LE MARAE ARAHURAHU
"a place of legend and mystery"

 In Paea, 15 miles from Papeete, the marae Arahurahu takes us into the mystery of the ancestral customs of the South Pacific French Polynesia. This outdoors sanctuary where religious ceremonies took place has a legend. It is said that a warrior was cremated in these places and that the arii, supreme chief of the valley, placed his ashes (arahu) in this marae. During your visit, you may meet the tupaupau (the ghost) of this warrior.

The marae is made of a sacred quadrangular shaped enclosure. Two smaller walls made of oval and regular size stones that have been carefully aligned form its walls. A heap of pebbles and ground between both walls gives to the sanctuary its massive appearance. Flat stones pave the inside of the sacred enclosure. The altar on one side of the enclosure is the most sacred part and the unu (wooden sculptures) replace raised stones that represented the ancestors.

There are in the French Polynesia, two categories of marae. The national marae which belonged to the supreme chief and where took place the human sacrifices and the ancestral marae built on the lands of large families who had ancestors in common. Restored in 1954, Marae Arahurahu represents a national marae and possesses almost all the necessary elements to the celebration of an ancient cult.

Fare Ia Manaha (House of the hidden treasures): This fare had to be built in one single day following a very precise rite. The body a human victim was buried under the central pillar to make sure the building was stable. Inside, you can find ceremonial drums that were used to give rhythm to the recitation of the genealogies and the prayers during ceremonies.

Unu: These wooden sculptures with geometrical forms representing men or animals symbolized the families to whom belonged the marae.

The fata: It is on this altar that food was placed and offered to Gods. The conical shape of the foot of the altar avoided that rats ate the offerings.

The to’o: It represents the image of a God. In the past, it used to be a piece of special wood surrounded with coconut fiber and decorated with bouquet of red and yellow feathers. Today, it is simply represented by a coconut plait and a bouquet of feathers.

The marae Arahurahu remained with all its charm and all the mystery of the old faiths.

Nowadays, it is used for the traditional demonstrations during Heiva.