Mitos y Leyendas: Easter Island

• Genny de Bernardo shares a legend from Easter Island with you.
• The creator god goes by the name of Make-Make.
• Here’s how he created his first being.

Make-Make is revered as the architect of the universe on this remote island. The legend tells that Make-Make, observing the world he had brought to life, felt a sense of emptiness.

One day, while holding a gourd filled with water, he noticed his reflection in it with astonishment.

The breathtaking landscapes of Easter Island have inspired the creation of tales about the genesis of the world.

Excited by this discovery, he greeted his own reflection, at which point a bird perched on his shoulder.

Make-Make creates a being

Seeing how his image reflected in the water took the form of a bird with a beak, wings, and feathers, Make-Make merged this reflection with that of the bird, giving birth to his firstborn.

After some time, Make-Make decided to create a being in his own image, endowed with the ability to speak and think as he desired.

Thus, he attempted to fertilize the waters of the sea, which became populated with fish. Finally, he fertilized a stone with red earth, from which emerged man.

Seeing that man resembled him, Make-Make felt pleased, but noticed that he was alone. So, he made the man sleep and, taking one of his left ribs, created woman.

The destroyer god

According to ancient belief, the land of Rapa Nui was a vast expanse in ancient times, and Uoke, the destroyer god, exerted great power over it.

Uoke, represented in Easter Island mythology, was capable of causing seismic movements to sink or raise the land at his whim, using a lever for that purpose.

One day, while Uoke was amusing himself by lifting part of Rapa Nui, his lever broke. As a result, the island became lower and only the mountain peaks emerged, thus creating the continent.

In this way, the island known as Te-Pito-Te-Henua or The Navel of the World emerged. Mitos y Leyendas bids you farewell for now and hopes that this story from Easter Island has been to your liking. Until next time!