Description
View from Orongo Stone Village towards Motu Nui, with the smaller Motu Iti and the sea stack of Motu Kao Kao. Motu Nui, large island in the Rapa Nui language, is the largest of the three islets south of Easter Island and is the most westerly place in Chile. All three islets have seabirds but Motu Nui was also an essential location for the Tangata manu Bird Man Cult which was the island religion between the moai era and the Christian era. Motu Nui is the summit of a large volcanic mountain which rises over 2,000 meters from the sea bed. The ritual of the "Bird Man" cult was a competition to collect the first egg of the manutara. This took place starting from Motu Nui where the Hopu waited for the sooty terns to lay their first eggs of the season. The Hopu who seized the first egg raced to swim back to Easter Island, climbed the cliffs to Orongo and presented the egg to their sponsor in front of the judges at Orongo. This gave their sponsor the title of Tangata manu and great power on the island for a year. Many Hopu were killed by sharks or by falling. The winning clan gained certain rights including the collecting of eggs and young birds from the islets. Bird Cult Island, Motu Nui, Easter Island, Chile.
