MARAE TAPUTAPUATEA

At the southeast end, the marae of Taputapuatea, in the village of Opoa, is the largest and most sacred in all Polynesia: all those built later in the other islands had to have a stone from this marae to have some of its mana. Taputapuatea would pronounce itself in the French Tabou-tabou-Atéa way, so sacred is it. Dedicated to Oro, the popular god of war before Christianization, it only dates back to the 17th century and faces the equally sacred Ava Moa pass, from which canoes from all the Pacific islands arrived to take part in ancestral rites. Among the six known types of marae, it is the only one in its category: it is the only international marae. On site, explanatory panels evoke the importance of marae and this particular site. Marae Hauviri, for example, included the king's throne. Others were used as ceremonial places for dances and pilgrimages, often grandiose. Here, the cult of Oro, the god of war, was celebrated above all. Knowledge and religion were skilfully discussed among priestly experts from all over Polynesia: it is even said that its fame was very widespread and that most of the peoples of Eastern Polynesia considered it as the seat of knowledge, religion and worship. Since July 2017, the marae of Taputapuatea has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List; its volcanic stones and coral slabs, erected and aligned, form a picturesque picture on the edge of the lagoon.