Rapanui

Crop

Easter Island is a treeless island with volcanic soil that hardly meets the local food needs. But the question arises: how could a rather developed civilization appear on this earth, whose population knew the letter, built stone statues.

However, the arid Easter island is pretty deceptive. So Jacob Roggeven wrote that the island has surprisingly fertile soil and even called it "earthly paradise." The gardener of Laperouse also admired the soil of the island and said that the three-day work could fully provide the population of the island with everything necessary. However, these are unfounded assumptions.

Travelers often mentioned the local gardens, which greatly astounded them. Then, as now, the slopes of the volcanoes were used to plant gardens and grow bananas . Low-growing shrubs grew on the inhabited lands, which were of little use for the ancient Rapanui. When the Polynesians first appeared on the island, no doubt, there were numerous groves of the toromiro plant ( Sophora toromiro ) on it. This plant played a large role in the development of local civilization, as it was used to transport moai , during the construction of sanctuaries. As a result of extensive use, toromiro became extinct on the island.

According to the legends of Rapa Nui, the plants of how ( Triumfeta semitriloba ), marikuru ( Sapindus saponaria ), makoy ( Thespesia populnea ) and sandalwood were brought in by the king of Hhotu-matu, who sailed to the island from the mysterious homeland of Marae-renga ( angara renga ). This is not unusual: usually the Polynesians, populating new lands, brought with them seeds of plants that had an important practical purpose, for example, a mulberry tree , from the bark of which their traditional tapa clothes were made. However, part of the above plants appeared on the island before the appearance of man. The seeds of these plants were carried by the wind, birds. There is no doubt that Hotu-motu'a brought with him the seeds of breadfruit and coconut palm trees, however, due to the rather cold climate by Polynesian standards, these plants, much to the chagrin of the settlers, died.

The ancient Rapanuiites knew about the coconut palm ( rap. Nui ), which was used by their ancestors. So in the songs dedicated to the sowing season , the words: Atua-metua ki ai kiroto kia Rirituna-rai, ka pu te niu , which can be translated as "Our forefathers produced a coconut tree from an evil eel . " For many modern people, this seems ridiculous, however, according to Polynesian myths, the coconut tree came from the head of an eel buried in the ground by a god. Modern island residents use the word "nui" for the seeds of the Makoi plant ( Thespesia populnea ), which, in fact, are very similar to small coconuts.

Of the shrubs growing on Rapa Nui, small statues, spears, and arms were made. Fortunately, over the course of the island, logs of trees were often brought in, which were highly valued and regarded as favored by their ancestors: the dying father often promised the children to send a tree from the kingdom of darkness.

If the coconut palm tree and breadfruit did not take over on the island, then the local climate was most suitable for taro , sweet potato , yams , bananas , sugarcane , tye ( Cordyline fruticosa ) and turmeric ( Curcuma longa ), which were introduced by the first colonists. It should be noted that the ancient Rapanuiites were very well versed in agriculture, plants, and the peculiarities of their cultivation. Therefore, the island could well feed the several thousand people who inhabited Rapa Nui. One of the problems of the island is the lack of freshwater rivers, as well as the sun, which sizzles the local crops in hot weather. To preserve the taro, for example, the ancient Rapanuiites planted it between stones that protected it from the scorching sun and kept the soil moist.

Such a plant as a mulberry tree , which can die from strong winds, the ancient inhabitants of the island were planted in depressions, mostly located near the house. As a result, humus was formed, which increased the yield.

The work on the site brought only pleasure to the Rapanui people, as it was their bread and at the same time entertainment: at the end of the day, dances with songs were usually arranged.

The future harvest was closely protected from thieves and even the owners themselves, namely, their impatience and greed. The king established a taboo for violation of which they could execute.

When the time came for harvesting, the taboos were removed, and the first fruits were sacrificed to the gods.

One of the problems of the island has always been a shortage of fresh water. There are no full-flowing rivers on Rapa Nui, and water after rains easily seeps through the soil and flows towards the ocean. Small streams can be found in several places on the island, but due to its proximity to the ocean, the water is not suitable for drinking. Therefore, the Rapanui people built small wells, mixed fresh water with salt, and sometimes they drank just salt water.

The island also has water sources: freshwater lakes in the craters of local volcanoes. Despite their inaccessibility, the inhabitants of the island always tried to be closer to these places, especially after rains.

