One of our favorite places we’ve had the privilege of visiting, was Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as its original inhabitants call it.

And one of the most unusual cultural events we’ve ever learned about is a traditional competition called the Birdman competition.

Birds were important animals on such a remote island where almost no large mammals or reptiles lived. Birds were believed to connect earth, sea and sky.

At first the Birdman competition had a religious slant: it was to honor Make Make, the creator god and celebrate fertility. Later, the event took on a more political slant when the winner of the competition became an important warrior leader. The winner of the contest not only became an important figure but was also seen as representative of Make Make on earth.

We walked the path along the steep cliffs of the south west coast of the island. From up above we gazed down on foaming white waves pounding the shore of a small, rocky island: Moto Nui.

This is where history was made.

The first inhabitants of Easter Island likely arrived on Rapa Nui in wooden canoes from far away Tahiti. From these first few, grew a population of thousands. But eventually European diseases and fighting reduced those numbers to a low of 110 at one point. After the moai carving culture, competing tribes designed a non-violent way to establish order on Easter Island: the Birdman Cult. Chosen young men competed for the right to have their tribe rule for the coming year, until the next competition was held.

Contenders moved to tiny stone houses along the ceremonial village of Orongo prior to the competition.

The Birdman competition was held near the most important site on the island: the Rano Kau volcano, and consisted of climbing down the steep 300 meter rock face of Orongo to the wild ocean below. Competitors had to build rafts from reeds, using these as floatation devices and swimming the rough kilometre wide passage of pounding ocean to Moto Nui island.

There, competitors waited for the birds, terns, to return and lay their eggs. This could take weeks! The first one to snatch an egg would carefully put it inside a wicker woven headband and make the arduous journey back to Rapa Nui, including the swim in shark infested waves, then climb back up the steep cliff face. He who handed the first unbroken egg to the chief was declare Birdman for that year, an important status. Others would die trying to make the crossing.

We saw the tiny rock houses at Orongo and noticed scattered rocks carved with birdman and boat images. We also climbed the sides of the ancient volcano to look inside the crater, filled with shallow lakes where drinking water was collected and reeds for the rafts were cut. Together with the mysterious moai lining the shores, Orongo, Moto Nui and the other sites give Easter Island a very special, mysterious and historic feel. We felt so lucky to visit this special place on earth.