Easter Island: Birdman Competition
Story behind Rapa Nui's Ritual Tangata-Manu Ceremony at Orongo
The story behind the bloody annual 'birdman' competition between ancient tribes on Easter Island is linked to the powerful Make-Make cult of fertility.
Orongo was a 16th-century ceremonial village on the southwest corner of Easter Island (Isla de Pascua, or Rapa Nui in the local language). You can visit it on the Orongo Trail, which also passes the crater of the extinct Rano Kau volcano.
Birdman Competition (Tangata-Manu)
Just opposite Orongo Village is the tiny islet of Moto Nui, scene of the annual 'birdman' competition, or tangata-manu. Every year in early spring, when manutara (Sooty Tern) birds came to nest on the small outcrop of rock, a chosen member of each tribe raced to be the first to get an egg and bring it back safely to the crowds.
The race involved scrambling down an incredibly steep rock face, swimming across a stretch of shark-infested water (those who were bleeding from the rock face were often eaten alive), waiting there, often for days or weeks, until a bird laid an egg, seeking out and removing an egg from under the indignant mother, and then doing the same hard trip in reverse while keeping the egg intact.
The winner gained prestige and power as 'birdman', had his head shaved and lived in ceremonial seclusion for a year. The chief of his tribe took overall control of the Rapa Nui people for the year. Surprisingly, the last birdman competition took place as late as 1867.
Make-Make Cult
The birdman competition was part of the wider Make-Make cult which was born in Orongo Village. The Make-Make god was closely related to fertility and migrating seabirds, and the cult gradually became the most important on the island. When the Make-Make religious order took over, the huge Moai statues that had previously played such a large part in religious activity on Easter Island were no longer made.
Many of the petroglyphs in the area are related to Make-Make worship and your guide will point some obvious symbols of male and female fertility as well as some other, less easily decipherable markings.
Erosion of Easter Island
Easter Island is gradually becoming eroded by the sea and Orongo is the area in which you can most clearly see the devastating effects of this erosion. The opening at the side of the Rano Kau volcano is getting wider and wider and the crater will soon be flooded by sea-water. Likewise, the battering of the sea against the cliff under the Mata Ngarahu petroglyphs means that now only five visitors can stand on the patch at one time.
The Orongo Village, 300 metres above sea-level, is also highly exposed to wind and rain and the petroglyphs and archaeological remains are in danger of being washed and blown away.
Guided Visit of the Orongo Trail
The Orongo Trail is fairly easy to follow and a good English-language map is available from the entrance, but it is far better to go with a guide. Local guides are very knowledgeable and will give you not only reliable historical and geographical information about the area but also an insight into modern research and excavations. Your hotel can help you arrange a guide, or there are plenty of agencies in town.
