The Great Ones of Rapa Nui (Revised)

The Great OnesOf

Rapa Nui(Easter Island)

Clifford C. RicheyNovember 2014

It would be helpful to refer to: academia.edu/Universal-Prehistoric-Depicted-Sign-Language

when reading this paper. It explains the use of Form, Imagery, Gesture Signs, Stance, allusion,

and position as used in composing glyphs.

The composition of the Moai follows the known rules, as presently understood, of the ancient system ofdepicted sign language. Further, the gesture sign elements, of which Form and Imagery were composed, are also the same as found documented in texts1 on American Indian sign language.

Due to the problems associated with working from photographs such as the angle, shadows, and resolution coupled with the physical condition of the object there is ample opportunity for misconception. Therefore the reader should not expect that all details of the translation will be exact. The ancient reliance on metaphor also adds difficulty to translation of the signs, especially Form and Imagery, where the associations made are not readily apparent. This can been seen, for example, in the allusion to the Stomach of the various Bodies depicted.

The Total Form of the Moai is one of a Large Human shape which we will translate as, the great one. The Moai are nearly full bodied lacking only their legs. The concept behind the lack of legs is that theirForm, when erected, would appear as if emerging from the earth. The Rectangular Platform upon which several Moai were erected is the sign for a place. Thus the meaning is, the place of emergence.

1 Mallery, Garrick http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17451/17451-h/17451-h.htm

Illustration 2: MoaiFront View

Illustration 1: Moai BackView

In Illustration 3 we see a Rectangular platform with Moai wearing “Hats.” When viewed frontally these“Hats” are the sign for a Breast of the Female-earth or hills. The Red color was used as the sign for re-birth or resurrection. The Hills effectively position the Moai as beneath or below the hills. This compound sign can be further broken down (Illustration 4) into a horizontal-place sign and a Square house (in the sense of a lineage) sign. The Circular signs are hill signs as viewed from above. The rocks aligned in lines at the base of the platform are the sign for, a flow of moisture. Moisture, and water, was viewed as the medium through which the spirits of the deceased were transmitted from the under-world to the surface of the middle-world and thence to the upper-world (the sky). In this case it isnot known whether the Moai platforms were chosen as actual places of moisture or were simply artificial constructs used to maintain the cosmology.

The Form found incised on the Moai is that of a (light-blue outline) Bird. The gesture sign for a bird and flight meant the same. Therefore the Form or Image of a Bird was used to depict flight. The Form of the Bird is comparatively large and this difference in size was used to indicate, greatness. The great flight. The Bird Form is Facing to the Right or westward. This direction is based on gesture signing rules as mentioned below.

Illustration 3: Moai "Hats" Illustration 4: "Hat" Sign Composition

Illustration 5: ColorCoded Signs

The Three (blue-green) Curved Lines indicates a hidden-pathway while the Form of the Curve represented something that was covered. This compound sign alluded to the Bird's Wings. The Wings of a Bird are its Hands and the Hand represented a steward or priest of the Sun. The sign for a hidden- pathway can also be found in Easter Island's Rongorongo glyphs. In Illustration 6 the (yellow) the Rongorongo2 Three Lined sign was compounded with the Shepherd's Crook sign which means taken in the direction of the Staff in this case, upwards. Taken upwards on a hidden pathway.

The (green) Circle that alludes to the Eye of the Bird is relatively Large in comparison to the other nearby signs. The Great Eye, is a metaphor relating to Venus as the Eye of the Sun. This sign, represented by the (blue) Curved Line to indicate the sign's actual concavity. The sign indicates, held as in a bowl, referring to a pool of water such as found at a spring where subterranean water arises to the earth's surface. The Bowl sign is next to the (yellow) Beak of the Bird (its Mouth) that indicates, a source of water. Although not too clear in the illustration the Beak appears to be in the Form of the Angled (”>”) sign for, held-in.

We now move down to the Body and Tail of the Bird. Beneath each Wing we see the (yellow) Rectangles indicating, place. The Rightward and Leftward Stance of these signs indicate a waiting-place and a stopping-place respectively. These signs allude to the Birds Legs and bear the meaning of long-journeys. The signs were positioned below and on the Left and Right which indicates the directions east and west in gesture signing.

