Organization:Manunu marae

Short description: Marae in Huahine, French Polynesia

Marae Manunu is a historic religious site located in the district of Maeva, Huahine, in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. Traditionally dedicated to the god Tane and later 'Oro, the marae played a central role in pre-Christian ceremonial life, including an annual festival where idols from across the island were ritually redressed and honored.

Description

On 4 January 1822, missionaries Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, delayed by inclement weather, visited the marae located on a neighboring motu in the district of Maeva, Huahine. Their account provides one of the earliest recorded descriptions of the site. This sacred site, dedicated to the god Tane, was a principal center of worship during the pre-Christian era. Architecturally, the marae consisted of two oblong platforms. The lower structure measured one hundred and twenty-four feet in length by sixteen feet in width, and stood approximately ten feet high. It was fronted with upright coral blocks, some reaching the full height of the platform, enclosing a space filled with earth. The upper platform, proportionally smaller and similarly constructed, rose to a height of three feet and featured upright stones at either end, each twice the height of the platform itself. At the center of the main façade lay the so-called "bed of Tane," a stone-framed platform elevated eighteen inches above ground and measuring twenty-four feet by thirteen. Adjacent to this was a smaller enclosure, roughly half the size of Tane's bed, which was said to house the other deities associated with the sacred grove. The construction of these structures was notably rudimentary, with irregular angles and uneven lines, suggesting that no tools had been employed in shaping the stones. Despite their crude workmanship, the marae remained in remarkable condition, with few stones displaced. Towering trees, some estimated to be centuries old, enveloped the site in shade, their massive trunks and interlocking branches forming a canopy described as "star-proof."

According to anthropologist Kenneth Emory, writing in 1933, Marae Manunu was constructed approximately fifteen generations ago, dating to around 1550–1650 if local traditions are accurate. It is located directly opposite Maeva Village, concealed within a dense screen of trees approximately 100 yards from the seashore. The marae's ahu (altar platform) is faced entirely with limestone slabs, which warp irregularly in and out, deviating from the formal plan. Both the inner and outer faces of the ahu are similar in construction. One of the largest outer slabs had fallen and was replaced by a smaller stone resting on its back. The ahu is filled with basalt and coral rocks and paved on top with basalt flagstones. At both ends, the limestone facing slabs rise above the average height of the top step. The court of the marae adjoins the southwest face of the ahu, though it lacks pavement or enclosing walls. Approximately 70 feet from the ahu stands a small structure composed of two rows of coral slabs, each five feet apart and eight feet long, with limestone uprights at either end. A grove of toa trees (Casuarina equisetifolia] grows before the inland face of the marae, while the seaward side is devoid of vegetation, notably lacking tamanu trees (Calophyllum inophyllum). In front of the inner face lies the ava'a (altar of offerings), a low stone platform described by Daniel Tyerman in 1822 as the "bed of Tane", a stone-framed pile measuring 24 feet by 13 and raised 18 inches above ground. Southeast of the ava'a is a smaller detached platform, once mistaken for a modern grave, but also noted by Tyerman as a lesser enclosure. Twelve feet in front of the avaa stands a basalt upright. Petroglyphs were found on only two slabs: one on the southwest face and another closing the southeast end of the upper story. Local tradition holds that when Raiti, the last Maeva native of the old culture, died in 1915 at the age of about 90, a slab of Marae Manunu fell. Raiti had requested to be buried at the marae, and his grave was pointed out within the ava'a.

'Oro, introduced at a later period, was also worshipped at this same marae. In Huahine, Tupai'a asserted his affiliation with the marae of Mata'ire'a and Manunu, both considered sites of island-wide importance due to their association with the kin group of Huahine's highest-ranking ari'i, or chief. On Ra'iāte, he identified Taputapuatea and Tainu'u as marae under his claim. Tainu'u, notably, was the largest stone edifice in the Leeward Islands and functioned as the chiefly marae for the Tevaitoa district on the island's western coast. Local inhabitants affirmed the legitimacy of Tupa'ia's claims.

History

A local tradition associated with the marae recounts that Tane often wanted to fly away from his bed, but having a very long tail, like a boy's kite, that unlucky appendage always caught in the boughs of this sacred tree, by which he was instantly dragged down to earth again. Ultimately, Tane was said to have escaped not by flight but by fire, when his effigy was burned in 1817 in his own house, called Taumatai, by two Christian converts, Hauti'a and Teraimano formerly called Turaiari'i, daughter of Tenani'a, in an act of iconoclastic zeal. The idol, described as a massive and misshapen block of wood, approximated the height and bulk of a tall and corpulent man. Its form, however, was notably crude. It resembled those "gods made with hands," fashioned with such ineptitude that the head appeared to grow directly from the shoulders, lacking any anatomical separation. The lower portion of the figure tapered to a point, terminating without legs and evoking the shape of an inverted cone. The effigy bore rudimentary features intended to represent eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and arms, though these were executed with minimal skill and described as "most lame and impotent conclusions." The entire figure was enveloped in cinet, a plaited twine made from the fibers of the coconut husk.

Marae Manunu served as the site of an annual festival, convened at the discretion of the island's kings and priests. During this event, all the idols of Huahine were brought from their respective temples to be ceremonially redressed. Tane was placed at the center of his bed, flanked by the gods of four districts on either side, reflecting the island's administrative divisions. Chiefs stood opposite their respective deities, while priests encircled Tane, acknowledging his supremacy. The ceremony involved ritual performances, prayers, and the stripping of old garments from the idols. Many of the wooden figures, being hollow, contained feathers and other ornaments, which were either replaced or renewed. Attendance at this festival was restricted to men. According to a local informant, vast quantities of ava, used to prepare an intoxicating beverage, were amassed, along with provisions sufficient to feed large crowds. Between eighty and one hundred pigs were reportedly slaughtered and roasted. The festivities extended over three days and were characterized by excessive consumption, intoxication, and licentious behavior. Priests were often rendered incapable of performing their duties due to inebriation, resorting to crawling on the ground while muttering their incantations. During the duration of the festival, the lighting of fires and all forms of labor were prohibited across the island. At the conclusion of the rites, a particular deity named Ma'avai was brought forth, stripped and emptied like the others. This act was immediately followed by a torrential downpour, which was interpreted as the divine signal for the idols to be returned to their respective maraes. The exclusion of women from these sacred spaces was absolute and enforced with lethal severity. Any female who approached the marae was subject to immediate execution by any witness to the transgression. The prohibition extended even to the wives and children of priests, who, if found within a certain proximity during ritual proceedings, were killed by their own husbands or fathers with unrelenting brutality.

References

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