Livestock

In the past, Polynesians , traveling in search of new islands, always took three animals with them: a pig , a dog, and a chicken . But it was not always possible to save these animals until landing on land. This happened with Easter Island, which was brought only chicken. Chicken occupied an important place in the local diet, mainly consisting of plant foods. It was a symbol of prosperity, and the chicken often played the role of money in the exchange of things. At night, hens were placed in special chicken coops made of stone slabs: so the poultry was protected from thieves. In the XIX century , when many settlements on the island were abandoned, part of the poultry went wild and lived on the craters of volcanoes.

The rat is not a pet, however, it was also introduced by the first settlers of Easter Island, who considered it a delicacy. After the black rats introduced by Khotu-matu and his followers, gray rats introduced by Europeans appeared on the island.

Fishing

The waters surrounding Easter Island abound in fish, especially at the cliffs of Motu Nui Island, where seabirds nest in large numbers. Fish was a favorite food of the ancient Rapanuiites, and in the winter months even a taboo was established on its catch. Although fishing today does not play a primary role, everything was different in the past. A large number of fishing hooks were found in the caves of the island, and the images of the fish themselves were local petroglyphs . Easter Island, unlike most Pacific islands , is not surrounded by reefs that attract fish. Therefore, its catch was very difficult, and local fishermen did not swim far from the coast. In addition, the number of boats was very limited, as there was not enough wood .

Easter Island used to have a huge number of fishing hooks. Some of them were made of human bones, they were called mangai -ivi ( rap. Mangai ivi ), others were made of stone, they were called mangai -kakhi ( rap. Mangai kahi ) and mainly used to catch tuna . The stone hooks were mainly made from a single piece of basalt and were about 4-5 cm long. Moreover, they were all of the same shape: almost round, smooth, without roughness. The hooks from the human bones (femur) were slightly larger in size and consisted of two parts connected by a rope of fibers of the Triumfetta semitriloba plant. Most of the fishing hooks were found in the graves ( ahu ).

Hooks made of polished stone in ancient times (when the island was only inhabited) were very rare, since their production required a lot of time. Therefore, these hooks were only among privileged residents, whose name was tangata-manu ( rap. Tangata manu ). After the death of the owner, they laid in his grave.

Often, stone hooks became decorations and insignia. For example, on Easter Island, double hooks were found in the form of pectoral ornaments, which women hung around their necks. In addition, some Rapanui people made tattoos with their image. The very existence of fishing hooks indicates the development of the ancient Pan-Panui civilization, since the technique of polishing the stone is rather complicated, as is the achievement of such smooth forms.

According to one of the Rapanui legends, the first settlers used only stone hooks with which to tuna . The rest of the fish always sailed by. The catch was very poor, and residents could not understand what was the reason. One smart fisherman named Ure ( rap. Ure ) once had a dream. In it, his soul entered an unknown hut near Tirakoka ( rap. Tirakoka ). On the wall, she saw unusual hooks made of bone. Waking up early in the morning, Ur immediately set off to look for human bones from which he made similar hooks. Success followed immediately: with every throw he caught big fish. Local fishermen were very surprised and asked what the reason for the success was, what kind of bait was used by Ur. To which he replied: "I am fishing like you, with a stone hook." The fishermen uncovered the deception, grabbed Ure, found out about his bone hooks and beat him severely, leaving everything that was bleeding in the canoe .

According to the ideas of the Rapanuiites, any dead person in the afterlife became a deity, so his remains often became the subject of a dispute between different clans. So fishing hooks were always made from the bones of the enemy. According to the beliefs of the Rapanuiites, the mana ( rap. Mana ) of the deceased person, that is, his strength, was transmitted to the fisherman. The warrior, who also used these bones, became, as it were, the owner of the deceased person, who in life helped this warrior in obtaining food. According to the Rapanuyts, a fishing hook from a human bone attracted fish. At the same time, for the Polynesians, who were cannibals , there was nothing more insulting than considering a person as “food” - this brought him to the level of an animal and spoiled his mana. Therefore, the fisherman never ate fish caught by this hook.

