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Legends and Traditions of Easter Island

translated from Sebastian Englert's Leyendas

The Obsidians of Hare o Ava (Burial of Hotu Matu'a)
Told by Leonardo Pakarati
Ku-hakama'a-maiá tooku koro, Ko Ure Potahi A'Te Pihi, A'Ure Atoro:      My father, Ko Ure Potahi A'Te Pihi A'Ure Atoro, taught me:
Te rua muraki-era i a Hotu Matu'a, i Akahaga, i Hare o Ava.      The grave [where] is buried Hotu Matu'a is in Akahanga, in Hare o Ava.
I-to'o-mai-era, i haka-topa-era i te Ariki mo muraki, he-tiaki e te tahi mata i te pâpaku.      As [they] brought [him] there, as [they] lowered the King to bury [him], other tribes waited for the corpse [hoping to steal it].
Oira i-to'o-mai-ai i te hatu matá. I-tigitigi, i-ano'i-ai raûa ko te oone mo haohaoa o te kori ana-tiaki-mai. For that reason they brought pieces of obsidian. Once [they had] broken them up, once they had mixed [them with the soil], there it was, soil to hurt the thieves they were expecting.


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