2 All Rongorongo signs in this paper were taken from Text A of the Rongorongo corpus, also known as the Tahua Tablet. This was carved on a part of a western oar (the paddle part).

Illustration 6:Rongorongo

Illustration 7: The Great Flight

Illustration 8:Nazca

The (brown) “Y” shaped sign is the sign for a scout. (compare with the Nazca, black, “Y” sign in Illustration 8). Venus has been described in other ancient compositions3 as a scout for the Sun –arising before the Sun in the east and after Sunset in the west. The associated phrase is, the one that opens up the pathway ahead. The sign can be broken down into two more signs, the “V” shaped opening sign and the Line positioned, below that represents a pathway.

Finally, we see the (red) Triangular, female-earth sign within the “Y.” One might think this is an accidental artifact but the composer could have avoided this by positioning the “Y” lower on the Body thus not creating the Triangle. The scout, the one, on the sides, and below the earth.

This section on the, positional, back-side of the Moai Body shows two Birds (i. e. two flights (on the Left), in the east, and the Right, the west). However the overall Scene or Setting seems to be one of Hatching Birds with parts of the shells still clinging to their Bodies. The birth of the ones that will fly in the east and the west..

The Birds have the same Form with the exception of their beaks. There are several seabirds that have curved or straight beaks. Some examples would be: Albatross, Terns, Pelicans, Petrels, Frigate-birds, and Boobies. In order to determine a particular kind of bird the composer would have had to draw somedistinguishing feature. Since this was not done one has to assume that only seabirds in general were intended.

3 The Nazca culture depicted Venus as the Wolf-star (a compound of the gesture sign for a wolf and a star). This was based on the wolf's habit of standing up in tall grass to look for prey. The gesture sign for a wolf was also stated to mean, a spy. (William Tomkins, American Indian Sign Language pp. 52-53)

Illustration 9: The Two Birds

Illustration 10: Color Coded

Starting with the Bird, the flight, on the Left, in the east. The (eggshell colored) Large Body is the signfor, the Upper-Half or Upper-world. The (tan) Leg and Foot on the Left indicates, a long-journey. The (green) Heel of the Foot is separated from the rest of the Foot (alludes to the, underlying, Arm, the warrior) and is a Vertical Rectangle, a vertical-place, positioned on the side. The Foot has Six Toes, Five of which are the same Horizontally positioned and Rectangular in shape, horizontal-places positioned vertically as levels. The Count of Five is short hand for the four directions plus one or the center. The Big Toe Forms the Curved sign for, covered. Both Legs and Feet in the east and west are positioned as on the side of the earth. The Foot, the journey, is positioned as below the earth, the (red) Triangular, female-earth sign. The (black) Egg shaped indention in the area between the Legs means, the one, who will emerge, in the dark-hole, A (black) Line continues downward on the side of the female earth sign.

The Form of the (dark-blue) Neck is in the shape of the Shepherd's Crook sign that means, taken, downward, in the direction of the staff. The Neck alludes to the Throat as a connecting tunnel between the Body and the Beak or Mouth of the Bird. The Mouth, any mouth, indicates a water-source.

The Bill of the Upper Beak is in the Form of the sign for the one, arising, in the east. The Lower Beak is positionally, on the hill-side and is compounded with an arising sign. The area of the Eye is alluded to by the Concentric Circles that indicate a Breast of the Female-earth or a hill. The Center Circle of the hill sign is in the Form of an Eye (the Eye of the Sun, Venus). To put this in the proper order, Venus, on the hillside, arising, in the east, at the water-source.

