For reasons lost to history the Rapa Nui people knocked over all the morai and created a new tradition. That tradition was a competition we're in the strongest Warriors of the seven different tribes each competed against each other. The winner of the competition became the Birdman and his chief and tribe would be the rulers of the island for one full year. The competition consisted of a run down the cliff to the ocean. A swim of a kilometer or two out to the islands on the edge of the island. And then a complex series of waiting and hunting for the first bird egg of the season. The warrior that found the first bird egg with in put it in a cloth , wrap it around his head and swim back to the main island with it. If he made it back with the bird egg intact he was then the winner was crowned Birdman. There were a series of structures that were built on the top of the crater. From these structures a different tribes leaders could watch the competition. It was said that the winning Warrior would yell to his tribe that he has the egg and is on his way. Patricia pointed out that we were able to hear the surf where we were at the top of the crater.
The Birdman has a beak of a seagoing bird the neck pouch of a frigate bird the hands and feet of a man. He is unable to buy clothes in a store.
How the viewing Huts looked in the recent past
An Architectural Group reconstructed these viewing Huts at the top of the crater looking down at the Birdman Arena
These were not gigantic viewing structures, but they were perfectly suited for the environment
Anybody home?
A multi-family viewing structure
A very deep Petroglyph of the Birdman
It was a 1.5 km swim out to the Big Island. Then they would find the egg and have to swim back
The reconstructed houses really we're impressive.
The very small opening allowed the structure to withstand the winds and storms that would come right along the coast
A Petroglyph of the Birdman
