birdman" for unknown reasons. The same basic idea, but a different channel for the deceased to interact with the living. This was the religious practice at the time the Dutch first arrived, the Moai being abandoned centuries before then.
One of the chief rituals was competitive in nature. To begin with, there was a race to get the egg of a Manatura (Sooty Tern).
These eggs were located on a small island off the mainland. After the egg was obtained, the winner of this competition would swim back to the mainland, egg in a small basket secured to the head, and become the next birdman for the next year.
Easter Island is a land of mystery, something that one might find in an old novel. And, even laying aside theories about aliens building the great stone heads, it is worth getting to know.
Group of Rapa Nui outside a church, 1919
On the web
The Art of The Tautai: Polynesian Wayfinder
This video highlights the navigational abilities of the Polynesian seafarers.
How the Moai of Easter Island Were Made and Moved
This website goes into detail about how the Moai were made, moved onto the site and so on.
Why did people stop building statues on Easter Island?
This segment, produced for 60 minutes, discusses why the Easter Islanders discontinued building the stone heads.
The Sooty Tern and its Role in Easter Island’s Birdman Ceremony
A website describing the birdman ceremony and how the Sooty Tern played a role.
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