We now move on to the Bird on the Right, in the west. The Body of the Bird is in the Form of an Hatching Eggshell (his emergence, his birth) with a “V” shaped opening sign on its upper side. From

Illustration 11: ColorCoded


this opening the Neck and Head of the Bird arises. The Neck alludes to the Throat that connects the Body to the Beak/Mouth of the Bird –a tunnel that arises to the water-source. The Head, composed of a Circle indicating the one, his location, has the Form of a Large (white) Eye. The Great Eye of the Sun, the great Venus, positionally, at the center. Within the (yellow) Beak/Mouth, the water-source, we find the same “Y” shaped sign that was within the Tail of the Bird Form found at the base of the Moai. The sign for a scout. This same sign is also found on Nazca ceramics4 and has the same meaning(see Illustration 8).

Above the Legs of the Bird is the (a dark incised hole in the rock) Curved sign for a cave. This was a metaphor made with the womb of the earth. There is a Large (tan) Leg and Foot on the right that means, The great long journey, positionally, below. The Form the signs of the Leg on the left take is one of a Foot indicating a journey. From the opening of the cave/womb there is a Severed Finger pointing a direction, here, positional, on the side of the (red) Triangle indicating the female-earth. TheFoot itself is in the Form of a (green) Leftward Leaning Rectangle (a place). This Stance indicates a stopping-place that is also positioned as on the side of the earth. Just above these signs is the Form of an Egg indicating, the one who will emerge –be born.

Between the Two Birds there is a sign that appears to be the (yellow) sign for, a star The Tail of the staris in the Form of the arising sign and is Double Lined indicating, hidden or unseen. This compound sign was positioned between the two Birds and was thus at the center. The sign is also positioned below the (red) Triangle indicating the female-earth. The Tail of the Star connects to the (yellow) Lower Bill of the Bird which means arising to the water-source. There are (green) Vertical Rectangles indicating a vertical-place that connects to the Round Form of the Heads of the Birds that mean the one, his location. It is noteworthy that this star sign also appears in Nazca compositions. The one in Illustration 14 is quite similar except that it is upside down and therefore has the opposite meaning in terms of the star's movement.. The Shepherd's Crook part of the Tail of the Nazca star indicates taken upwards, (Double Lines of the Tail) unseen, (the Pointed part of the sign) the star, (Line within the starsign) to the surface.

4 A Nazca Female Vessel, Academia.edu


Illustration14: Nazca

Continuing with the signs on the backside of the Moai we will first focus on the Little Bird that is just above the Beaks of the Two Birds. We remember that these Beaks are their Mouths and thus indicate a water source. The Bird 's Stance is one of emerging or arising from the water source.

The Form of the Body of the Total Bird Form (flight) is Heart shaped. This sign represents something surrounded or captured, a captive. The (blue-green) Body of the Bird is in the Form of a Large Water Drop, a great particle of water (great, in the sense of importance). The Stance of the Water Drop is one of heading upwards like the Bird Form that contains it. Positionally, Within the Water Drop is the sign for, held down. Each Wing of the Bird (its Hand, a steward of the Sun) is in the Form of a (tan) Severed Finger pointing a direction, downwards, here. Positionally, each Finger, the one, is on the side, in the east and west.

The (green) Neck alluding to the Throat as a connecting tunnel, from the Body to the Beak/Mouth. The (white) Circle forming the Head indicates, the one, his location. The (white) Concentric Circles are the sign for a hill and ) its (black) Form is an Eye, the Eye of the Sun, Venus. We have now arrived at the (yellow) Beak, the Mouth, the water-source. The Beak of the Bird points toward the small (yellow) Circle, the one, his location, on the Left, in the east.

Illustration 15: TheHelmsman


Next we come to the Form of an oar or Paddle. Paddles such as this one have been described5 as used in dances. It can be safely assumed that the dance related to the culture's cosmology. Later we will see that the dance related to the spirits of deceased leaders. In many ancient cultures a leader was depicted as having Horns, grasping a Head by the Hair, or even by being depicted as larger, more important, than others. The Easter Islanders did not have the model of large herd animals upon which to base their depiction of the strongest bull to fight for dominance. They apparently did not choose to use Hair Grasping as a sign but they did use Size to denote importance. As a seafaring culture they chose to use a Steering Paddle to indicate the Helmsman, or Captain of the vessel, as the associative sign for a leader.

