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]

Pu o Hiro

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 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

• Music of Easter Island

References

1. "The stone trumpet of Easter Island". Imagina Rapa Nui. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
2. "Pu o Hiro (Hiro's Trumpet)". Atlas Obscura. 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
3. 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. 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. 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.

27.093997°S 109.281884°W / -27.093997; -109.281884