Temehea Tohua is located on the island of Nuku Hiva, which is the largest atoll in the Marquesas archipelago in French Polynesia.
This unique island is home to some of the most outlandish statues ever seen by man. Some ancient sculptures depict creatures that appear to be aliens. And everyone who comes to this land wants to solve the riddle: who are they - the fruit of the sculptor's wild imagination or something that really descended from the distant space wastelands to this island?
At first glance, they seem to be just “big statues”, but upon closer inspection, you notice more and more interesting features: unusually large eyes, massive oblong heads, frail / huge bodies and other attributes, the presence of which causes confusion about the origin of the “models” that inspired the creator of these statues.
Nuku Hiva is largest island Marquis archipelago in French Polynesia and overseas territory of France in the region The Pacific... Previously, the atoll was known as Madison Island.
Herman Melville wrote the book "Typee", which is based on his experience in the Taipiwai Valley in the eastern part of Nuku Hiva Island. The first landfall of Robert Louis Stevenson during his Casco expedition in 1888 took place in the Hatihoi area, located in the northern part of Nuku Hiva. Also, Nuku Hiva became the next stage for filming the 4th season of the American reality show "Survivors", which took place throughout the archipelago of the Marquesas Islands.
Warrior of the island of Nuku Hiva, 1813
In ancient times, Nuku Hiva was divided into two regions: more than 2/3 of the island was occupied by the province of Te Lii, and the rest of the territory belonged to the Tai Pi community.
Recent studies show that the first settlers arrived here 2,000 years ago, arriving from Samoa and then colonizing Tahiti in Hawaii, the Cook Islands and New Zealand... Legends say that the all-creating deity Ono promised a wife to the one who would build a house in a day, and having gathered the earth together, he created the islands, calling them parts of the house.
Thus, the island of Nuku Hiva is considered a “roof”. And all that remained unused, he dumped in a heap, forming the hill of Wa Huka. For centuries, the population of this island has increased, and at such a rate that by the time the first European arrived on this land, it ranged from 50 to 100 thousand inhabitants on this small piece of land in the middle of the ocean.
Of course, food was of prime importance here. The basis of the diet was made up of breadfruit, as well as taro, bananas and cassava. As for protein products, fish predominated here, although its quantity was limited, given the number of people that it needed to feed. Pigs, chickens, dogs were also the object of culinary preferences of the inhabitants of the island.
Breadfruit
There is still a scientific debate about why so many Polynesian tribes practiced cannibalism. According to one theory, eating their own kind was more likely to compensate for the lack of protein in the diet, rather than serve for ritual ceremonies. However, cannibalism played a large role for ritual purposes. Thus, the sacrifice brought to the sea deity Ica was “caught” in the same way as a fish, and was suspended by a hook above the altar like an underwater inhabitant.
Anyone who was supposed to become a victim of a sacred ritual was tied up and hung from a tree for a certain time, after which his brains were knocked out with a baton. It is believed that women and children engaged in cannibalism only for the sake of food, while male warriors sacrificed to deities and ate opponents defeated in battle in order to gain their power. For the same purpose, they kept the skulls of defeated enemies.
In many places on our planet, archaeologists find unusual artifacts that do not reveal the mysteries of history, but only increase their number. One of these artifacts is outlandish statues of Nuku Hiva island that have no analogues on Earth.
Looking at them, one involuntarily ponders what kind of wild fantasy these mysterious creatures could create. Or maybe alien reptilians who once visited the island served as models for the ancient sculptures?
The quadrangular island of Nuku Hiva (formerly called Madison) is an atoll with an area of 330 square kilometers, its length is 30 kilometers, and its width is 15 kilometers. This is the most big Island Marquesas archipelago of French Polynesia.
Nuku Hiva means "The Majestic Island" in translation, and this is quite justified. It's incredible here beautiful nature... Lush greenery adjoins mountain heights, in the warm ocean waters a diverse, colorful underwater world shakes the imagination of even the most sophisticated traveler.
