Easter Island | Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel

The Birdman Cult of Easter Island

July 18, 2021February 28, 2020 by Barbara Weibel

Houses at the Orongo ceremonial village were built on a narrow ledge of land between the volcano crater and the sea

After the decline of Moai culture on Easter Island, a new cult emerged that revolved around fertility and the worship of migratory seabirds. As the Moai had represented the idea of ancestor worship, the new Birdman Cult was represented by the Tangatu-mana (birdman), a human body with the head of a bird. The village of … Read more

Easter Island – One of the Most Spiritual Places on Earth

July 18, 2021February 18, 2020 by Barbara Weibel

Ahu Ko Te Riku, the only Moai of Easter Island discovered with intact eyes

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For years, friends have raved that Easter Island is the most spiritual place they have ever visited. This speck of land in the eastern Pacific, known to locals as Rapa Nui, had been on my wish list for years. Since childhood I had read about the Moai, enormous statues that the indigenous people carved and … Read more