- Address: Easter Island, Chile.
The amazing country of Chile is rich in various attractions . Here you can not only enjoy stunning scenery, but also get acquainted with the culture, traditions and legends of the local population. One of such places, where tourists can get a lot of useful information, is the ceremonial village of Orongo, located on Easter Island .
Location of the village
The ceremonial village of Orongo is extremely interesting for its location: it is in the southwest of Easter Island on the very edge of the famous Rano Cau crater. Looking at it from the outside, it seems that she is about to collapse down into the ocean. In addition, the village is surrounded by picturesque vegetation, which is eucalyptus and coniferous forests, and there is a stunning view of the Motu Cau and Motu Nui islands.
Orongo leads the history of its existence from very ancient times. According to ancient historical sources, it is commonly believed that it was founded by the Polynesians back in 300 AD. At that time, this people was completely isolated from other cultures. The peculiarity of the location of the settlement also determined its architecture.
In the village there are about 50 houses built of stone. It is noteworthy that some of the buildings are connected by means of towers having rounded forms. At first glance, it may seem that they perform an exclusively decorative function, but this is not so. The purpose of the towers was additional strengthening, given that the houses were on the edge of the crater.
Ceremony, which is held in the village
Since the founding of the settlement, the Polynesians have arranged here certain rituals dedicated to the gods they worship. One of them has come down to our days and it can be seen in the village of Orongo. This it causes genuine interest among tourists who rush to the village to personally see an impressive ceremony.
The ritual is dedicated to the cult of a bird and consists of the following. In a certain place, young men gather, who must jump off the cliff and swim on the rafts to the nearby islet in order to find the egg of the sacred bird. The one who first reached the cherished goal, was given the title of Bird-Man, which he proudly bears all the following year. In the local dialect this title sounds like Tangata-manu. The ceremony is a very colorful spectacle, and therefore enjoys great popularity among tourists.
How to get to the village?
The ceremonial village of Orongo is located on Easter Island , which can be reached in two ways: on a cruise ship or by flying from Santiago to a local airport .