Moai statues on Easter Island were damaged by a fire last week. The fire, which broke out between Monday and Tuesday, left ‘irreparable damage‘ behind. The fire affected over 60 hectares around the Rano Raraku volcano.
The extent of the damage is currently unknown. Foul play was not ruled out. This comes after the island had only just reopened to the public after a two-year break following the COVID 19 pandemic. The site, a UNESCO World Heritage, has over 1,000 Moai statues around the island.
What are the Moai statues?
The Island of Rapa Nui is home to myths and symbolism, especially surrounding the statues on the island.
These historic statues are over four metres tall and weigh over 10 tons. Therefore, many have asked questions about how these came to be and how they came to stand where they do. There are 1,000 statues all carved out of volcanic tuff found on the island and the quarry of Rono Raraku.
These statues are thought to be symbols of authority and power. It is hypothesised that the statues were repositories of sacred spirits. They embodied the spirits of the ancestors. Some statues also had hats or hair. It is believed to be where the mana of the statue resided. The mana is ‘the spiritual life force energy or healing power that permeates the universe’. The bigger the mana meant that the statue had lots of spiritual life force.
Furthermore, many of the statues face away from the ocean and towards the villages. This would mean that they were placed there to watch over the people of the island.
However, seven statues that face the ocean. They helped travellers find their way to the island. Much mystery surrounds the history of those statues.
Precious statues damaged by fire
These statues are precious. However, after a fire broke out between Monday and Tuesday near the volcano, some statues face irreplaceable damage. The fire is particularly damaging for these statues as it heats up the rock and causes them to crack.
Mayor Edmunds Paoa said “the damage caused by the fire can’t be undone.”
“The cracking of an original and emblematic stone cannot be recovered, no matter how many millions of euros or dollars are put into it.”
Easter Island lives with tourism. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the island closed to visitors. It reopened three months ago. The total of the damage has yet to be assessed.
The area impacted by the fire will be shut down, so that teams can assess the damage.