Pu o Hiro
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Pu o Hiro (which means Hiro's Trumpet) is a stone on Easter Island that was used as a musical instrument by the ancient Rapa Nui.[1][2] It is also known as Maea Puhi ("stone to blow" or "wind stone").[1][3] When blown through its main hole, it would produce a sound that resembled a trumpet.[1] It was used to invoke Hiro, the deity of rain.[1][4]
Description[edit]
Pu o Hiro is approximately 1 to 1.25 meters tall.[1][3] It is a stone aerophone.[1] It is an ovoid rock with multiple natural holes.[3] There is one main hole that was used to blow and three outlet holes.[1] The main hole is natural and located at the top of the stone.[2]
The stone has multiple petroglyphs.[3] Some include vulva forms known as komari, a symbol of fertility.[1][2][5]
Uses[edit]
Pu o Hiro had multiple uses, although it is not clearly defined.[1] It had been used to invoke Hiro, the rain deity.[6] It was also used to summon a gathering of neighbors.[2][7] It also could have warned of a potential enemy attack.[3] It may also have been fishing talisman, used to make sounds that would attract fish to the shoreline.[2][7] Additionally, it was a war trophy, moved around the island by the victors in battle.[2] It may have also been used for fertility rituals.[1][2]
Location[edit]
Around 1250 to 1500 CE, the Pu o Hiro was located in Hanga Roa which was the main village.[2] Today, the stone sits in a plain near Hanga o Honu.[3] A legend states that it was brought there from Hanga Roa by a raiding party of Tupa-hotu warriors.[5] It is located near the north coast road.[1] Traveling eastward, it would be a few feet from the right side of the road.[2] It is fenced off to discourage tourists from disrupting it.[2]
Ceremony[edit]
During times of drought, the Ariki Paka (subordinate chiefs) would hold a ceremony.[1] They would dress dress up in ceremonial clothing.[1] They would pray for rainfall and chant the following song:[1]
E te uá, matavai-roa a Hiro-é
(The rain, the great tears of Hiro)
ka hoa mai koe kiraro
(Send us down)
ka rei mai koe kiraro
(Pour down)
e te u´a matavai-roa a Hiro-é
(The rain, the great tears of Hiro)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The stone trumpet of Easter Island". Imagina Rapa Nui. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Pu o Hiro (Hiro's Trumpet)". Atlas Obscura. 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ a b c d e f Bendrups, D. (2019). Singing and Survival: The Music of Easter Island. Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-19-029705-3. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ Largeaud-Ortega, S. (2018). The Bounty from the Beach: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Disciplinary Essays. Pacific Series. ANU Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-76046-245-1. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ a b Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (1938). Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin (in Portuguese). Bishop Museum Press. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ Van Tilburg, J.A. (1994). Easter Island: Archaeology, Ecology and Culture. Smithsonion Institution Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-56098-510-5. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
- ^ a b Misra, N.C. (2021). A Saga of Evolution and Legends of Environmental Disasters in the History of Mankind: 0. Notion Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-1-63633-513-1. Retrieved 2024-04-23.