Behrens` narrative of the discovery of Easter Island: Two editions

Transcription

Images, which are not seen, and stolen friends, who steal: A reply to Van Tilburg and Arévalo Pakarati
Behrens’ narrative of the discovery of Easter Island:
Two editions, two personalities, two realities
I explain my rendering of the statue’s name in a
large size, well arranged, centered; they constitute an
footnote, and I believe the explanation given to be
impressive figurative whole together with the statue
sufficient for the reader familiar with Rapanui language.
itself. The statue and the carved images form a part of
Let me reword it. Sebastian Englert (1938) was the first
one iconographic program. In this respect they are very
to notice the existence of glottal stop in Rapanui. Olaf
different from petroglyphs randomly carved on some
Blixen
(1972)
was
the
first
to
systematically
record
the
statues (see, e.g., Van Tilburg & Lee 1987; Van Tilburg
Zuzanna Jakubowska
phoneme in all positions. Thus, the glottal stop that
2006:40, 41, 46). Why should we consider the images
appears in the name of the statue is a reconstruction
under discussion to be “rock art elements” and not an
resulting from philological analysis. Van Tilburg follows
integral part of monumental sculpture?
This article
is dedicated
the figure1991)
of Carl
Friedrich
Behrens, a member of the Dutch expedition led by Jacob
Steven
Fischer’s
suggestionto (Fischer
that
the
Roggeveen,
who re-discovered
Easter ‘robber/thief’
Island in 1722. Behrens,
a German soldier serving on one of the ships, left
name
means ‘Stolen
Friend’, cf. nanai‘a
Acknowledgements
a narrative
whole journey.
Thename
first edition was published in 1737 followed, among others, by a
(Fuentes
1960).describing
However, the second
part of the
re-published
edition
made
by as
German
anthropologist
that
was published
in 1923.
The important
represents
a derived
verb
used
an attribute
in the Hans
ManyPlischke
thanks to
Alexandre
Tokovinine
and Paul
Horley
thing isphrase.
that this
from the original to a great
extent and the
didAlex
not account
changes
nominal
It version
includesdiffers
the causative-simulative
for discussions
andeditor
support.
and Paulforaretheexperts
he had
introduced
besides grammar
modernization,
he
omitted
certain
portions,
hakaprefix,
which into
has the
twotext:
meanings:
“to makeand orthography
in documentation of badly weathered images, so their
misinterpreted
other
onesX”.
and
some comments
markingevaluation
them as his
Asimportant
a result, the
something
X” or “to
act like
A added
verb derived
with the without
independent
wasown.
very
fornarrative
me. I
gives
an
impression
of
having
been
written
by
another
author;
Behrens
appears
as
a
person
with
a
different
character
hakaprefix cannot have a passive reading when used
am also grateful to Nancy Weber, Robert Weber,
and
andattribute.
attitude,This
weaker,
convincing
less trustworthy
he really
This article
numerous
as an
ruleless
is not
stated inand
the even
published
Evgeniathan
Korovina
forwas.
discussing
issuespresents
concerning
the
examplesbut
of the
as a the
warning
againstofmaking
or an anthropological use of unreliable editions of
grammars,
it distortions
follows from
definition
the a scientific
statue’s name.
source texts,
this mayawield
negative influence
upon our view and interpretation of the culture we are analyzing.
causative.
I wentasthrough
solid acollection
of original
texts and I did not find examples of the construction
Notes
Este
artículo
es dedicado
a la examples
figura de Carl
Behrens, un miembro de la expedición holandesa dirigida
with
passive
reading
(see many
with Friedrich
active
1.enIt1722.
was Paul
Horleyun(pers.
comm.
2012)quien
who noticed
theuna
por Jacob
quien
re-descubrió
la Isla
de Pascua
Behrens,
soldado
alemán
sirve en
reading
underRoggeveen,
the heading
HAKA
in Englert
1948).
second
komari
symbol
in
the
upper
portion
of
the
torso.
de las
un mean
relato‘Stolen
que describe
toda
travesía. La primera edición fue publicada en 1737, seguida, entre
Thus,
thenaves,
name dejo
cannot
Friend’,
butlaonly
otras, por
una Following
edición que
fue McCall’s
re-publicada
en 1923, escrita por un antropólogo alemán llamado Hans Plischke.
‘Stealing
Friend’.
Grant
suggestion,
La consideración
es que
versión
difiere de
la original en gran medida y el editor no dio cuenta de
which
compares theimportante
name with
the esta
modern
word
References
los cambios
que
había introducido
texto:
además de la modernización de la gramática y ortografía, omitió
nanaia
‘surfride’
(McCall
pers. comm.,enaselcited
in Van
Blixen, O. 1972.
La oclusión
glótica
del pascuense
y algunas el
algunas
partes,we
malinterpretó
otras, y añadiócorrect
algunos comentarios
sin notarlos
como
propios.