This natural picture is complemented by two extinct volcanoes surrounded by pointed rocks. The crater of one of them was filled with water, such a few places can be seen. Plus, the absence of any natural disasters and rainy seasons. Directly heaven on earth. We can say that Nuku Hiva is a sparsely populated island. A little more than 2 thousand inhabitants live here permanently.
FROM THE DEPTH OF AGES
In the middle of the last century, American archaeologists carried out excavations on the island. Based on them, it was established that the first inhabitants appeared here as early as 150 AD. e. They arrived from the island of Samoa, then they gradually colonized New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Tahiti and Hawaii.
The population was mainly engaged in pottery and stone processing. That is why on the island already in 1100 there were stone houses, famous tiki sculptures and other structures.
As the centuries passed, the island's population grew at a tremendous pace. By the time the first Europeans appeared on Nuku Hiva, about 100 thousand inhabitants lived on this small piece of land in the middle of the ocean. During the existence of Nuku Hiva, there were attempts to seize the island by the Americans, but they were unsuccessful.
In 1842, the island began to belong to France, at the same time the construction of a Catholic cathedral began. But, even despite the constant visits of missionaries, Christianity took root here with difficulty. In addition, the island's population was gradually decreasing. Tribal wars claimed many lives. In addition, the Europeans brought here diseases to which the aborigines did not have immunity.
So, in 1863, as a result of the smallpox epidemic, about 1,000 people died. Peruvian slave traders replenished the stocks of slaves here, and in 1883 the opium imported by the Chinese finally "solved" the demographic problem. And in 1934 only about 600 people remained on the island.
Like any other people, the local population has a legend about the origin of Nuku Khiva. According to her, the god Ono boasted to his wife that he would build a house in just one day. For this, he gathered all the earth, from it he created islands, each of which corresponded to a certain part of the house. Nuku Hiva in this structure was a roof. The rest of the land Ono collected in a heap - thus the island of Wa-Huka, located now east of Nuku-Hiva, was formed.
GOURMETS NUKU-KHIVA
Since such a small piece of land was densely populated, the problem of food was perhaps the most important. Basically, the natives ate plant foods: breadfruit, bananas, cassava, etc. It is clear that protein was always in short supply. Even the fish that could be caught in the ocean waters were not enough to feed so many mouths. Not to mention pigs and chickens, even dogs were not disdained here.
Perhaps that is why, according to scientists, many local tribes practiced cannibalism. More often for replenishing protein in the diet than for ritual ceremonies. But the latter also cannot be discounted. The inhabitants of the island appeased the sea deity Ica, bringing him human sacrifices.
The unfortunate man, like a fish, was caught on a hook, and then tied up and hung on a tree above the altar. For some time, the victim was not touched, and then they began to beat him on the head with a truncheon until his brains were blown out.
And some scientists believe that eating their own kind was necessary only for women and children.
for food. The men of the tribe thus appropriated the power of a defeated enemy. For the same purpose, they collected the skulls of the people they ate.
Aliens
It would seem that there is nothing special in Nuku Hiva: beautiful nature, exotic local customs - everything is like in other Polynesian islands. Only on this island there is the Temehea Tohua village, next to which there are several unique statues that have no analogues in the world.
Presumably the sculptures are stone deities of the ancient Polynesians dating from the 11th-14th centuries. Actually, how many stone idols on Earth? Only tiki idols, as they are called, are special. They all have a strange appearance.
It seems that the ancient sculptors carved out of stone obviously not earthly inhabitants. The creatures immortalized in stone had bodies with bulging bellies, large oblong heads, on which huge eyes stood out.
And they were dressed in clothes very similar to space suits. Scientists have not yet been able to find out what it is: the fruit of the fantasy of an insane sculptor or the impression of a meeting with alien beings. But even the most skeptical researchers are convinced that there is nothing human about these statues.
