| Easter Island was first contacted by the western | | | | usually call this land Hawaiki. Despite their origins |
| world by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen in | | | | from the Polynesian islands, the people of Easter |
| 1722. It was named Easter Island because it was | | | | Island believed Hiwi lay in the east, where the sun |
| discovered on Easter. It is officially a territory of | | | | rises. |
| Chile, located in the South Pacific Ocean about | | | | Easter Island mythology proceeded through two |
| 2000 miles from Chile's west coast. Easter Island | | | | distinct stages. The first was an ancestor worship |
| is probably most famous for its 887 gigantic | | | | system. The Moai statues were erected as a |
| statues, called Moai. What is less known, but | | | | tribute to past important members of the group. |
| equally fascinating, is the rich cultural history and | | | | These statues represent a very impressive |
| mythology of these islands. | | | | creative and intellectual feat. The statues were |
| Archaeologists have long disputed when Easter | | | | often 30 feet tall and weighed more than 75 tons. |
| Island was first inhabited by humans. Estimates | | | | They were almost always carved out of volcanic |
| range anywhere from 300 CE to 1200 CE, but | | | | rock and were erected on the shores or the |
| the general consensus is somewhere between | | | | island, facing inwards. The inward orientation of |
| 700-1000 CE. These estimates are similar to the | | | | the statues is thought to represent the ancestors |
| estimates of first known inhabitants of Hawaii. At | | | | watching over the island inhabitants from the |
| this time in history, seafaring people from | | | | edge of the sea. Like most island cultures, Easter |
| Indonesia were colonizing islands all over the | | | | Island's mythology consisted of a significant |
| Pacific ocean. | | | | marine component. |
| Because Easter Islanders are descended from the | | | | In the 19th century, a civil war erupted amongst |
| Polynesian culture, their mythology shares many | | | | the Easter Islanders. A new group, which |
| characteristics with it. However, because of the | | | | anthropologists have dubbed the Bird-Man Cult, |
| island's extreme geographic isolation (the nearest | | | | rose to power after several years of a fierce |
| inhabited island is more than 2000km away), their | | | | war with the traditional Moai group. During this |
| mythology evolved in unique ways. For example, | | | | time, almost all of the Moai statues were toppled. |
| they believed that their people came from a | | | | The Bird-Man Cult worshiped a god called |
| mythical homeland, which they called Hiva. Most | | | | Makemake, who was the creator of humanity |
| Polynesian cultures also believe this, but they | | | | and the world. |