The Paddle was a compound sign and could be broken down into several other signs. First we have theHead of the Paddle which was depicted in the (light tan) Rounded Form of a male-spirit. The Face that this created indicated, his appearance. The Nose provided a center or dividing line that presented the directions of Left and Right or east and west. The Nose was depicted as a straight Vertical Line in front of the Face. This Line was based on the gesture sign for a person which was represented by placing the Index Finger in front of the signers face. The Nose alluded to the Nostrils or holes that werealso positioned in the east and west. The (dark) Eyes were used as metaphors for the Eye of the Sun, Venus whose cyclical movement has it appear in the east and west. The small (yellow) Circles below and each side of the Face's chin meant, the one, his location, in the east and west.

The (pink) Mouth that represented a water-source has the Paddle's Neck or alluded to Throat as a connecting tunnel to the Blade of the Paddle. In keeping with the Body metaphor the Blade may have been visualized as the stomach.6 If this is the case then the Helmsman would have been the chieftain of

5 http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1978.412.15716 Dereje Tadesse Birbirso (PhD) Qallačča and Bokkuu: Themes in the ancient Qaallu v institution and rock paintings of Hararqee— implications for social semiosis and history of Ethiopia Pp 9-10 “the ancient Gada System law maker, the Wallaga Oromo recite their settlement pattern metaphorizing it with the anatomy of Korma ‘the virile buffalo-bull’, symbol

Illustration 17:Color Coded


the Stomach Clan whatever that association may have held for the culture. The Human stomach area is somewhat Water Drop shaped and that Form is also the shape of the Little Bird's stomach in the Moai

composition under discussion in this paper. It is interesting that in the footnote quote, the Ribs are mentioned as the association for another clan. One could speculate that this was the reason behind the Island's wooden figures with their ribs exposed. The human Rib Count is Nine and this might, cosmologically, have then been related to the, cosmological, the Nine levels of the underworld.

One cannot also help but notice the many signs on the Figure that are the same as used in the petroglyphs of the found on the island. –especially the Arm and Hand over the Figure's temple.

Back to the Moai composition. The (blue-green) Paddle Blade is in the Form of a (blue-green) Large Water Drop, the great water part-icle. In this case the Stance of the water-particle is heading downwards as opposed to the one at the Stomach of the Bird to its left. Below the water-particle is a (green) Vertical rectangle, a vertical-place, positionally, below.

To the Left-east of the Bird at the center we find another Paddle but of a more abstract nature. The

of macho man: Sibuun garaača. Haruu č’inaacha, Leeqaan dirra kormmaati ‘The Sibuu [Sabboo] clan is the stomach, the Haruu [Hooroo] is the ribs, and Leeqaa is the hip of the bull’ (see also BATO 1998:164). 30”


Illustration 19:Wood Carving

Face, his appearance, is hardly recognizable as it is composed of gesture signs that are not readily adapted to create a depiction of a Face. Above the Head/Face is the (yellow) Spiral sign indicating taken downwards. The Forehead and Nose are made from the (green) “T” shaped sign for, below, the surface. The Eye(s) are positioned on each side of the Nose alluding to the Nostrils, the dual holes, theone in the east and the one in the west. The (dark) Eye(s) are of course, the Eye of the Sun, Venus, in the darkness, of the east and the west. The (green) Vertical Lines compounded with the (green) Vertical Nose sign create the Three Lined Form for a hidden-pathway.

Separated from the Head is the Body or Form of the Paddle indicating the helmsman or the chieftain. Then we have the Neck/Throat of the Paddle, the connecting tunnel, followed by the, positional, Stomach, and the Large Water Drop, the great water-particle within it. There is also the (green) Vertical Rectangle or vertical-place, positionally, below.

To the right of the Head/Face we see the (tan) Large Cone shaped sign for a great mountain-peak. Positionally within it is the Two Fingered sign for, the two united as one. Further to the rightare Two smaller (purple) Cones whose Tops are left open. These open Peaks probably represent volcanoes. Directly below them is a (green) Horizontal Rectangle indicating a horizontal-place. Thus, the place of the volcanic peaks.

