Easter Island Orongo Birdman Culture

Rapa Nui National Park was created by means of the Supreme Decrees Number 103 on January 16th of 1935, of the Ministry of Lands and Colonization and it is under CONAF administration. All the island territory was declared Historic Monument which means that it is protected by the Law 17.288 of National Monuments. The park was declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. There is always a park guard in the following places : Orongo, Tahi, Rano Raruku volcano and Anakena beach.

What is Orongo?

It is a ceremonial center built for religious practices related to the cult of the Manutara and bird-man (tangata manu) competition. This village was seasonably used, that is, people stayed here for some weeks at the beginning of the spring every year. The one room dwellings built here were not present in other parts of the island. Although the architecture clearly reflects that of boat-houses (hare-paenga), the building system is similar to control towers (tupa). It is believed that this site began to be used by the end of the 16th century; however, the bird-man cult seems to have become more relevant later.

What is the importance of the site?

The cult of the ancestors, represented in the great quantity of carvings of megalithic statues or moai, was one of the most important characteristics of the prehistoric Rapa Nui culture and its manifestations are spread all over the island. However, from the 16th century Rapa Nui began to create megaliths as a religious and political expression and that is how a new religious cult emerged - with the god Make-Make and beliefs closely related to fertilization, spring and the arrival of migratory sea birds. Thus, Orongo became an essential part in the life of Rapa Nui people, representing a new era in the history and culture of this society and where a different religion and political system gradually prevailed over the former one, and marked what happened until the end of the 19th century.

What was the Tangata-Manu ritual about?

It was an annual ceremony in which the chiefs from different tribes or lineages, or their representatives (hopu) came to obtain the first egg of the sooty term or Manutara. This migratory bird nests on the islet Motu Nui, the biggest of the three islands, in front of the Orongo site. Actually, the bird has become protected as is Rapa Nui itself, for its number have been decimated by human exploitation, the elements and its fragile breeding ground and breeding habits.

In spring, different groups from all over the island travelled to Orongo and prepared for the bird-man activities. When competition started, competitors climbed down the cliff of Rano Kau and swam up to Motu Nui. There they stayed days or weeks waiting for the arrival of manutara, until one of them managed to find one egg, which he wrapped in a hand-woven basket attached to his head and then swam against the mighty current back to the foot of the Orongo cliff, which he climbed. The first man back (not the first to find the Manutara egg, but the first one to bring a Manutara egg back safely, was proclaimed the next bird-man was for the next year he became like a diety. When the competitor arrived back with a perfect egg and presented it (to whom?), the Tangata Manu title was conferred on him, or the chief to whom the competitor represented. The new bird-man or Tangata Manu was considered sacred or tapu and he remained in seclusion for one year. During that year, he would remain in one of the elliptical cliff dwellings, be fed by his family and villages, could not cut his hair or nails, and must be regarded and act like a holy man. The last ceremony was celebrated in 1867.

In this ceremonial village, not only archaeological vestiges related to the bird-man (Tangata Manu) cult are preserved, even more, a great number of Rapa Nui art and culture is presented here. Orongo is one of the main Polynesian rock art places. It is also one of the most stunning views in the Rapa Nui National Park.

[1] From here a general view of the village can be obtained, as well as the offshore rocky islets (motu) which are closely related to the Orongo ritual activities. The orientation of the houses face the motu. Motu Nui is the largest and it is where Manutara or the sooty tern nests.

[2] Two unrestored houses give an idea of how these dwellings used to be before they were rebuilt between 1974 and 1976.

[3] In this partially restored house of stone masonry, the way of building can be observed - a unique long and narrow room of elliptical shape, with thick double walls made of stone laja [sic] filled with earth. The roof was made of larger angular slabs which overlapped, and which finally consisted of a turf cover.

[4] Most social activities done in Orongo were done in front of these dwellings, in terraces clearly defined by a low stony wall. Groups from different tribes met here during many weeks dancing and singing songs related to the Tangata-Manu ritual. In spite of all the artifacts, little is known about the true origin and significance of this ancient ceremony.

[5] In one of these houses, there was a famous Moai Hoa Haka Nana La, statue of 2.5 meters high, made of basalt and adorned with petroglyphs related to the Tangata-Manu ritual. This moai was taken to England in 1968 and today is exhibited in the British Museum.

[6] The central area of the ceremonial culture has houses constructed that take advantage of the natural unevenness of the peak. Some dwellings had ornamental walls with paintings of the Orongo ritual such as sea birds, ceremonial oars called ao. Some painting have been removed and are on exhibit in various museums.

[7] This area, the Mata Ngarahu, is where the ceremonial activities were the focus of attention during the bird-man competition. Hundreds of petroglyphs of Tangata-Manu, Make-Make god and Komari were carved on the stones here in testimony of intense ritual activities related to the bird-man cult. According to the island tradition, priests in charge of the ceremony stayed in these houses waiting for the results of the competition. At present, for security reasons a maximum of five people at one time can stand on this cliff lip which has no guard rails or other barriers from the sea below. The rather preposterous film Rapa Nui, which tries to explain some of the unknown myths of the island as well as weave in a sappy romance, shows Kevin Costner as the bird-man jumping off of this cliff to the ocean fa-ar below. If someone jumped from such a height, they would almost certainly be injured or killed, but from this site, the jump would absolutely be suicidal as the cliff is not as sheer as it looks but flairs out slightly, making it possible for the returning competitors to scale the near-sheer but very craggy cliff. People on Rapa Nui enjoy showing the movie to visitors, who flock in to see it, but they deride most of the movie ... and use it as a come-on to the sites, explaining what was wrong in the movie.

