What do the moai symbolize?
What do the Moai represent? It’s thought that the Moai were symbols of religious and political power and leadership. Carvings and sculptures in the Polynesian world often have strong spiritual meanings, and followers often believe a carving had magical or spiritual powers of the person or deity depicted.
What is a Tahonga?
Tahonga, a ritual ornament The tahonga is a rounded wooden ornament that slightly elongates at the bottom and gives it the appearance of an egg or a coconut. The upper part is sometimes decorated with one or two human heads, a bird’s head or a simple protrusion.
What does ahu mean Easter Island?
The word “ahu” has two meanings in Easter Island culture. First, an ahu is the flat mound or stone pedestal upon which the moai stand. The ahus are, on average, about four feet high. The word ‘ahu’ also signifies a sacred ceremonial site where several moai stand.
Did a meteor hit Easter Island?
It’s story was as sad as it was interesting. The island is made of three volcanoes. At some point in the distant past, a meteor hit the island and in its crater unearthed a deep layer of volcanic rock.
How were the moai moved?
Even specialized priests were known to move moai at the request of those who wanted them on their family land or ahu. Method: Tied statue on its back to a sledge (sled) made from a tree fork. 180 islanders pulled the statue using two parallel ropes tied to each side.
What is Moai made of?
Most moai are made of tuff. Tuff is a soft volcanic rock native to Easter Island. (A few moai were carved from basalt and scoria, other volcanic rocks.) Because tuff erodes easily, few of the moai’s original designs remain.
What is beneath ahu?
Once a statue reached its ahu, it was raised by means of wood poles and stones placed beneath it. Gradually the statue became upright as the pile of small rocks grew. After the statues were placed upright on their ahu, the next step was to carve eye sockets into which coral and stone eyes were placed.
How did the Easter Island statues get there?
So who put the Easter Island statues here? It is believe that it was the Rapa Nui people, Polynesians who sailed here from other pacific islands that put the Easter Island statues there. Although other theories suggest that they could have arrived from South America.
Why is there a crater on Easter Island?
In that area, there is a huge bite in the volcanic wall of 400 meters of amplitude known as Kari Kari, where the lava flow spilled into the ocean. It is believed that over the years, the continuous onslaught of the waves will end up collapsing this fragile wall, allowing access to the sea inside the crater.