Meanwhile, tiki is very reminiscent of the descriptions of guests from distant space, with whom our contemporaries met. It turns out that the residents of Nuku-Khiva also saw them? And they did not just see, but fell under their authority, if they venerated them as deities and worshiped them.
The largest statue is 2.5 meters high. No sculpture repeats another, each depicts a specific deity. Locals are still convinced that tiki carries the power of the depicted god. One helps in military affairs, the second saves from trouble, the third contributes to a rich harvest, etc.
Those who adhere to the version of aliens believe that different groups of aliens served as models for tiki. Some sculptures are like reptilians- the most ancient and evil, according to ufologists, creatures in the Universe. By the way, their civilization has reached a high level of development, and its representatives could well manage people. This is about tiki worship.
Another group of sculptures, according to the same ufologists, depicts "gray aliens". They vaguely resemble a person with a frail body, slender arms and a huge head. Only disproportionately large eyes and mouths betray alien beings in them.
It is believed that reptilians first appeared on the island. They were able to enslave people, make them worship, become deities for them. And then they created the "gray aliens", using them as slaves. That is why the sculptures are so different from each other.
But all these are just assumptions, fantasies and conjectures. And who knows if mankind will ever be able to unravel the mystery of the idols of the island of Nuku Hiva.
Galina MINNIKOVA
DK2AMM, DL6JGN, GM4FDM, PA3EWP will be active from Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands (IOTA OC-027) 3 - 15 March 2016 as TX7EU.
They will be QRV on 40 - 10m CW, SSB, RTTY.
QSL via DK2AMM.
Address for QSL direct:
Ernö Ogonovszky, Am Steinbruch 4, 09123 Chemnitz, Germany.
TX7EU News 3 March 2016
The team arrived on the island of Nuku Hiva. They installed the first antenna. The activity is scheduled to start on March 4, 2016.
Nuku hiva island
Any historian or traveler immediately associates the name Nuku-Hiva with something mysterious, or rather even supernatural. And everything is unusual in Nuku Hiva: from the origin of the island and its attractions, ending with modern stories associated with it.
Hatiheu Bay, Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands. Photo by Steve Berardi.
The founding of the island is a true masterpiece
The island of Nuku-Hiva is two huge ancient volcanoes, as if nested into each other by some kind of Master. This giant "matryoshka" has formed two vast basins with strikingly beautiful basalt slopes. One of the hollows surrounds the capital of the island, and the crater of the extinguished volcano itself has turned into a deep bay with impressive mountain peaks on the coast.
The cliffs immersed in the waters of the vast Pacific Ocean evoke a mute delight in everyone who admires this unearthly beauty that came to us from antiquity. It is not for nothing that the island used to be called "Majestic" - you can feel it in any piece of island landscapes.
Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands. Photo by Rita Villiert.
Islanders with eccentric addictions
The population of a small piece of land, at first not numerous (the aborigines lived here already in 150 AD), by the 18th century had grown to about 100 thousand people, and then began to gradually decrease. The reason for this was wars between representatives of different tribes, as well as various infections and viruses brought to the island by Europeans, and to which the islanders did not have immunity (up to a thousand people could die during an epidemic). Well, brought to Nuku-Khiva in late XIX century, Chinese opium did "put things in order" with demography: in the 30s of the XX century, only a little more than half a thousand people lived here. Now the population of the island has increased slightly and has about 2 thousand inhabitants.
But it is not such jumps in the population that are unnatural, but a wild custom, or the terrible need of the aborigines to ... eat their own kind.
Until now, it is difficult to draw a correct conclusion about the reasons for such an exotic "product" included in the diet of the islanders. Perhaps the dense population of a small piece of land with the presence of mainly plant foods on it and, as a consequence, a lack of protein. Apparently, the need for protein for such a number of people could not be filled with fish, or living creatures, which there was also no special opportunity to breed in sufficient quantities.
