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On Easter Island (Rapa Nui) he Birdman cult was supposedly created during the building of the great statues placed around the island; the moai. It was created as a more peaceful way for the clans on Easter Island to decided who would have sole rights to the harvest of sooty tern bird eggs on the nearby island Motu Nui. The decision was made on the terms of the competition held each term; to be the first to retrieve a sooty tern egg from the other island and bring it back unharmed.

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The Cause and Effect of the Birdman Cult

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The Cause and Effect of the Birdman Cult

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The rise of this religion occurred due to decreasing amount of resources remaining on the island, along with the increasing number of inhabitants. And so food become more of a priority throughout the island for everyone. The competition for food lead to violence and fights, until the cult came along to settle things peacefully.

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This way was indeed more composed than the first instances to get the most food, and lasted until the 1860s; when European missionaries traveled to the island and caused the cult to decline. But being able to harvest the bird eggs after, and when resources are dwindling, may cause a decline in the population of the sooty terns also.

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Before the rise of this culture began, there was the Moai era that focused on the believed symbolic relationship that the living and dead had. But the birdman cult had began along with the belief of deities and gods; the deity Make-make being the chief god. Three other deities were also associated with the cult: Hawa-tuu-take-take (who was the Chief of the eggs), his wife Vie Hoa, and another female deity with the name Vie Kanatea. A servant god was also associated with each of these four; all of their names being chanted throughout the various rituals prior to the main egg hunt.

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After realizing coming disaster if inhabitants continued with no sustainability to resources on the island, the change from the Ancestor cult to the Tangata cult must have felt unsure for the people on the island; but knew it was something that was right to do.

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The chosen competitors for the egg hunt must have also felt pride and honor to have been chosen to represent their tribe for that term, but also fear that they will have to travel in dangerous conditions; such as high cliffs, shark-infested waters, fatigue, etc. As such, the 'true competitors' (the ivi-attua of the clans) feel nervous to whether they will win for that year, and possibly sadness if they did not.

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The main purpose for the birdman cult and the egg hunt is to decide who will have the harvesting rights of the sooty tern eggs, being done by being the first to retrieve a sooty tern bird egg from Motu Nui. As it is called out back to Orongo that the first egg is found, that means the unsuccessful competitors are to travel back also. However, having already said, the population of the birds that come to Motu Nui could decline if too many eggs are eaten; where no young will be able to be brought up.