Located in the Easter Island, those magnificent monumental statues have been protecting the land for many many years.
They were built by the locals, known as the Rapa Nui people.
Many archeologists visited the island in order to find out how those statues were built, but more importantly how they were transferred and lifted in specific locations.
After many trial and error methods, the archeologists and the locals found a way of recreating those statues using volcano's cold lava, lifting them to a base using only ropes and wood, sliding this base on trunks of trees, and slowly moving those statues to their designated locations.
It took a lot of time and men power. But they made it happen.
Who were the geniuses behind those monuments? And what was the purpose of them?
Little is known about the Rapa Nui people. But here's what I managed to gather about them...
The Rapa Nui people migrated to the island between 300 - 1200 AD. After examining their DNA from discovered skeletons, they have been genetically connected to European and Amerindian people. And hence historians believe that they could have migrated from afar land.
The Rapa Nui were very organized and structured. They had a hierarchy which was led by the God Matatoa, followed by the King and Priests.
The people believed in a power called "Mana" which came from Matatoa. This Mana was to protect the Island from foreigners, to protect the locals from other Islanders, to fertile the land and soil and enhance agriculture, to be prosperous and healthy.
The Moai were built as representatives and decedents of Matatoa. If you look carefully, some of the statues have bright white eyes. It was believed that through these eyes, or "Mata", the statues can use the Mana to protect the people.
It was a good era for the Rapa Nui for they have divided the Easter Island and formed different clans. On the base of the Moai, the archeologists found several symbols representing the different divisions. Some of them had a hook, which represented the Mipu, which was where the Royal family stayed, others had trees, representing the clan that was in the middle of the Island, etc
As the population grew, famine became an inevitable problem.
Some legends say that cannibalism was the consequence, but little evidence exists.
What does exist are evidence and legends of warfare and combats. The way story goes is when the Island was running out of land to hold the growing population, and when food was very scarce, some formed an alliance against the King and his priests.
They planned an attack and destroyed some of the Moai, claiming that they weren't bringing any luck.
After the King's defeat, the Easter Islander were hiding in volcano caves.
Until one day a man called 'Bird Man' took the lead. He formed a new religion based on the Spring birds. He believed that those birds were sent from the Heavens, if not God himself. He would command his people to wait for the birds to lay eggs, snitch them from their nests, and bring them to Bird Man. He would then sit and worship them.
Noticing this disgraceful act, those Spring birds stopped visiting the Island and changed their destination.
The people no longer believed in Bird Man, after all, not only did the Gods abandon him, but he was also known for being cruel and heartless.
Bird Man was gone.
After few years, a European ship ended up on the shore, and the Rapa Nui people were finally discovered.
However, many of them were taken for war, and only few of them managed to go home.
An Island which could no longer contain any more people was now left with only few.
Those survivors managed to come back to the Island and formed families again.
Generation after generation, those tales and legends are slowly fading away.
What's left of the Rapa Nui culture are the Moai, those gods representatives on Earth, who never sleep, never blink, forever over watching the Island and its history.
Many archeologists visited the island in order to find out how those statues were built, but more importantly how they were transferred and lifted in specific locations.
After many trial and error methods, the archeologists and the locals found a way of recreating those statues using volcano's cold lava, lifting them to a base using only ropes and wood, sliding this base on trunks of trees, and slowly moving those statues to their designated locations.
It took a lot of time and men power. But they made it happen.
Who were the geniuses behind those monuments? And what was the purpose of them?
Little is known about the Rapa Nui people. But here's what I managed to gather about them...
The Rapa Nui people migrated to the island between 300 - 1200 AD. After examining their DNA from discovered skeletons, they have been genetically connected to European and Amerindian people. And hence historians believe that they could have migrated from afar land.
The people believed in a power called "Mana" which came from Matatoa. This Mana was to protect the Island from foreigners, to protect the locals from other Islanders, to fertile the land and soil and enhance agriculture, to be prosperous and healthy.
The Moai were built as representatives and decedents of Matatoa. If you look carefully, some of the statues have bright white eyes. It was believed that through these eyes, or "Mata", the statues can use the Mana to protect the people.
It was a good era for the Rapa Nui for they have divided the Easter Island and formed different clans. On the base of the Moai, the archeologists found several symbols representing the different divisions. Some of them had a hook, which represented the Mipu, which was where the Royal family stayed, others had trees, representing the clan that was in the middle of the Island, etc
As the population grew, famine became an inevitable problem.
What does exist are evidence and legends of warfare and combats. The way story goes is when the Island was running out of land to hold the growing population, and when food was very scarce, some formed an alliance against the King and his priests.
They planned an attack and destroyed some of the Moai, claiming that they weren't bringing any luck.
After the King's defeat, the Easter Islander were hiding in volcano caves.
Until one day a man called 'Bird Man' took the lead. He formed a new religion based on the Spring birds. He believed that those birds were sent from the Heavens, if not God himself. He would command his people to wait for the birds to lay eggs, snitch them from their nests, and bring them to Bird Man. He would then sit and worship them.
Noticing this disgraceful act, those Spring birds stopped visiting the Island and changed their destination.
The people no longer believed in Bird Man, after all, not only did the Gods abandon him, but he was also known for being cruel and heartless.
Bird Man was gone.
After few years, a European ship ended up on the shore, and the Rapa Nui people were finally discovered.
However, many of them were taken for war, and only few of them managed to go home.
An Island which could no longer contain any more people was now left with only few.
Generation after generation, those tales and legends are slowly fading away.
What's left of the Rapa Nui culture are the Moai, those gods representatives on Earth, who never sleep, never blink, forever over watching the Island and its history.
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