But there is another version of the cause of cannibalism: the rituals of sacrifice. The inhabitants of Nuku-Khiva thus appeased the deities in whom they believed and feared their wrath, and the men of the tribe, having eaten the defeated enemy, appropriated his power and strength. The skulls of the eaten people were carefully preserved for the same purpose.
This could be attributed to the manifestations of wild ancient customs, if not for one extraordinary circumstance.
More recently, in 2011, in pursuit of extreme adventures, a 40-year-old German came to the island with his companion to hunt goats. Taking a local guide with him, he went to the mountains, and after a while the islander returned and told the hunter's friend that he was wounded and remained in the mountains. When the woman decided to go to the rescue of her friend, the guide tied her up and did not let her go anywhere. When the German woman managed to free herself, she reported the incident to the police. The search led the police to an extinct fire, which contained the remains of a man with all the signs of a cannibal meal. And the unfortunate guide from the island simply escaped.
Apparently, cannibals are never former ...
True, there is another, old, but more optimistic story. This is the story of the navigator Melville, who once escaped from a ship and secretly landed on Nuku Hiva. The natives not only did not eat the sailor - they accepted him as a friend. Later, becoming a writer, he described the history of his stay with the islanders in the book "Typee". There is even a monument in memory of the sailor on the island.
So the tastes and preferences of cannibals are incomprehensible and it is worth delving into them. Moreover, there are more interesting riddles.
Hikokua, Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands. Photo by Rita Villiert.
Statues without analogues or monuments to the other world
Unique statues of tiki idols, which have no analogues anywhere in the world - main riddle islands. Nobody knows who is carved in stone and the history of what creatures is captured in these statues.
Outlandish figures of two types, very often carved by groups (or families?), Suggest that it was here that aliens stayed, or maybe they even lived, about which earthlings are so much controversial.
Huge, wide-set eyes of a round shape, similar to portholes, a flattened large nose and stretched full lips do not make a very pleasant impression and evoke a certain feeling of insecurity and fear.
The largest tiki sculpture is 2.5 meters high. No idol repeats another. Their number and variety eloquently testifies to the completely incomprehensible religion and culture of the island.
At one time, Christian missionaries tried to bring elements of their faith into the life of the islanders. Nuku Hiva even has a small Catholic church, the Catholic Notre Dame Cathedral, built of stones of different colors and shapes, and a statue of the Virgin Mary on a mountain peak above the bay. But Christianity spread hard and was reluctantly accepted. Local beliefs and views are deeply rooted in the heads of residents. Many of them are convinced that each tiki idol carries a different power: help in battles, salvation from various troubles, the growth of crops, and more. What kind of God is there?
But no one knows for certain what tics carry in themselves, nor is it known how they appeared on the island.
Only one thing can be said with complete certainty: our planet is filled with wonders and mysteries, and no one knows when the secret of the idols of the mysterious island of Nuku Hiva will be unraveled.
Some places on our planet keep the secrets of ancient civilizations that amaze scientists from all over the world. For example, on the island of Nuku-Hiva there is an inexplicable mystery - the oldest statues of certain creatures, which ufologists compare with reptilians. No analogues of these statues could be found anywhere else. By outward appearance they resemble some creatures that vaguely resemble an alien, or a person in a spacesuit.
A little background
The island has the shape of a quadrangle with an area of 330 square meters. kilometers. Its length is equal to 30 kilometers, and its width is 15 kilometers. This island was recognized as the largest in the entire Marquesas archipelago of French Polynesia. It was previously called Madison Island.
If you translate the current name of the island, you get the "Great Island". Perhaps this name is really justified, since this corner of the planet may contain clues to the universal secrets that have been of interest to scientists for many decades. The island itself is very picturesque: it is overflowing with lush greenery, among which one can see heights in the form of rocks and mountains. It is washed by warm ocean waters rich in fish. In addition, there are two main natural attractions on the island of Nuku Hiva - extinct volcanoes surrounded by sharp rocks. The crater of one of the volcanoes was flooded with water in time immemorial. Such a phenomenon is rarely found anywhere, so tourists often come to Nuku Hiva. Despite the island's profitability, it remains sparsely populated. The number of its permanent residents has never exceeded 2 thousand.