[8] Keho, or basalt stone for building a house, is located on the eastern side of the Orongo area, and it is here that basalt slabs were quarried to build the village huts (hare) which also employed straw (totora) in the construction. The basalt created strong structures and were resistant to the strong winds always blowing here.

[9] Although this site is in ruins, a central platform with a ramp to a small ceremonial altar (ahu) are still distinguishable. Pieces of rock from the Rano Raraku volcano belonging to a moai once erected here still remain in pieces around it.

source

Throughout the Orongo site are Make-Make or rock carvings of the cult's god.

The Thrilling Seabiscuit

Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit, thunders out a well-researched story that builds in page-turning momentum, much like the Thoroughbreds that hurl their bodies around the track at killer speeds to lunge for the finish line. A most compelling read! After reading her literary piece of excellence, her other book, Unbroken, a story of a ship-wrecked WWII and POW survivor, is hot on my list!

Laura did a phenomenal job of digging through archives, placing extensive phone calls, and interacting with people in the horse track world to write her compelling book. It took her four long years and the outcome is the testament of a well-crafted published work that will grace any bookshelf. Not because of my love of horses, but because of my love of literary art do I give this book the full 5.0 score! In fact, I think it's one of the most well-written books I've had the joy to read.

In the 1930s the gangly knock-kneed Seabiscuit became the sweetheart horse of America. If going by appearance, Seabiscuit wasn't much too look at, but the horse had heart, he had endurance, and he had the zany personality of a champion with a definite character. After winning the hearts of the west, he was shipped east to take the hearts of the more conservative half of the US where there were the venerable old stables and races, the home of racing elites, and the place where prestige was accumulated by one's style and classiness. Because Seabiscuit wasn't considered good enough to strike first for the east's great races, he was first placed in the Scarsdale Handicap, a midlevel stake, and because Seabiscuit was the longest shot on the board, few people paid him much mind ... but he had one minute forty seconds to change their minds! Fighting his way through a mass of horses, and chain-action collisions Seabiscuit, guided by his jockey Red Pollard, came from behind, extended his neck and won by inches. "The finish photo captured the scene: a dense cluster of horses stretched out for the wire, ears flat and lips peeled back in extreme effort. Ahead of them all, ears tipped forward with a jaunty expression, was Seabiscuit's heavy, homey head. Easy."

With horse racing the fastest growing sport in the 1920s and early 1930s, Seabiscuit became the icon. He was featured in the nation's corner theaters that ran pictures of Seabiscuit, he appeared on magazine covers, but it was through radio that people were most thrilled by the racing of this racing god. 

"In the 1920s the cost of a radio had been prohibitive - $120 or more - and all that bought was a box of unassembled parts. In unelectrified rural areas, radios ran on pricey, short-lived batteries. But with the 1930s came the advent of factory-built console, tabletop, and automobile radio sets, available for as little as $5. Thanks to Roosevelt's Rural Electrification Administration, begun in 1936, electricity came to the quarter of the population that lived on farmlands. Rural families typically made the radio their second electric purchase, after the clothes iron. By 1935, when Seabiscuit began racing, two thirds of the nation's homes had radio. At the pinnacle of his career, that figure had jumped to 90%, plus eight million sets in cars. Enabling virtually all citizens to experience noteworthy events simultaneously and in entertaining form, radio created a vast common culture in America, arguably the first true mass culture the world had ever seen. Racing, a sport whose sustained dramatic action was ideally suited to narration, became a staple of the airwave. The Santa Anita Handicap, with its giant purse and world-class athletes, competing in what was rapidly becoming the nation's most heavily attended sport, became one of the premier radio events of the year.
"In February 1937, all of these new social and technological forces were converging. The modern age of celebrity was dawning. The new machine of fame stood waiting. All it needed was the subject himself. At that singular hour, Seabiscuit, the Cinderella horse, flew over the line of the Santa Anita Handicap. Something clicked: here he was."

With the charge of horse racing electrifying America, language from the races was incorporated into mainstream speech. Idioms like "going to get your goat", "off to the races", "a dark horse racing", among others enriched everyday speech. One specific idiom is traced back to Seabiscuit's greatest race at Pimlico against the Triple Crown winner War Admiral, sired by Man O'War, who was also the grandsire of Seabiscuit. In the race with jockey George Woolf, replacement to the injured Red Pollard, aboard Seabiscuit and Charles Kurtsinger aboard War Admiral, the since oft repeated phrase was born when Seabiscuit looked across at War Admiral as they came around in the final stretches and then with a burst a speed shot four lengths ahead to win the race. As Woolf felt the power surge through Seabiscuit and grinned as the gap appeared, Woolf called out cheerily to Charles Kurtsinger, "See you later, Charlie" ... and linguistic humor was born.

Seabiscuit and jockey George Woolf lead War Admiral and jockey Charles Kurtsinger - source 

America loved the little knobbed-kneed horse that rocketed around racetracks and which galloped into their hearts. To commemorate their icon, a wild odd assortment of memorabilia with Seabiscuit's name or picture were sold - signature board games, pinball machines, wastebaskets, postcards, "endorsement" ads for two beer brands, two lines of Seabiscuit oranges, whiskey, a hotel, a humor magazine, a dry-cleaning service, and ladies' hats. Seabiscuit was obviously so in the minds of the American people that he became a household word, and literally was featured in many households. He was an icon of the dreams and hearts of the American people when, during the Great Depression, there was little to dream about, but Seabiscuit's grand performances sure promised a lot to hope about.