The legend of Rapa Nui

Although most of the early history of Easter Island was lost after the tragic events that happened in the 1860s, some parts of that history were recorded by both, the missionaries and the first researchers that traveled to the island, such as Katherine Routledge and Alfred Metraux. All of them had the possibility of listening the old stories directly from old islanders that where children in the 1860s. Of course not all the versions were alike but they share a general common ground.According to oral tradition, Hotu Matua who was Ariki Henua (king) of the territory of Maori in the land of Hiva, decided to migrate with his people because a natural disaster affected their country. So Hotu Matua sent a canoe with seven young warriors to explore an island in the middle of the ocean. The island has been seen in a dream by a man called Hau Maka. Once in the island, the explorers were not happy with what they found, so just one of them wanted to remain there while the others wanted to go back to Hiva. But before they could make a decision, Hotu Matua arrived with his people in two large canoes. He landed on what is now Anakena beach and called the island Te Pito O Te Henua (Navel of the Earth). Having explored the island, Hotu Matua divided the land for his people, organizing them in twelve clans. Each clan had its Chief or Ariki Honui and all clans were under the rule of the Lord of the Land or Ariki Henua. It is important to say that it seems that apart from Hotu Matua, Arikis did not rule over people. They were more like keepers of the sacred traditions of the clans than kings in the traditional sense of the title.Each clan was organized in a similar way, so they had people dedicated exclusively to specific tasks that were of main importance in the daily life.Matatoa was a sort of military chief.Tumu ivi Atua and Timo rara ika were in charge of religious rites.Paoa were guardians under the orders of the matatoa.Maori rongorongo were school teachers that taught to read and write the language of the tablets kohau rongorongo.Maori anga hare were builders of houses.Maori anga moai and Maori anga ahu were those that directed the work of carving moais and the building of burial places known as ahus.Tangata keukeu henua were farmers.Tangata tere vaka were fishermenOral tradition called Hotu Matua's people Hanau Momoko or thin people.It is said that a second group of people arrived to the island later, the Hanau Eepe or big people. They had no Ariki and no women. The Hanau Eepe introduced the carving of the big stone statues called Moais, representing ancestors, which were put standing on large stone platforms called Ahus. So Hanau Eepe obliged Hanau Momoko to work for them in these megalithic projects. This forced situation ended in a war among the two groups. A long defensive ditch plenty of burning material was built across the Poike Point, one of the extremes of the island, by Hanau Eepe to protect themselves from an attack from the more numerous Hanau Momoko. Anyway, the Hanau Eepe were attacked, and most of them were killed in their own burning ditch. After the victory over their hated enemy, the Hanau Momoko began to bring down many of the big moai statues from their ceremonial places. This time is known as the Falling of the Moais period or Huri Moai and it started around mid XVII century.A long period of anarchy affected Easter Island after the war among Hanau Momoko and Hanau Eepe. Clans were permanently at war destroying the sacred sites of their enemies as well as their crops. People didn't work anymore, they just made war to kill enemies and to eat them because, as in many other Polynesian societies, cannibalism was an accepted practice. Most part of the large Moai statues were pulled down from their Ahus during this time. Roggeveen and Cook seemed to have seen many of the stone figures standing on the Ahus platforms, but visitors that arrived after them described the statues lying on the ground.