As a bait, the fishermen used a small fish, which was called ature ( rap. Ature ). At first it was rubbed with two stones. Then the ground meat of this fish was attached to the stone, which served as a load. When the fishing hook reached the desired depth, the fisherman released the bait and stone with a strong jerk. The tuna, attracted by the bait, swam to the hook and grabbed it. Sometimes fishermen used two hooks at once (chopped atura meat was attached to one, the whole fish to the other). One baited rope tied to a fisherman's belt, the other to a canoe.

Rapanuytsy also used many networks of various sizes. Each net was used to catch a particular type of fish. The nets were made from mulberry fiber.

Also, the ancient inhabitants ate sea ​​urchins , crabs , jellyfish , which were collected daily by women on the shore. In addition, at night, women caught sleeping fish with the help of pointed sticks in the crevices of the rocks.

Rapanuytsy also hunted turtles , which are often mentioned in local legends. There is even a petroglyph with its image. When residents noticed a turtle off the coast, they chased it in a canoe. If it was not possible to catch the turtle, then they dived into the water and entangled it in the nets. The turtles were so much appreciated by the Rapanui people that even stupas ( rap. Tupa ) were built on the shore, which served as watch towers, on which the Rapanui people guarded the turtles.

Rapanui Canoe

The ancient Rapanuiites did not have as many canoes (Rapanui name - waka rap. Vaka ), as, for example, the Polynesians who plowed the waves of the Pacific Ocean . In addition, a clear shortage of tall and large trees affected canoeing techniques. The first Europeans did not leave any detailed information about this. Only a few sketches made, for example, by Blondela in 1786 or Choris in 1816, allow us to judge the Rapanui canoe. These images clearly show that these vehicles were made from small planed boards.

It should be noted that the Rapanui people had two types of canoes: without an outrigger , which was used when swimming offshore, and with an outrigger , which was used when swimming long distances.

In addition, there were two types of oars : the first type can be found on all islands of the Pacific Ocean, the second is a special type of Rapanui oar.

Very little is known about the structure of the ancient Pan-Panuic society that existed before the 19th century . In connection with the export of the local population to Peru , where it was used as slaves, epidemics due to diseases brought to the island by Europeans, and the adoption of Christianity, the Rapanui society forgot about the previously existing hierarchical relations, family and tribal ties.

The list of names of rulers, geographical names and facts from local legends cannot serve as a basis for reconstructing a detailed scheme of the political and social relations of the islanders, but they indicate the general structure of that society.

Tribes of the Ancient Rapanui

At the beginning of the 19th century, there were ten tribes on Rapa Nui, or Mata ( rap. Mata ), whose members considered themselves descendants of their eponymous ancestors, who, in turn, were descendants of the first king of the island of Hotu-motu'a.

The entire population of the island lived in sixteen settlements: three of them were in the west, six in the north and seven in the south. Moreover, they were all located off the coast.

According to Rapanui legend, after the death of Hotu-motu, the island was divided between his sons. The elder, Tu'u-maheke , inherited the title of ariki-mau ( rap. Ariki- mau ), or king, and received land between Anakena Bay and Mount Teatea; Miru - between Anakena and Hanga Roa; Marama - lands south of Akahang to Vinapu; Koro-oorongo - lands near the volcano Rano Raraku; Hotu-iti became the owner of the entire eastern part of the island; finally, Raa is land north and east of Mount Teatea. Hau-moana does not appear in this distribution of land, but he is mentioned in the list of local rulers. All these sons gave names to the Rapanui tribes.

Gradually, new tribes stood out from the existing tribes. So the Rapanui legend tells about the appearance of the Raa and Hamea tribes , who lived in the territory of the tribe to the world .

The Tupa Khotu , Ureohei, and Oorongo tribes did not have their own territory, and they lived in an area called Khotu-Iti in the east of the island. They also called the youngest son of Khotu-matu, which rather suggests that he could be an eponym for the tribe, which in the past broke into three small ones. This view explains the reason for using the term Hotu-Iti for all three tribes.

The complexity of the political geography of the island also lies in the fact that, at the time of the opening of Rapa Nui, the tribes did not live exclusively on their territory. For example, many members of the world tribe lived on the territory of the Marama tribe. This was explained, first of all, by inter-tribal marriages, as a result of which children could lay claim to the lands of their father from another tribe or inherit the possessions of their mother. In addition, the island of Rapa Nui is not so large that the tribes living on it lived separately from each other.

