Pu o Hiro

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Pu o Hiro Pu o Hiro (Trumpet of Hiro) in Easter Island 2018.jpg
Pu o Hiro

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]

Contents

Description

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

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

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

During times of drought, the Ariki Paka (subordinate chiefs) would hold a ceremony. [1] They would 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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "The stone trumpet of Easter Island". Imagina Rapa Nui. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Pu o Hiro (Hiro's Trumpet)". Atlas Obscura. 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. 1 2 Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum (1938). Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin (in Portuguese). Bishop Museum Press. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. 1 2 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.

27°05′38″S109°16′55″W / 27.093997°S 109.281884°W / -27.093997; -109.281884

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