RAPA NUI: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, CULTURE, TRADITIONS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Rapa Nui are the inhabitants of Easter Island (or Isla Rapa Nui), located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and belonging to the territory of Chile. They are one of the oldest civilizations on the planet, having inhabited the island for more than 1500 years approximately.

The Rapa Nui culture is known worldwide, especially for having created the famous moai statues. They are made up of giant heads buried in the ground of Easter Island, made of stone. It is one of the most important works created by humanity, given the architectural significance of making such a work with ancient tools.

Origin and history

The origins of the Rapa Nui civilization date from long before the European presence in the American continent. In fact, it was not until the year 1722 that the settlers made contact with the inhabitants of this island.

It is estimated that the Rapa Nui were inhabitants of the Marquesas Islands, belonging to ancient Polynesia. They migrated from this territory to the island around the year 300 of the current era; the journey made was approximately 3600 kilometers.

The reason why this civilization decided to emigrate to the island is a mystery, since there is no written record about the Rapa Nui culture before its arrival on Easter Island.

In addition, it is difficult to explain the reason why they decided to emigrate from Polynesia to the island, since the trip presented countless dangers as it was made in such old boats.

The Polynesian origin of the Rapa Nui is known with certainty thanks to various genetic investigations carried out by scientists.

The legend of Hotu Mata

There is a legend that is believed to have been true, which explains the arrival of the Rapa Nui to Easter Island.

When the first European visitors made contact with the island's inhabitants, the Rapa Nui reported that an ancient tribal chief named Hotu Mata arrived on the island in two giant canoes, along with his family and other companions.

The lack of written material dating from that time makes it impossible to verify this story. Furthermore, scientists today have not been able to determine an exact year in which the Polynesians arrived on the island. In any case, this legend is considered an important cultural manifestation of the Rapa Nui.

History

From its inception, the Rapa Nui civilization had a marked class division and a completely centralized government. For several centuries the king was regarded as an untouchable figure who resembled God and ruled as he himself saw fit.

The inhabitants of the Marquesas Islands who originally emigrated to Easter Island brought with them various types of plants and food. Among these were bananas, sugar cane, taro, chickens, and Polynesian rats. During its heyday, the Rapa Nui civilization became quite advanced and complex.

It is believed that at some point in the pre-European history of civilization, several emigrants from South American tribes left the continent to settle on Easter Island.

An ancient Rapa Nui legend tells of a conflict in which a large number of people were exterminated, leaving only one alive. This legend is usually associated with the differences that the natives had with the emigrant South American Indians, but it may also have referred to an internal conflict between Rapa Nui clans.

Social problems

Throughout their history, the Rapa Nui have faced a series of devastating events that have greatly diminished their population. Wars between clans and local tribes killed thousands of the island's inhabitants, probably more than any other naturally-caused problem before European contact occurred.

In the 19th century, the island was affected by a series of external problems that reduced its population to practically zero. Many of its inhabitants were used as slaves by Peruvian traffickers. This, in addition to the epidemics and infections caused by the rats that inhabited the region, brought the Rapa Nui ethnic group to the brink of disappearance.

characteristics

Physical attributes

The Rapa Nui are people with varied skin tones. In addition, traditionally the aborigines of Easter Island used discs in their earlobes to extend their size.

This was noticed by the first Europeans who came into contact with civilization and realized that the size of their earlobe was so large when the disc was removed that it was larger than the size of the entire ear.

The traditional Rapa Nui used to be tall people. This was determined by the Spanish explorations of the colonial era.

Social seclusion

This civilization developed a series of quite particular characteristics in terms of social and cultural organization. As the contact they had with other civilizations was practically nil, seclusion made the cultural elements of civilization develop in a unique way in the world.

However, it can be noted that their beliefs and development as a civilization resemble that of other Polynesian civilizations, which accentuates the claim that the roots of this civilization are linked to ancient Polynesia.

Culture and traditions

Rapa Nui language

The inhabitants of Easter Island have their own language, named with the same term used to refer to its inhabitants: Rapa Nui. This language belongs to a variety of languages ​​originating from Eastern Polynesia and the Latin alphabet is used to write it.

However, it is a language spoken by a minority of its inhabitants. At present, the main language of the Rapa Nui is Spanish. On Easter Island, Spanish is taught from the first educational levels and is the language officially used in all administrative institutions in the region.

The traditional Rapa Nui language is currently being affected as a consequence of the spread of Spanish. The language is adapting a change that makes it more similar to the Latin language, since originally there was an older version of Rapa Nui that was spoken several centuries ago.

There are a number of hieroglyphs on Easter Island that are believed to have been the oldest manifestation of Rapa Nui, but the origin of these inscriptions is still unclear. Some researchers think that it may be another type of cultural manifestation.