The territory of the tribe was often divided between the descendants of the members of the mata-iti ( rap. Mata iti ), or small clans formed within the tribe. The lands belonging to these mati-iti were strips of land stretching from the coast to the center of the island. The population of Rapa Nui mainly settled on the coast, so these lands were the most valuable. The defeated tribe, having lost their lands, moved to the center of the island, or uta ( rap. Uta ), far from the ocean and its wealth.

Ahu on the shore, which was a cemetery and a sanctuary , indicated the territory belonged to any tribe.

In ancient times, fellow tribesmen lived in huge huts. It was a kind of tribal community, which was called Ivi ( rap. Ivi ). It often included brothers with their wives and children, and sometimes families, who had common great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers. At the head was an elder who was deeply revered and called tanata honui ( rap. Tanata honui ).

The role of such an extended family is unknown. But if we talk about the Polynesian community as a whole, we can assume that in it all the members jointly owned land (that is, it was communal, common land) and worked together in agriculture and fishing . The war on the island contributed to its consolidation, that is, during any clashes, the community defended common interests, and the community helped each other.

In addition to the tribes and clan communities that formed the basis of the public organization of the Rapanui society, there were larger associations, political in nature. Ten tribes, or mata ( rap. Mata ), were divided into two warring alliances. The tribes of the west and north-west of the island were usually called the people of Tu'u - this is the name of a volcanic peak near Hanga Roa. They were also called mata-nui . The tribes of the eastern part of the island in historical legends are called "people of Khotu-iti."

This dualism was the result of continuous wars between tribes living on opposite ends of the island. Legends often speak of the hatred of the two unions and the wars between Tu'u and Khotu-iti, whose clashes continued with alternating success for many generations. The victory of either side united the island for some time, but as soon as the defeated side gained strength, the conflict continued. Secular hostility was reflected in religion. The sacred places belonging to both unions were divided into two parts, each of which belonged to a separate mat. For example, the island of Motu Nui was divided into two parts with the help of a statue acting as a border mark.

The social structure of the ancient Rapanuiites

The hierarchy system that existed in the past on the island has now disappeared. It was quite branched and similar to the one that existed in New Zealand or on the islands of the Society . At the head of the hierarchical ladder was the Ariki-Mau ( rap. Ariki mau ), or the supreme leader , who was also called the king of the island. Below were the priests , or ivi-atua ( rap. Ivi atua ), and the local nobility, or ariki-paka ( rap. Ariki paka ). Moreover, the whole tribe of the world belonged to the nobility. This was extremely contrary to Polynesian customs. It should be noted that in other tribes of the island, Ariki Pak were completely absent. At the same time, the role of the Rapanui nobility is not very clear. In the hierarchical ladder they took their place after the priests, and there is no doubt that the latter came from the local nobility.

At the fourth step of the hierarchical ladder were warriors, or matato ( rap. Matato ). The lowest position was occupied by kio, or a dependent population (most likely, it was formed from members of a defeated tribe). The exact position of artisans in this staircase is unknown, but it is likely that they occupied a rather high place in Rapanui society.

However, if we consider the political power on the island, this gradation of social relations may well be misleading. For example, matato, who were not aware and were not at the same level of the hierarchical ladder as the king or the Ariks, had sufficient authority.

As in the Marquesas Islands and on the island of Tonga , King Rapa Nui was considered a deity whose magical power had a direct impact on nature and provided the population with a constant harvest. Belief in the king’s power over plants and animals was the result of faith in his mana ( rap. Mana ), a mystical power that was transmitted to him from the sacred ancestors.

Power over nature was usually transferred to the eldest son. Sometimes it reached such strength that it could serve as a source of countless troubles. This is told by the ancient Pan-Danish legend about the young prince Rokorokohetau , the son of the third wife of King Nga'ar . The case is interesting because from birth he did not have the right to claim the throne. However, his birth was accompanied by numerous miracles that usually happen before the birth of the future heir. All this was a testament to the mana of Rocorococheatu . To end the troubles, the ruling king imprisoned him in a cave of Mount Rano-Aroi. Subsequently, King Nga'ara was forced to kill his own son.

The Rapanui king moved on bedding, which ordinary people were forbidden to touch, as well as the ruler himself. This, on the one hand, emphasized his holiness, and on the other hand, protected mortals from the harmful effects of mana on them. The most sacred part of the body of Ariki Mau was the head. The king wore very long hair, since no one had the right to touch them. Although kings were forbidden to do much, they could go fishing and make their fishing nets.