The Form of the Ears are Severed Fingers each representing the great one. The Ears of the Morai allude to their orifices or holes. The Finger on the Left or the east has a Face indicating, his appearance. The Form of the (white) Forehead is in the shape of a male-spirit (based on the shape of the glans penis) whose Stance is, upwards. The Neck or Throat, a connecting tunnel separates the (dark) Eyes dividing them into the Eye on the Left and the Eye on the Right, The Eye of the Sun, Venus, in the darkness of the east and the west, At the base, positional, of the tunnel is the Blade in the Form of a Large Water Drop, the great water particle. The Ear on the Right, the east, is also in the Form of a Large Severed Finger, the great one. Unfortunately the signs within this Finger are in the shadows and cannot be read.


The Front of the Moai also has some signs engraved upon it. There may have been other signs that haveeroded over time or cannot be seen in the photograph. The Face of the Moai means, his appearance. The Stance is one of, emerging, from the Neck/Throat, the connecting tunnel, from the Necklace, the (blue), bowl like, (green, cross sectional view) hole, (in the surface of the earth).

Some of the foregoing signs will explain the rather odd shape of the Moai's Head and Face. The Forehead is a (green) Horizontal Rectangle or a horizontal-place sign. This is compounded with a (green) Vertical Rectangle indicating a vertical-place. Combined, these signs Form the familiar “T” shaped sign that is based on the gesture sign for, below. The Curved shape of the vertical-place sign is based on the gesture sign for ascending or arising. The (red) curved line was added to the center of the Nose, by the writer of this paper, to emphasize the sloped shape of the Moai's Nose as one meaning arising. The sloped shape of the vertical-place sign has the arising sign on each side thus referring to, the vertical-place of arisings in the east and west. These arisings relate to the Eye (the Eye of the Sun,Venus) on each side of the vertical-place sign,The Moai's Nose alludes to the (black, darkness of ) Nostrils, the dual orifices or the holes that are also in the east and west.

The (pink) Oval gesture sign for all or everything) shaped Mouth (the water-source) is Double Lined indicating hidden or unseen with a (black) Middle Line at the center that indicates the surface (of the earth). Positionally below and within the under-world sign in a Vertical Line indicating, the one.

The (light blue) Chin (the Bodily association, is unknown but may relate to the Jaw as something that opens and closes) is in the Form of the Quarter Circle that indicates the under-side or the under-world.

Illustration 22: Moai FrontView

The largest signs on the trunk of the Body are the Arms (the warrior) and Hands (the steward of the Sun). The Arms are positioned as in the east and west. Each Hand has only Four, Horizontal, Fingers (the levels) indicating the four directions or everywhere. At the Elbow alluding to a Joint, the one opens and closes is a (red) Triangle that means the female-earth. The placement or positioning of the (red) female-earth sign, is also at the junction between the Upper Arm as, a vertical-place, sign and the Horizontal, Lower Arm Hand as, a surface place, that represents a meeting of the lower vertical part of the earth with the horizontal part of the earth, forming an area that opens and closes. The Stance of the Arms/Hands is one of pregnancy (it doesn't matter whether the Form or Imagery is male or female as each separate Form or Image stands on its own).

Illustration 23 shows a Rongorongo glyph also featuring an Arm and Hand. The (light-green) Total Form of this glyph represents a Body of a Plant with a Bent Branch (the Arm of the Plant) terminating in a Leaf. The (yellow) Curvature of the Branch is in the Form of a Double Lined (unseen) Shepherd's Crook indicating, taken downwards or below. The Leaf alludes to the Hand of the Plant. On the Imagery Level we see a (green) Vertical Rectangle, a vertical-place and a Human Arm on the sides of the Body being taken downwards (the yellow, Double Lined, unseen, Shepherd's Crook sign). The Arms and Hands are, of course, positioned on the Left and Right , or in the east and west. There are Three Fingers on the Hand that are of the same shape, indicating a shorthand association for, the many.The remaining Fourth Finger is a sign made of a Severed Finger pointing a direction, here, below. The metaphor is one of comparing the deceased warrior-steward with a falling leaf.

