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Legends and Traditions of Easter Island

translated from Sebastian Englert's Leyendas

The Fall of the Stone Statues
Told by Juan Araki
He-turu tou tagata era etahi ka-tapa-ró ki tai.     This man climbed down to the sea.
He-to'o-mai i te kupega, he-turu, he-rere kihaho ki tai.     He carried a net, climbed down, jumped out into the sea.
He-ruku iroto i te pú ura, he-uru kiroto.     He dived inside a lobster hole, he crawled inside.
He-hakarogo te tagata era iroto i te pú, ku-haro aruga.     The man felt [something] inside the hole that was pulling [him] up.
He-huri, he-û'i-atu. I-ka-û'i-atu-ena ko te ura iruga, he-ea-mai kihaho.     He turned around, he looked. Seeing that it was a lobster above, he swam out.
He-oho-atu, he-tomo ki uta, hekî ki te gagata erua:     He went, came ashore, said to two men:
"Koho-mai tatou ki rere!".     "Come with me quick!"
He-rere atotoru, he-tu'u ki te kona pú era. He-ruku atotoru.     The three of them ran, arrived at that spot [with lobster] holes. The three dived down.
He-û'i-atu ku-turu-mai-á te ura mai ruga o te pú.     They saw that the lobster had climbed down from the upper part of the hole.
He-iri-atu te rima atotoru, he-aaru, he-ma'u-mai kihaho, he-hakakau kiuta ka-tomo-ró.     The three of them stretched out their hands, grabbed [the lobster], pulled it outside, swam ashore, landed.
He-iri kimu'a ki te hare. He-ta'o he-kai.     They climbed to the front of the house. They cooked [the lobster] and ate it.
Kotetu ko te ura, rarape nui. He-kai, he-oti.     A giant of a lobster, with a big tail. They ate it all up.
He-topa-mai te ruau ká umu mo te tagata aga moai, he-kî:     An old crone who was a cook for the statue makers came down, she said:
"A ura ké! Kotetu ko te ura rarape nui.     "What a lobster! A giant of a lobster with a big tail."
Hokohía korua i-kai-aí i a tetu i te ura rarape nui? Kai toe korua etahi va'e maaku!".     How many of you were there eating this giant of a lobster with the big tail? You haven't kept one leg for me!"
He-hoki te ruau, he-ragi aruga a te ragi:     The crone went back [home], she cried out to the sky above:
"Ka-hihiga korua ko ga kope!".     "Fall down, lads!"
He-hihiga te moai kiraro.     The statues fell to the ground.
He-hú te tokerau, te uira, te patiri he-heruru i te pó.     The wind blew, there was lightning, thunder rumbled in the night.
I te rua raá ku-hihiga-á te moai.     The next day the statues had fallen.
He-marere te pukuraga, he-oho.     The craftsmen scattered107e, they went.
Ko Te Tokaga te moai maúga. Ina kai aga-hakaou i te moai. Te Tokanga108 was the last statue. They did not make statues again.


Note 107e  Englert writes: Se dispersaron los artesanos. But his dictionary gives pukuraga as "student, follower, disciple". Pukuraga might refer here to the crafsmen's retinue, those who fished for them, cooked for them, served them, and so on.

Note 108  According to Arturo Teao, whose versions are generally the most reliable, Te Tokanga was one of the first statues to be built; but in this case Juan Araki's version might be the authentic one for, according to the tradition, a very large statue which is still attached by its spine to the rock of the quarry is called Te Tokanga.


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