Here are some of of the Society Islands that I visited:
Windward Islands (Îles du Vent), listed from east to west
- Tahiti & Moorea
Leeward Islands (Îles Sous-le-Vent), listed from east to west
- Huahine & Bora Bora
The Society Islands archipelago is believed to have been named by Captain James Cook during his first voyage in 1769, supposedly in honour of the Royal Society, the sponsor of the first British scientific survey of the islands; however, Cook wrote in his journal that he called the islands Society "as they lay contiguous to one another."
Human presence on Huahine dates back to at least a millennium ago, as evinced by the numerous Marae on the island. Archaeologists estimate that the ancient Tahitian Ma'ohi people colonized Huahine from at least the 9th century AD. Huahine is home to one of the largest concentrations of Polynesian archaeological remains dated between 850 AD and 1100 AD.
Late afternoon walk from the hotel...
I rented a car for 2 days to tour the island...
Vestiges of a traditional Polynesian dwelling, the "fare pōte'e" at Maeva has rounded sides, unlike the "fare hau pape" which is rectangular. Entirely restored in 1972 by the local population, it is an immense fare pōte'e close to the Protestant temple in the village, between the marae of Vai-'ōtaha and Rau huru. Today, it houses a museum where you can see numerous objects found during archeological digs.
Marae Anini might seem at first like an innocent pile of rocks. However, this abandoned marae holds a horrifying secret, as according to locals, it once served as a sanctum where human beings were sacrificed as part of a religious ritual.
Constructed at the end of the 18th century, the Marae Anini was the brainchild of Ta’aroari’I, the son of the then king of Huahine, Mahine. Ta’aroari’I, who wanted to revive the local traditions against his father’s will, dedicated the shrine for Hiro, the god of seamen and bandits, and ‘Oro, the god of war, the latter of whom apparently had a big appetite for human flesh. While this claim was never fully verified, several sources including the shrine’s last priest firmly asserted that at least 14 people were sacrificed as offerings to the almighty deity.
Made almost entirely of coral stones, the sacred site was restored in 1969.
