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Legends and Traditions of Easter Island

translated from Sebastian Englert's Leyendas

Makemake the Creator Makemake the Creator
Told by Arturo Teao Tori
He-noho Makemake hokotahi nó, ina kai riva. He-tóo-mai i te kahavai, he-û'i aroto a te kana vai. He-'ó ote kohu o Makemake kiroto ki te vai. He-ûi Makemake ko toona Kohu ariga ku-o'o-á kiroto ki te vai. He-ki Makemake, he-aroha ki toona kohu: "Aûè repahê! Ka-maitaki koe ki a au". He-papakina-maí te manu ki te hoto mata'u o Makemake. He-veveri Makemake, he-ûi me'e gutu mee kará, me'e huruhuru. He-to'o-mai e Makemake, he-hakapiri, he-hakarere. Makemake was alone; this was not good. He took a gourd with water and looked inside. Makemake's shadow entered the water. Makemake saw that the shadow of his face had entered the water. Makemake spoke and greeted his own shadow: "Greetings, young man! How beautiful you are, just like me". A bird at that moment alighted suddenly on Makemake's right shoulder. He took fright at seeing a being with beak, wings, and feathers. Makemake took (shadow and bird) and left them together.
He-noho, he-mana'u Makemake mo aga i te tagata, mo tu'u pe îa, mo rere-mai o te reo, mo vanavanaga. After a time Makemake thought of creating Man who would be the same as him and who would have a voice and would talk.
He-tuki Makemake kiroto ki te ma'ea: ina kai rivariva; ihoiho kiko mea, me'e rakerake. Makemake fecundated stones: there was no result because the ebb waters ran over the expanse of a bad, barren field 1
He-tuki hakaou kiroto ki tevaí: i-ava, i-paroparoko. He fecundated the water: from the spilt semen only arose many small fishes called paroko 2.
He-tuki-hakaou Makemake ki te oone rapo: he-poreko-maí te tagata. He-û'í Makemake ku-rivariva-á. Eventually he fecundated some clayey ground. Out of it Man was born. Makemake saw that this had turned out well.
He-û'i-hakaou Makemake kai rivariva i horeko. He-hakahau'ru i te tagata iroto i tehare, Ki-haúru he-oho-atu Atua A'Makemake, he-tuki kiroto ki te kavakava maûi. He-poreko-mai te vî'e. Later Makemake saw that he (Man) was not well for he was staying alone. He made him sleep in his home. When he was asleep Makemake fecundated his ribs on the left side. From this Woman was born.
He-kî A'Makemake: "Vivina, vivina, hakapiro e ahu ê!". Then Makemake said: "Vivina, vivina, hakapiro e ahu ê!"3.
Note l. The most credible explanation of the terms which refer to the creation of Man seems to be this:
Makemake spilt his semen first between stones on the coast, later onto the sea. The seawaters ran over the stones at ebb tide (ihoiho); in consequence of which there could be no outcome anywhere over the expanse (mea) of this unproductive area (kiko) From the semen spilt onto the waters remained only, as barren residues (ava), the small fishes called paroko which swarm in the small holes of the coast.

Note 2. This tale of Makemake's creation is obviously a product of the most suitable imagination of a race of native seagoers whose mentality was inseparably tied to the sea.

Note 3 The word vivina is unknown today; the sentence seems to refer to the death and decomposition of the human body (hakapiro, ahu).

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