Taputapuatea marae
Encyclopedia
Marae Taputapuatea is a large marae
complex at Opoa in Taputapuatea
, on the south eastern coast of Raiatea
. The site features a number of marae and other stone structures and was once considered the central temple and religious center of Eastern Polynesia.
from all over the Pacific
would gather to offer sacrifices to the gods and share their knowledge of the genealogical origins of the universe, and of deep-ocean navigation.
Most significantly a truce known as the Faatau Aroha was established with the surrounding islands dived into two alliances known as Aotea (East) and Aouri (West). This alliance lasted for many years and promoted an intense period of exploration leading to the discovery and colonisation of all the islands of Eastern Polynesia including Hawaii
, Rapanui
and Aotearoa
(New Zealand
).
New marae were established on each of these islands with a rock being taken from Taputapuatea, Raiatea to act as a spiritual link (there are still marae named Tapuatapuatea at Moorea, Rarotonga and Hawaii).
However the Faatau Aroha was finally broken when fighting broke out at a gathering and the two leading ariki of the alliance were killed resulting to open warfare and an end to large-scale interisland voyaging. It is said that the gathered canoes fled the area leaving the lagoon via the pass at Avarua (now Avapiti) rather than the sacred pass at Avamoa because of this a curse fell upon the pass at Avamoa that was not lifted until 1995.
When Te Rangi Hīroa visited Taputapuatea in 1929 he was overcome by the desolate state in which he found this great marae and wrote:
The archeological remains of Marae Taputapuatea were restored in 1994 and work to preserve the site continues. Association Na Papa E Va'u Raiatea is a cultural association formed by the people of Opoa acting for the preservation of the Marae Taputapuatea. The Association is working towards tentative listing of Marae Taputapuatea on the World Heritage List and creating and reviving connections between communities of the Polynesian triangle
and throughout the Pacific region.
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
complex at Opoa in Taputapuatea
Taputapuatea
Taputapuatea is a commune of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Taputapuatea is located on the island of Raiatea, in the administrative subdivision of the Leeward Islands, themselves part of the Society Islands.The administrative centre of the...
, on the south eastern coast of Raiatea
Raiatea
Raiatea , is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia. The island is widely regarded as the 'center' of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to Hawaii, Aotearoa and other parts of East Polynesia started at...
. The site features a number of marae and other stone structures and was once considered the central temple and religious center of Eastern Polynesia.
History
The Marae was already established by 1000 AD with significant expansion after this time. The marae was a place of learning where priests and navigatorsPolynesian navigation
Polynesian navigation is a system of navigation used by Polynesians to make long voyages across thousands of miles of open ocean. Navigators travel to small inhabited islands using only their own senses and knowledge passed by oral tradition from navigator to apprentice, often in the form of song...
from all over the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
would gather to offer sacrifices to the gods and share their knowledge of the genealogical origins of the universe, and of deep-ocean navigation.
Most significantly a truce known as the Faatau Aroha was established with the surrounding islands dived into two alliances known as Aotea (East) and Aouri (West). This alliance lasted for many years and promoted an intense period of exploration leading to the discovery and colonisation of all the islands of Eastern Polynesia including Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Rapanui
Rapanui
The Rapa Nui or Rapanui are the native Polynesian inhabitants of Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, in the Pacific Ocean. The easternmost Polynesian culture, the Rapa Nui people make up 60% of Easter Island's population, with some living also in mainland Chile...
and Aotearoa
Aotearoa
Aotearoa is the most widely known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand. It is used by both Māori and non-Māori, and is becoming increasingly widespread in the bilingual names of national organisations, such as the National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.-Translation:The...
(New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
).
New marae were established on each of these islands with a rock being taken from Taputapuatea, Raiatea to act as a spiritual link (there are still marae named Tapuatapuatea at Moorea, Rarotonga and Hawaii).
However the Faatau Aroha was finally broken when fighting broke out at a gathering and the two leading ariki of the alliance were killed resulting to open warfare and an end to large-scale interisland voyaging. It is said that the gathered canoes fled the area leaving the lagoon via the pass at Avarua (now Avapiti) rather than the sacred pass at Avamoa because of this a curse fell upon the pass at Avamoa that was not lifted until 1995.
Research and restoration
I had made my pilgrimage to Taputapu-atea, but the dead could not speak to me. It was sad to the verge of tears. I felt a profound regret, a regret for — I knew not what. Was it for the beating of the temple drums or the shouting of the populace as the king was raised on high? Was it for the human sacrifices of olden times? It was for none of these individually but for something at the back of them all, some living spirit and divine courage that existed in ancient times of which Taputapu-atea was a mute symbol. It was something that we Polynesians have lost and cannot find, something that we yearn for and cannot recreate. The background in which that spirit was engendered has changed beyond recovery. The bleak wind of oblivion had swept over Opoa. Foreign weeds grew over the untended courtyard, and stones had fallen from the sacred altar of Taputapu-atea. The gods had long ago departed.
The archeological remains of Marae Taputapuatea were restored in 1994 and work to preserve the site continues. Association Na Papa E Va'u Raiatea is a cultural association formed by the people of Opoa acting for the preservation of the Marae Taputapuatea. The Association is working towards tentative listing of Marae Taputapuatea on the World Heritage List and creating and reviving connections between communities of the Polynesian triangle
Polynesian Triangle
The Polynesian Triangle is a region of the Pacific Ocean with three island groups at its corners: Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand. It is often used as a simple way to define Polynesia....
and throughout the Pacific region.