Nuku Hiva interest of archaeologists
In the middle of the twentieth century, massive archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of Nuku Hiva. The results of these excavations helped determine that the indigenous people had lived there since 150 BC. The first people to settle there were the inhabitants of the neighboring island of Samoa. Subsequently, the population of Nuku-Khiva developed and increased. His main activity was pottery and stone processing.
The first stone houses appeared on Nuku Hiva quite early - in 1100 AD. Besides them, there were stone statues and sculptures. The Americans periodically tried to seize the island, but they did not succeed, since the inhabitants of Nuku-Khiva had excellent military skills.
Since 1842, Nuku Hiva has been owned by France. This year, the French tried to build a Catholic cathedral there and introduce their religion into the settlements there. They did not succeed in doing this: the Catholics took root very badly, they were constantly expelled locals... Since then, the island's population began to decline until it reached its current size.
Legends about the origin of Nuku Hiva
Locals often told those interested interesting legend about the origin of their island. The legend said that the main god Ono once boasted to his wife that he would be able to build an excellent house in just a day. For this, Ono collected the necessary amount of earth and stone, from which he built the islands. Each island corresponded for its intended purpose to a certain room in the house. The island of Nuku Hiva was supposed to serve as the roof of the house of the god Ono.
Where did the reptilian statues come from on the island?
On the territory of Nuku Hiva there is a small settlement Temehea Tohua, near which scientists once found unique statues. The researchers suggested that these statues were images of the deities of Nuku Hiva. They were built in the 11-14 centuries, but, despite this, they have been preserved in excellent condition.
The creatures depicted in the form of statues on the island of Nuku Hiva have a very unusual appearance: a humanoid silhouette, a large head with huge eyes, short limbs, and a disproportionate body. When looking at them, one gets the impression that their creators were looking at extraterrestrial beings during their work. Almost all idols were depicted in the same clothing, similar to modern astronaut spacesuits. Scientists are still puzzling over who created these statues and what he wanted to show. It is only known that there is nothing human in these statues of idols.
Ufologists have compared the statues of the island of Nuku Hiva with reptilians - mythical aliens
Some researchers have stated that the statues of Nuku Hiva Island depict reptilian aliens, which are often spoken of by lovers of UFOs and the paranormal. Perhaps the first inhabitants of the aforementioned island really met with aliens, whom they could count as gods, which is why they wished to immortalize in stone.
The height of the largest masterpiece, Nuku Hiva, is equal to two and a half meters. Each statue is unique - each depicts a separate creature that differs in appearance from the others. The general external features of all statues are the same. Locals call these creatures "tikami", worship them and believe that they can fulfill desires if they are treated with respect. Each idol has its own purpose. Some help in love affairs, the other heals the sick, the third helps to fight with enemy tribes, and so on.
Ufologists believe that on the island of Nuku Hiva there are images of various types of alien deities. For example, some of the statues represent reptilians - the most powerful and ancient sinister creatures in the universe. They allegedly at one time preferred to control people, considered them an underdeveloped race and forced them to worship themselves.
Another type of idols, according to ufologists, depicts "gray aliens" - the most famous, which are distinguished by a large head and eyes, as well as small limbs and a short body.
Thus, it can be assumed that alien creatures, which were seen by local residents, once really flew to the island of Nuku Hiva. Perhaps they taught the wild aborigines the basics of survival, which is why they became gods. It should be noted in advance that all these are just the assumptions of the researchers. It is very difficult to say if a person will ever be able to unravel the secrets of the island of Nuku Hiva.
Basic moments
Stunningly beautiful mountainous area with lush green vegetation, warm ocean waters, varied underwater world and comfortable resorts attracts a huge number of tourists and divers from all over the world to the island of Nuku Hiva.
