Rapa Nui [11], Chile

A refreshing looking man greeted me as I stepped into the Orongo Ceremonial Village site [5000 peso]. Carlos, the unassuming  Park  Warden was a curious and learning man with wisdom and enthusiasm written all over his face. He smiled frequently and ushered us into the site. As with the surrounding sites, it had a stunning view. The vast expanse of the deep blue sea laid before me. Piles of rusty-brown boulders with carving were piled up on the top of a steep cliff.  Below in the coast were islets  - Motu Nui, Motu Iti and the needle-shaped Motu Kau Kau. The view from the top of this cliff was panoramic, with the nearby islands battered by the sea which sent  crashed waves high into the air and the magnificent beauty  of the earth’s curvature on the blue horizon. Simply stunning and intoxicating. A short walk brought me to some to the restored masonry homes. The stones were intricately stacked and well designed to provide for effective defence. However, the entrances were narrow and it seemed like one cannot get in or out in a hurry. They heavy roof was low and resembled subterranean-like homes. Imagine a bunker but made out of flat stones. Further along the pathway, right on the edge of the cliff were basalt rocks with carved pictorial petroglyphs of the once prolific culture on this site – Birdman [Tangata Manu] culture. The figures depicted a human anatomy with a bird’s head almost always in a crouched position holding an egg. Stories relate these to the frigate birds that populate these cliffs. The culture itself is based on the first person to collect the eggs of the Sooty Tern or Manu Tara, that nest on Motu Nui. The brave men of each clan or tribe would slide down one side of the steep cliff face on a reed raft into the pounding ocean. Upon entering the water, they swam the treacherous stretch known to be infested with sharks to the island and collect the egg. The first person to return and hand over the prized possession to their leader will ensure that this leader will rule until the next nesting season. You either have to be brave or mad to participate in this near death race. Somehow, this made sense to me as this process was unbiased and avoided indifferences between the clans. This helped unite the people under one rule. Sadly, this culture had probably decimated the Sooty Tern population. Another common petroglyph is fierce looking Makemake - the creator god of fertility and the chief god of the bird-man cult. Both Makemake and Tanga manu played a significant part in the mythology of Easter Island. Now having travelled to most parts of the triangular-shaped island, there seemed to be a Hindu element to the stories here. Were the moais merely a representation of the phallic symbol of the Linga [ the God of Creation - Shiva] and the new religion of Tangata manu where Make make takes on this representation. The existence of Komari - the representation of the female genital – vulva on some of the petroglyphs dotting the island. This completed the natural balance of male [Shiva] and female consort Parvathi. There seemed to be a similarity :- worship with respect to the natural elements, alignment with the cosmos particularly the sun and the creation and belief in the manifestation of God, in this case the Moai and the  general worship of offerings, pyre and prayer.  

Over the years of exposure of these volcanic rock boulders, some of the historic carving had nearly faded off. The Birdman culture co-existed with the Moai worship as the latter was on the decline. How and why did a culture that had been in practise for  centuries abruptly change over to a new one? Were the islanders seeking urgent reprieve from the disaster that was happening around them or was it just a natural progression? Whatever the reasons may be, one fact remained - there existed a need by the people to worship and to pay homage to the Gods or ancestors. In today’s modern world, it is hard to relate to this kind of worship, an inner desire to know and meet the creator. I came to a dead-end of the trail. In front of me the crater rim had collapsed with the steep slopes running into the reed filled freshwater lake and capped with rocky outcrops. On the other side, the vast expanse of the cobalt blue Pacific Ocean with the curvature of the earth. I felt that I was standing on terra firma at the edge of earth. The feeling was exhilarating and the views sublime.  On the southern view, I could just make out Poike Peninsula and the rugged coastline through the hazy condition. Another prominent mountain rose proudly in the eastern fringe, Mount Terevaka.  This captivating site would be as close to paradise as possible although I must admit that I had been to several in my lifetime. Quite contended indeed. On the return trail, more rock art was on display. Clumps of bright purplish pink flowers grew sporadically on the upper side of the western crater wall which added colour to the already magical and historical site. Walking back through the tropical trees and the vegetated fields was to some extent stimulating. It reminded me of the lush tropical landscape that I used to design and implement while living in the Malaysia. Memories, it’s a wonderful thing!

 

 

 

 

1.12.09