Religion and legends

In addition to the traditional legend of Hotu Mata, who according to the first settlers was the first Rapa Nui inhabitant of Easter Island, there was an ancient belief about a bird god. This belief was itself a form of religious expression, and it was called Tangata Manu.

The Tangata Manu was the name given to the winner of a competition traditionally held once a year on Easter Island. This competition consisted of two parts: the first was the selection of various nobles, who had to participate in a competitive event to determine the new Tangata Manu.

The second part was the selection of a competitor for each nobleman, who served as a representative for each nobleman in the competition. The competition consisted of obtaining the first bird egg of the breeding season. However, to achieve this you had to cross a sea infested with sharks.

Many of the representatives of the nobles died in the competition, but whoever was able to obtain the egg won the right for the noble they represented to become the Tangata Manu. He continued to seclude himself in a special dwelling, where he only ate and slept for a year; the Tangata Manu was seen as the "bird god".

Moai statues

The famous Moai statues (a word that means "sculpture" in Rapa Nui) are one of the most important cultural expressions of this civilization. They were incredibly large sculptures, which were scattered throughout the entire island.

The presence of these sculptures in a uniform way allows us to understand that the type of government was centralized. However, these cultural representations at one point in Rapa Nui history were pushed to the ground.

Moai statues

These structures are believed to represent tribal leaders of certain factions. When factions clashed with each other, rivals would topple enemy statues in times of war.

These statues were created by a team of sculptors, which, it is estimated, could take up to two years to finish a sculpture. They came in various sizes, and one of the greatest mysteries in the history of Easter Island is the method that the ancient Rapa Nui used to transport these sculptures throughout the entire island.

Clothing

The significance of the color white is high and varied in the Rapa Nui culture. In ancient times, tribal sorcerers used white paint to pigment their bodies during rituals and worship. On the other hand, it also represents the religion that today is the main one of the Rapa Nui, Catholicism.

Today, Rapa Nui men often wear white trousers in formal ceremonies and Polynesian-made shirts.

In the same way, the population today usually uses a large number of Polynesian garments. As decoration, those who belong to this ethnic group adorn their bodies with sea shells, flowers, feathers, bark of some trees and natural elements belonging to various Polynesian islands.

Huru-huru

The traditional clothing used in dances and musical ceremonies is known as huru-huru. It is a feminine dress, which usually consists of skirts and bras adorned with feathers, as well as fiber from the banana plant and maute wood ornaments.

Kakenga

The Kakenga is a dress used for certain traditional dances, which also has a variation for war dances, called hoko. These clothes are usually accompanied by sea shells and feathers from various birds that inhabit the island.

Other clothing accessories are the teeth of dead animals, as well as skins or, in many cases, whole stuffed animals. It is also customary to wear a crescent-shaped necklace or wooden carvings with sacred shapes for the Rapa Nui inhabitants.

Music

The music of Easter Island has its origins in the roots of Polynesian civilizations. At present, there is no written record of the ancestral dances and songs of the Rapa Nui, but the legends and stories told orally by the aborigines tell stories of gods and spiritual warriors with several centuries of validity.

Obviously, Rapa Nui music is represented mainly in the dances of its people. Among the most important, the following stand out:

Sau sau

The sau sau is a dance with Samoan origins, which was introduced to the inhabitants of the island during the Second World War. The version of this dance that they practice on the island was modified by the inhabitants, who adapted it with their own music and lyrics.

The dance tells a love story on a boat, which is represented with arm movements that refer to the movement of the waves. The dance uses special Rapa Nui clothing and is practiced in most of its important celebrations. It is usually practiced by women.

Tamuré

The tamuré is a dance of Tahitian origin, practiced mainly by men. It consists of a series of violent movements and spectacular stunts. The origins of the dance resemble other war dances practiced by aboriginal civilizations of antiquity.

Ula ula

Like the tamuré, the ula ula is a dance of Tahitian origin. However, this is practiced in pairs; people dance to a lively rhythm, which does not present provocative movements, but does move the hips. It is accompanied by light movements of the arms.

Reference

1. Rapa Nui Culture: Moai Statues, imagine Easter Island (English website), (nd). Taken from imaginaisladepascua.com
2. Rapa Nui Culture: Traditional clothing, imagine Easter Island (English website), (nd). Taken from imaginaisladepascua.com
3. A Brief History of the Rapa Nui Islanders, H. Stewart, 2017. Taken from culturetrip.com
4. History of Easter Island, Wikipedia in English, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org
5. Rapa Nui Culture: Music and dances, imagine Easter Island (English website), (nd). Taken from imaginaisladepascua.com
6. Rapa Nui People, Wikipedia in English, 2018. Taken from wikipedia.org