The island has two extinct volcanoes, craters of which are surrounded by sharp cliffs. Over time, one crater filled with water, forming an amazingly beautiful place.
Now the island of Nuku Hiva is visited mainly by tourists within the framework of sea cruises, combining sightseeing of the island with other travels. However, there are tourists who prefer to be alone with nature, to feel like Robinsons, pioneers. For such people, the island of Nuku Hiva is a real paradise.
You can stay on the island at the hotel, which is a complex of twenty bungalows located on a hill stretching over sandy beach... The bungalows offer stunning views of the bay. All bungalows are designed by different designers, so the look of each is unique. All the modern amenities you need, a restaurant, bar and swimming pool make your stay in this hotel complex very comfortable. There is no clearly pronounced rainy season, there are no such natural disasters as tsunamis and typhoons. average temperature the air on the island is 26 degrees Celsius, which makes the rest very pleasant. For tourists, there is everything for active rest- you can ride a horse, take walks on motor boat, diving and deep-sea fishing are possible.
In addition, every traveler who arrives on the island of Nuku Hiva should definitely get acquainted with the local sights. Among them is the Cathedral of Our Lady, which is built of stones of different colors of various shapes. The cathedral features statues that were made by sculptors living on the different islands of Marquesia. During a tour of the island, you will be shown the smallest Catholic church in the town of Anaho, taken to the beautiful Anaho valley, where there is a waterfall 350 meters high. And from the top of the Muake hill you can see at once the entire island of Nuku Hiva and the statue of the Virgin Mary, standing at the top of the peak, which rises above the Hatiheu Bay.
Such an excursion simply cannot leave any of the tourists indifferent to this exotic island.
Population
The island has 2,100 inhabitants. Some islanders are engaged in socially useful work: they work in state enterprises, they donate their energy and time to the Catholic Church or community, someone works in schools; the rest of the population works for themselves - these people, high in the mountains, cut copra trees, are engaged in fishing, cattle breeding, many are talented artisans. Since ancient times, ceremonies and various ceremonies have remained an integral part of the life of the island and are worth seeing. Most of the people live in the island's three main settlements: Hatiheu, Taipivai and Taiohae. The island's population density is one of the lowest in French Polynesia.
The Mystery of Nuku Hiva Island
On the territory of this unique island, there is Temehea Tohua with some of the most outlandish Tiki statues that man has ever seen. These stone sculptures depict the deities worshiped by the ancient Polynesians. It would seem that nothing special, because stone idols were also found in other places of the Earth. But the peculiarity of Tiki idols is their strange appearance. One gets the impression that the sculptors posed alien creatures, such as we imagine aliens, based on individual facts of meetings with guests from distant space, allegedly taking place with our contemporaries. But how did the ancient aborigines of the island of Nuku Hiva know about them?
It is unlikely to assume that this image is the fruit of the sculptor's exuberant imagination. This means that the ancient inhabitants of Nuku-Hiva saw these strange, big-eyed creatures, which, obviously, had some kind of magical power over the inhabitants, since they recognized them as their deities and worshiped them. Most of Tiki's stone idols date from the 11-14th centuries, at the same time other structures were created on the island. which have survived to this day.
The most big statue almost 2.5 meters high. Tiki differ from each other, each of them is the personification of a particular deity and, according to the Polynesians, stores the magical power of this god. One idol helps in war, the other protects from troubles and misfortunes, the third gives a big harvest, and so on. The opinions of scientists about the originals from which the statues of Tiki were carved diverged, however, almost everyone agrees that they depict some kind of aliens and there is nothing human in them.
Some researchers believe that Tiki idols were sculpted from two absolutely different groups aliens. According to ufologists, for some sculptures "posed" reptilians - the most ancient nationality in the entire universe. This is a very highly developed civilization with evil inhabitants who are able to command people. Other statues of Tiki were carved from other aliens - the Gray Aliens. Their appearance is more like a human, however, a frail body, thin arms, a large head with a nose, mouth and huge "inhuman" eyes. Moreover, ufologists believe that some of the repeating features found on all Tiki sculptures indicate that the masters saw with their own eyes those from whom the statues were made.