The king lived in a separate hut, like his wife. All his needs were met by two categories of servants belonging to the tribe of the world. The tu'ura category ( rap. Tu'ura ) cultivated the lands of the royal domain and accompanied it during fishing. Haka-papa ( rap. Haka papa ) prepared food for the leader and served his table. When these servants were about to leave in the presence of the king, they walked with their backs to the exit and facing the king. Those who wanted to communicate with the king had to give a special letter to these servants.

The Rapanui king could be distinguished from the rest of the inhabitants, first of all, by a more complex design of a body tattoo. He also wore a longer cloak.

It was a rather strange tradition to bring up the eldest royal son in a village adjacent to the Pope-o-pea akh . After he became king, the young leader settled in Ahu Akapu , near Tahai, in the west of the island. This happened only after the king renounced his title in favor of the eldest son, returning to Anaken for the rest of his life.

Like the other islands of Polynesia, the Rapanui king lost his title after the birth of his eldest son. His mana was passed on to a child who became a mediator in communication between the tribe and the gods. In fact, the king was in power as regent until his son became able to carry out his functions on his own. Adulthood came after marriage, after which the former king lost his functions.

The exact responsibilities of the Rapanui king are unknown. One of its main functions was the imposition and removal of taboos . It was impossible to move into a single house until the Arikai Mau visited it. The same thing went for boats. In the winter months, the king taboo fishing. During this period, only the king and his family could eat fish.

The first tuna of the season, caught by a fisherman in early summer, was brought to the king, who ate it in the company of a fisherman's family.

The political authority of Ariki Mau is not exactly known. Only hypotheses are put forward. Despite the fact that he was just the secular head of the tribe of the world, in other tribes, the Ariki-Mau was revered as a deity. The respect for him was so strong that when the tribe was defeated by the enemies of the world, it was never taken prisoner.

Most likely, political power was concentrated in the hands of Matato'a, the military aristocracy . Therefore, there is no doubt that if the king were not endowed with mana, then on the island there would have been no royal power.

The opinion about the situation in society of priests , who played the role of not only worshipers, but also aristocrats, is completely contradictory. It is possible that they were chosen directly from the royal family. The priests were called ivi-atua ( rap. Ivi atua ). The priests of the royal shrines were very highly revered.

The craftsmen of the island were united in guilds , and their social status depended on the importance of their craft in the economic life of the island. Most of all, those artisans who took part in the creation of moai were worshiped. Handicraft activity was hereditary. Nevertheless, anyone who could prove his mastery in any business could join the guild.

Matato'a, or warriors, familiar figures in the island's historical legends. However, they performed not only military functions, but also civilian ones. Matato'a could seize power not only in his tribe, but then in other tribes. One of the most famous warriors in the history of Rapa Nui was Kaainga , who was first the head of the eastern tribes, then captured the entire island. The position of a warrior was more privileged in Rapa Nui than anywhere else in Polynesia . Warriors even attempted to seize religious power on the island.

The community on Easter Island, as well as on the island of Mangarev , was called Huru-Manu ( rap. Huru manu ). However, nothing is known about their position in society. The community members of the losing tribe later became kio ( English kio ), that is, servants or slaves .

The term kio also applied to farmers who came under the patronage of a warrior to whom they paid dues. This category also included those Rapanui who, without owning their own land, cultivated the land of another community member.

The ancient Rapanuiites were extremely warlike. As soon as hostility between the tribes began, their warriors painted their bodies black and prepared their weapons for battle at night. They only ate food prepared by their fathers in separate ovens. They were forbidden to sleep on the night before the battle, and in the morning, accompanied by wives and children, the soldiers sang various hymns.

Having met, warriors of hostile tribes began to insult each other, and then began to throw stones. A hail of stones was accompanied by throwing spears, the tips of which were made of obsidian and could easily kill the enemy. After that, the warriors began to attack each other with short, flat clubs, similar to New Zealand patas, although some had long clubs with pointed edges. The battle continued until the defeated side, in which several soldiers were killed, did not begin to flee the battlefield. The victors began to pursue them in order to capture some of the enemies. After that, they entered the territory of the defeated tribe, burned all the huts there and destroyed the entire crop. Women and children were taken prisoner. Prisoners were often killed because of a sense of revenge. Moreover, the execution was very cruel: they were buried alive, they broke the skull of a living person, trampled him until his stomach was torn, and the insides crawled out. To save themselves, the people of the defeated tribe hid in caves or asked for help from another tribe. If among the prisoners there was a leader of a defeated tribe, they did not eat him, but set his head on fire in order to offend his memory and family.

