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Makemake

This deity wished to create a being capable of speaking and writing. And so he fertilized a hole in a rock containing red clay; from it sprang man. But some time having elapsed, he noted how the man looked lonely. He caused the man to sleep and fertilized one of his left ribs. And so sprung the first woman.

1. How did man come about?
2. How did Makemake create woman?

Rapa Nui, A Unique Culture

– Rapa Nui’s culture is distinguished by its unique features which came about as a result of geographic isolation (it is the most isolated Polynesian island).
– Among the most important and well-known myths are the cult of the god Makemake, the legend of the seven explorers and the devil Aku-Aku, among many others.
– The mysterious Rongo-Rongo wooden tablets consist of tidy rows of symbols that include animals, plants and celestial objects that have yet to be deciphered.

1. Why did Rapa Nui come up with its own world view?
2. What are the Rongo-Rongo tablets?

Native to Polynesia

– Two theories explain the origins of the Rapa Nui people: the Polynesian origin theory and the South American origin theory.
– The Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeveen discovered Rapa Nui on April 5, 1722.
In September 9, 1888 Policarpo Toro took possession of Easter Island on behalf of the Chilean government.

1. Which theories explain the origins of the Rapa Nui people?
2. Who discovered Rapa Nui?
3. When was Rapa Nui annexed to Chile?