Before coming to Raiatea, I had not heard of a marae. In Polynesian society, a marae was a sacred space, a rectangular area cleared and bordered with stones or wooden posts. Altars were constructed on which to place offerings to the gods. Human bones have been found in some marae, and these bones are thought to be the remains of human sacrifices.
Tahua-Marae TaputapuÄtea
SOURCE: Tahua-Marae TaputapuÄtea (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016.
Offerings to the Gods
SOURCE: Offerings to the Gods (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016.
Detail of Offerings to the Gods
SOURCE: Detail of Offerings to the Gods (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016.
Trees at the Marae
SOURCE: Trees at the Marae (Raiatea, French Polynesia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 09 April 2016.
Copyright © 2016 by Stephen J. Danko