This metaphor was not restricted to Easter Island as it can also be found in a complex Mayan composition.7

7 https://www.scribd.com/doc/64462147/The-Cayman-The-Crust-of-the-Earth-A-Mayan-Composition

Illustration 25:Rongorongo Form


Illustration 24:Rongorongo Imagery

The above Mayan composition speaks to the idea that new life springs from death and decay. In the composition we see: Number 1, the Imagery of a (light-tan) Hand whose extra Finger assists in Forming the shape of an Eye. At Number 2 we see a Leaf that was made in the (green) Form of a Hand that alludes to the Eye (Venus) of the Cayman Head and Face. In Number 3 we see the (yellow) sign fora star.

The same (yellow) star sign can be found on the Stomach of the Moai. This compound glyph is very faint in the photograph and was only found by inverting the background and adding contrast to the area.

The star sign is quite Large relative to the rest of the glyph. This indicates, the great star. The star was positioned as beneath and between the Moai's Breasts the sign for the breasts of the female-earth or at the center, below, the hills of the earth. Below the star is a (green) horizontal-place sign that is positioned at the Mouth (the water-source) of an (brown) Earthen Vessel, the one that contains, the container. This Form of a Pottery Vessel alludes to the area of the Moai's Stomach. The earlier Stomach-Clan relationship becomes a bit clearer when the stomach is viewed as a metaphor for something like the container, at the center of the earth. One can draw a straight vertical line beginning

Illustration 26: A Mayan Composition


between the Moai's Fingers, through the Stomach, to the Necklace with its sign for a hole, and on through the Mouth, Nose, and Forehead until one reaches the Top of the Head. All the signs along this line are located at the center of the Body.

The (yellow) Circles, the one, his location, allude to the Nipples, The ones that give moisture. The (tan) Curved Lines of the Breasts/Hills are in the Form of Shepherd's Crook that represent , taken upwards, to the Neck, the Throat that alludes to, the connecting tunnel, to the Ears which allude to its orifices or holes, positionally, on the side. The Form of the Ears is one of a Severed Finger pointing a direction, here, above.

It is seldom, if at all, that one can find the ancient cosmology, in it entirety, depicted in one composition. Such statements usually reflect an aspect or phase of the cosmology and are accumulativein the information presented as one reads more of the compositions. The Rongorongo tablet's individualglyphs seem to follow the same rules and, to date, appear to be cosmological chants relying on the cumulative effect of the statements to present the overall cosmology.

There are many depictions of Fish in the Rongorongo tablets that tell of the great one that swims, or the great swimmer. The great swimmers are the spirits of the deceased swimming through the watery underworld.


Illustration 29: FishForm and Imagery

Fishhook shapes have been found on Easter Island that are made of finely polished basalt. Basalt is a very hard rock to work with using only primitive tools. It seems unlikely that such fancy hooks would have been needed to catch fish. Hooks made from bone would seem to have been easier to craft and would even work better. These finely crafted Hooks might have been amulets.

These depictions of Fish Hooks used Space to complete their message. The Hook on the Left is composed based on the Shepherd's Crook sign which indicates, taken upwards. The Space within the Hook is in the Form of a (light-blue) Circle indicating, the one, his location, The Hook is facing to the Right, in the west.

The Dual Hooks on the right utilizes the Space within the Hooks to Form a (blue-green) Water Drop, a water particle. The Stance of the Hooks is facing Left and Right or east and west. The Two Hooks are merged together, the twins, the two together as one, Between or in the center of the Hooks is a (light-blue) Dividing Line and above it a (red) “V” shaped opening sign. Compounded, these signs Form the sign for a scout, the one who opens up the way ahead,They Form two Shepherd's Crook signs, taken upwards, on the side. in the east and west, the water-particles, the scout --Venus, below, the opening,at the center.

Illustration 30: Basalt FishHook

Illustration 31: Double FishHook

Illustration 32: The One takenUpwards

Illustration 33: The TwoTaken Upwards

The Great Ones of Rapa Nui (Revised)

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