But the most terrible thing was that after the victory, a feast was organized at which the victorious soldiers ate the corpses of the vanquished, that is, were engaged in cannibalism .

The cannibals themselves on the island were called kai-tangata ( rap. Kai tangata ). Cannibalism existed on the island until the Christianization of all the inhabitants of the island. Moreover, children and women were not allowed at these feasts. The fingers and toes were considered a delicacy. Cannibalism on the island was not common because religious rituals required it or was the result of hatred of a hostile tribe, it was simply the only source of fresh meat on the island. Moreover, the main victims of cannibalism were mainly women and children. Eating a person was a great insult to the family of which he was a member. After that, the family began to take revenge.

The period of pregnancy and the birth of a child in ancient rapanuyas

In the third or fifth month of pregnancy , but in no case, in the fourth or sixth (it was believed that these numbers were unsuccessful), the father-in-law brought the contents of the imu (earth oven), called imu-takapu-kokoma-moa ( rap. imu takapu kokoma moa ). It was a ceremonial oven with the guts of a bird. The intestines were considered a delicacy, therefore, the offering of this dish was considered a manifestation of respect for the future mother. The rest of the food was distributed between members of two families. If the woman’s father was a rich man, he invited his son-in-law's family to a feast, which, however, had no ritual significance. If during this feast the rat ate the leftover piece of food, then this was a bad omen for the unborn child.

Ancient rapanuiki gave birth to children squatting. During the birth, the pregnant woman was helped by her husband or someone else from her relatives, clicking on her stomach, in order to thus accelerate the birth of the child. In front of the woman they put a stone twisted in a reed - it was believed that this would facilitate childbirth.

The umbilical cord was usually bitten off by a man, who was then tied up by a priest . In Rapanui mythology, the navel was of great importance, since it symbolized the courage and strength of man. By tying the umbilical cord, the priest passed the baby a part of his life force, mana. Moreover, the ritual was rather strictly regulated, since any deviation from the rules could lead to bad consequences for the child. A cock was presented to the priest. The cut off part of the umbilical cord was then placed in a separate vessel with water heated by hot stones. Flat, hot stones were subsequently laid on the woman’s belly after giving birth to prevent wrinkles on the stomach . Of course, this did not help much, especially after several births.

On the birthday of the child, the father arranged a banquet for the wife's family. The first to eat was a wife. If she had no appetite - her husband. The celebration was deeply symbolic. Some dishes, for example, from sweet potato (sweet potato), were excluded from the menu. On the same day, the baby was given a name, usually it was done by an aunt or uncle on the part of the father. Upon reaching seven to eight months, the baby was shaved off with a knife from obsidian. Uncles from his mother brought him a gift of game. A similar gift was presented when the child began to walk or put on the first loincloth. Upon reaching seven to eight years, the child was given tattoos on his legs. Moreover, this event was accompanied by celebrations, in which the mother's brothers gave the child thirty birds.

Sports and Entertainment

In the past, sports games and entertainment occupied an important place in the life of the ancient Rapanuiites. The island was surfing , and the board was made of reed stalks.

Children also liked to slide down the slopes of local volcanoes, take part in training battles: they were divided into warring clans and attacked each other with harmless darts . According to Rapanui legend, the discovery of military weapons made from obsidian belongs to the child.

A kite was very common, which was brought to Polynesia from Asia . It was made from rods covered with tapas, on which a bird was painted.

The Youth of the Ancient Rapanui

Puberty in ancient rapanueks occurred at 10-11 years old, in boys - at 12-14 years old. The onset of this period in the life of the Rapanui was not marked by special rituals. Moreover, puberty did not coincide with the beginning of sexual life, which began at a relatively young age.

Boys at the age of 14 and girls at the age of 12 took part in a special ceremony in which the young men were shaved with a piece of obsidian hair. They were supposed to bring an egg to a man whose name was tangata-tapu-manu ( rap. Tagata tapu manu ). Then the young men went to the village of Orongo. Almost nothing is known about the ceremonies that were later held here. At the rocks not far from this village, the genitals of women are depicted - a fairly common motif of Rapanui rock paintings. Most likely, they were applied to the rocks during the initiation of girls into adulthood.

