The Aku-Aku
– On Rapa Nui, an islander called Takuihu discovered the secret of the demons: they have no flesh and their body is only a skeleton. To keep the young man from telling anyone what he had seen, the demons tried to kill him, but Takuihu convinced them that he hadn’t seen anything. When he was free, he took a piece of toromiro and carved the image of the demons in it. This was how the images of the Aku-Aku were created.
1. What are the Aku-Aku?
2. How was the appearance of these demons discovered?
Rapa Nui, the navel of the world
– Rapa Nui is located in Polynesia, in the Pacific ocean. It has a surface area of 163.6 km2 and is approximately 3,760 km away from continental Chile.
– Ever since it fell under Chilean sovereignty, Rapa Nui has administratively belonged to the province of Isla de Pascua, which is part of the Region of Valparaiso.
– It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995.
1. What is the approximate surface area of Rapa Nui?
2. What Region does Easter island belong to administratively?
3. What year was Easter island declared a World Heritage Site?
Physical geography and popular traditions
– Easter island is volcanic in origin and presents mild slopes and steep cliffs that drop down all the way to the ocean on some of its borders.
– The predominant climate on the island is rainy tropical.
– Ever since its beginnings, the people of Rapa Nui have performed ancestral rites and ceremonies. A few of the most important ones are the Birdman ceremony, the Aringa ora or Koro and the Tapati.
1. What is the physical geography of Easter island like?
2. Which are the island’s most well-known ceremonies?