It is believed that the Reptilian race appeared on Nuku Hiva earlier, conquering the worship of people and becoming deities for them, the humanoids created the Gray aliens - an inferior race of slaves. I don’t know who is right. Let's hope that time will judge and the mystery of the Tiki sculptures on the island of Nuku Hiva will be unraveled.
Story
As a result archaeological site conducted in the 60s of the last century by an American expedition, it was established that people appeared on the island in 150 AD. They were engaged in the processing of stone, from which they built housing, pottery. Since 1100, many stone structures have been built over the course of three centuries. The famous tiki stone sculptures also date from this time. In 1913, there was an unsuccessful attempt to annex the island by the Americans. The appearance of the first Catholic missionaries on the island dates back to 1839, and already in 1842 the island was taken over by France.
A decade later, a Catholic cathedral was laid in the capital of the island, but Christianity spread hard, inter-tribal wars hindered it. In addition to the wars, the population of the island began to die out due to diseases that the Europeans brought with them. Previously, such diseases were not known on the island, the inhabitants did not have immunity against them. The decline in the population was facilitated by slave traders who also visited Nuku-Khiva. As a result, the number of inhabitants in 1934 was only 634 people, although in 1842 about 12 thousand people lived on the island.
Herman Melville wrote the book "Typee", which is based on his experience in the Taipiwai Valley in the eastern part of Nuku Hiva Island. The first landfall of Robert Louis Stevenson during his Casco expedition in 1888 took place in the Hatihoi area, located in the northern part of Nuku Hiva. Also, Nuku Hiva became the next stage for filming the 4th season of the American reality show "Survivors", which took place throughout the archipelago of the Marquesas Islands.
In ancient times, Nuku Hiva was divided into two regions: more than 2/3 of the island was occupied by the province of Te Lii, and the rest of the territory belonged to the Tai Pi community.
Recent studies show that the first settlers arrived 2000 years ago from Samoa and then colonized Tahiti in Hawaii, the Cook Islands and New Zealand. Legends say that the all-creating deity Ono promised a wife to the one who would build a house in a day, and having gathered the earth together, he created the islands, calling them parts of the house.
Thus, the island of Nuku Hiva is considered a “roof”. And all that remained unused, he dumped in a heap, forming the hill of Wa Huka. For centuries, the population of this island has increased, and at such a rate that by the time the first European arrived on this land, it ranged from 50 to 100 thousand inhabitants on this small piece of land in the middle of the ocean.
Of course, food was of prime importance here. The basis of the diet was made up of breadfruit, as well as taro, bananas and cassava. As for protein products, fish predominated here, although its quantity was limited, given the number of people that it needed to feed. Pigs, chickens, dogs were also the object of culinary preferences of the inhabitants of the island.
There is still a scientific debate about why so many Polynesian tribes practiced cannibalism. According to one theory, eating their own kind was more likely to compensate for the lack of protein in the diet, rather than serve for ritual ceremonies. However, cannibalism played a large role for ritual purposes. Thus, the sacrifice brought to the sea deity Ica was “caught” in the same way as a fish, and was suspended by a hook above the altar like an underwater inhabitant.
Anyone who was supposed to become a victim of a sacred ritual was tied up and hung from a tree for a certain time, after which his brains were knocked out with a baton. It is believed that women and children engaged in cannibalism only for the sake of food, while male warriors sacrificed to deities and ate opponents defeated in battle in order to gain their power. For the same purpose, they kept the skulls of defeated enemies.
How to get there
The best way to reach Nuku Hiva is by plane from Tahiti. The cost of a round trip is from 433.00 EURO per person.
The cost of a flight between the islands of Nuku Hiva - Hiva Oa is from $ 100.
The cost of a flight from Tuamotu islands: Rangiroa - Nuku Hiva from $ 250.