On the island, special huts were built - hare-nui ( rap. Hare nui ), in which young girls and boys gathered. Here they spent time in entertainments, games, dances and songs.

One of the standards of female beauty on the island was pale skin, which was very highly regarded throughout Polynesia. One Rapanui legend even tells of two heroes Kaharoau and Kakoniau, who were so ashamed of their bronze skin that they did not even dare to come to the festivities. The young Rapanui people lived an idle life in many respects and basically watched their appearance: they grew nails, followed special diets that looked like a periodic hunger strike.

The traditions of adoption of children are quite interesting. Parents could calmly “present” their child to a best friend, while in the new family they treated him as well as their own children. To the adopted child, new parents gave a new name. Therefore, it is very difficult for scientists to create a genealogical tree of ancient Pan-Anuan families.

Child Development

From an early age, children, imitating adults in their games, became familiar with skills that would be useful to them later in adulthood. Children often went fishing with adults, tried to carve figurines, amulets, participated in battle games. The girls helped mothers in raising their younger brothers and sisters, cultivated the bark of a mulberry tree, or wove baskets.

The death and burial of the ancient Rapanuiites

According to the ideas of the ancient Rapanuiites, after death, a person first became a good demon, and then a deity, the embodiment of which were statues in the family mausoleums. This deity defended the tribe and at the same time helped to defeat the enemies.

All human bones were placed in open crypts ahu . First, the corpse of a deceased person was wrapped in a mat and laid on special stretchers made of wood or stone. The body continued to lie for a very long time until it was completely decomposed. Immediately after the death of a person, his close relatives prepared umu-papaku ( rap. Umu papaku ), special foods that had no right to eat the son or father of the deceased, but were distributed to other fellow tribesmen. Distant relatives, or even neighbors, prepared food for the umu-rikiriki ( rap. Umu rikiriki ), which personified their grief over the deceased. During the funeral, the Rapanuiites performed ritual dances, accompanying them with mournful chants, lamentations.

On the place where the corpse of a deceased person lay, a taboo was established. After the corpse was completely decomposed, the bones of the deceased person were collected by relatives and transferred to the family mausoleum.

Tattoos

Back in 1770, Don Felipe Gonzalez, describing the ancient Rapanuiites, mentioned the numerous tattoos on their bodies. Later travelers James Cook , P. Loti, A. Pinart wrote that the body, like the hair of local residents, was completely covered with red pigment . Because of him, the skin of the Rapanui was the color of copper , so Loti considered this to be one of the features of the race to which the Rapanui belonged. Cook also mentions locals covered in both red and white pigment. Moreover, he emphasized that the body of women had significantly fewer tattoos than men. When Loti visited the island, he mentioned tattoos of blue and dark green on the body of men.

Tattoos were applied to the body with fish bones, which were used to inject a dark blue powder made from the charred leaves of the tee plant under the epidermis .

Women also applied tattoos to the body, mainly to the hips . Pinart wrote that some rapanuek could see round blue lines that stretched from the temples to the eyebrows, and then to the middle of the forehead.

Hairstyle

The ancient Pan-Dani men in the past wore fairly short haircuts, and on the top of their hair they gathered in a bun with the help of stems of scabiose . Also, the hair was dyed red. During his stay on the island, the traveler Pierre Loti noticed that old men and men with the most tattoos wore a crown of black feathers on their heads, while most of the Rapanui people did not wear hats at all. Such "diadems" were mainly worn by teachers of the rongorongo writing. Jacob Roggeven also saw men on the island, most likely ministers of the local cult, who shaved baldly and wore hats of black and white feathers. Some of the island's old men also wore large shark vertebrae earrings.

The women of the island wore their hair with a chignon . They also had hats in the shape of a woven cane boat, and big earrings in their ears.

• Easter Island Music

• Dr. Stéphen-Chauvet "Easter Island and its mysteries". Translated by Ann M. Altman. First published in 1935. Translation prepared 2004.
• Metraux Alfred Easter Island: A Stone-Age Civilization of the Pacific; Oxford University Press, 1957 (available to subscribers at www.questia.com).
• Routledge Scoresby “The Mystery of Easter Island. The story of an expedition. " London, 1919