~Koschei~
Easter Island, 1889
A common myth about Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as natives call it, is that the island experienced societal collapse due to cutting down the trees for statue building, causing an ecological disaster. This is only half the story. While the native Rapa Nui people did cut down the trees, it was to pave the way for agriculture when they first settled the island in the 13th century. The statues themselves were moved using ropes which made it look like they "walked". The islanders lived in relative peace and isolation away from the affairs of the world, until it came to their shores.
The downfall of Easter Island came when it was first discovered by the Dutch in 1722. First contact between the Dutch and Rapa Nui took a violent turn due to the anxieties of the Dutch when dealing with the natives. After this encounter, the Dutch left the island, but they left behind European diseases. The isolated islanders had no natural immunity to diseases like smallpox and many were wiped out. A Spanish expedition in 1770 brought a second wave of disease to the natives. The islanders lost faith in their ancestors who were supposed to protect them and began tearing down their statues. When James Cook arrived in 1774, he saw a demoralized people who feared outsiders.
For the next century, the island was the victim of rapacious slave raids with the worst one happening in 1862 by Peruvian slave raiders. This raid saw the capture of 1500 people, or half the islands population. This was met with international outrage, and they were released in 1863. Unfortunately, it was too late for a majority of the islanders, including the islands elders who understood the undeciphered rongorongo language. The island was soon annexed by Chile in 1888, fearing the possibility of the British or French annexing it. Much of the island was then turned into a sheep farm run by the Williamson-Balfour company. The natives that were left were forced to live in the town of Hanga Roa and work on the farm to make a living.
Easter Island, 1889
A common myth about Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as natives call it, is that the island experienced societal collapse due to cutting down the trees for statue building, causing an ecological disaster. This is only half the story. While the native Rapa Nui people did cut down the trees, it was to pave the way for agriculture when they first settled the island in the 13th century. The statues themselves were moved using ropes which made it look like they "walked". The islanders lived in relative peace and isolation away from the affairs of the world, until it came to their shores.
The downfall of Easter Island came when it was first discovered by the Dutch in 1722. First contact between the Dutch and Rapa Nui took a violent turn due to the anxieties of the Dutch when dealing with the natives. After this encounter, the Dutch left the island, but they left behind European diseases. The isolated islanders had no natural immunity to diseases like smallpox and many were wiped out. A Spanish expedition in 1770 brought a second wave of disease to the natives. The islanders lost faith in their ancestors who were supposed to protect them and began tearing down their statues. When James Cook arrived in 1774, he saw a demoralized people who feared outsiders.
For the next century, the island was the victim of rapacious slave raids with the worst one happening in 1862 by Peruvian slave raiders. This raid saw the capture of 1500 people, or half the islands population. This was met with international outrage, and they were released in 1863. Unfortunately, it was too late for a majority of the islanders, including the islands elders who understood the undeciphered rongorongo language. The island was soon annexed by Chile in 1888, fearing the possibility of the British or French annexing it. Much of the island was then turned into a sheep farm run by the Williamson-Balfour company. The natives that were left were forced to live in the town of Hanga Roa and work on the farm to make a living.