Como resultado,
Tilburg
2006:64),
arrive at a grammatically
observaciones
sobre
la
posición
del
pascunse
dentro
del y
relato da laHoa-haka-nana‘ia
impresión de haber‘Surfing
sido escrito
por and
otro autor; Behrens aparece como una persona con un carácter
interpretation
Friend’
grupo de lenguas polinesias. Moana 1(5).
actitudthis
diferente,
más débil,
menostoconvincente
y menos Englert,
confiable
lo que
realmente
era. Este
artículo
presenta
suddenly
interpretation
is close
the translation
S. de
1938.
Diccionario
Rapanui
– Español
redactado
numerosos
ejemplos
de las distorsiones
como
una advertencia al
uso
científico
o
antropológico
de
ediciones
erróneas
‘Breaking
Waves’
recorded
by Katherine
Routledge
en la Isla de Pascua. Santiago: Prensas de la Universidad
de Chile.
de textos Ioriginales,
ya que
estas in
pueden
ejercer
una influencia
negativa en nuestra visión e interpretación de la
(1919:257).
have located
the word
Englert’s
latest
——1948. La Tierra de Hotu Matu‘a. Santiago: Editorial
cultura que
estamos
analizando.
dictionary
(1978),
which
includes some additions in
Universitaria.
comparison with his works of 1938 and 1948: nana‘ia
——1978. Idioma Rapanui: gramática y diccionario
“romperse la marejada, estrellarse las olas en la costa”.
del antiguo idioma de la Isla de Pascua. Santiago:
and
that certain
passages of his story lack cohesion. I
Englert
(1978:150) also gives a translation of the statue’s
Introduction
Universidad
de Chile.
drewS.R.
a conclusion
thatBritish
theseMuseum
must have
been unmarked
Fischer,
1991. Has the
a “Stolen
Friend”
name as “dueño-rompedor de olas”, which Van Tilburg
from Rapanui?
Journal
I am does
working
a project
that comprises
the English
translation
interjections
byRapa
the Nui
editor.
Two5(4):49-51.
questions are raised.
(2006)
not on
take
into account.
While the
Fuentes,
J. 1960.
Diccionario
y gramática
de laare
lengua
de la in
of all the
18 thliteral
century
narratives
Easter
Firstly,
how many
of these
interjections
included
translation
of the
meaning
of the on
name
wouldIsland
be
Isla de Pascua. Santiago: Editorial Andrés Bello.
discovery
Polish
and
theirmovements
extended that
historical
the text? Secondly, are they the only changes introduced
something
likeinto
“Fellow
who
makes
are
Routledge, K. 1919. The Mystery of Easter Island. London:
and
anthropological
analysis.
The
first
version
of
the
bySifton,
Plischke?
To Co.
examine these questions, I collated
similar to waves breaking against the coast/who makes
Praed and
narrative
written
by
Carl
Friedrich
Behrens
that
I
had
Plischke’s
edition
with
theTrésors
original
of the
Orliac,
C.,
&
M.
Orliac.
2008.
defirst
l’Île edition
de Pâques/
waves break”, this kind of movement is also used to
Treasures
of
Easter
Island.
Paris:
Éditions
D/Éditions
at
my
disposal
was
its
translation
into
English,
made
by
text,
published
in
1737.
describe ‘surfride’. Because of this, I believe ‘Surfing
Louise
Alexander
within his
collection
of voyage
TheLeiris.
comparison between the two versions of the
Fellow’
to be aDalrymple
better translation,
even
contextual.
The
Tokovinine, A. & B. Fash. 2011. Technologies and Techniques:
reports.
As
its
accuracy
left
much
to
be
desired,
I
decided
narrative
revealed major modifications in the 1923
entry nana‘ia implies that the glottal stop should be
Documenting Maya Monuments in the 21st Century. Paper
to
acquire
the
German
original
of
the
aforementioned
edition.
They
canHarvard
be grouped
in theProgram
following
general
reconstructed preceding the penultimate vowel. The
presented for the
Archaeology
Seminar
text.
I
purchased
an
edition
issued
in
1923
(edited
by
types:
Series, September 28th, 2011.
suggested reconstruction and interpretation of the name
J.A. 2006. Remote Possibilities: Hoa Hakananai‘a
Plischke),but
and
translated
the portions
the text Van•Tilburg,
errors;
areHans
hypothetical,
should
be accepted
until aofbetter
and
HMS
Topaze onand/or
Rapa over-interpretations;
Nui. British Museum
that
I
needed
for
my
purposes.
However,
what
aroused
• misinterpretations
translation is presented.
Occasional Paper 158. London: The British Museum.
my
suspicions were
numerous
comments
in which
brackets, Van•Tilburg,
omissions;
In conclusion,
I would
like to raise
a question
J.A. & G. Lee 1987. Symbolic stratigraphy: Rock
into the text;
strange
sometimes
•artsimplifications;
hasinserted
been puzzling
me from
thecomments
time whenthat
I read
the
and the monolithic statues of Easter Island. World
create an review.
impression
Behrens
himself
•Archaeology
editor’s comments
and explanations;
19(2):133-149.
anonymous
The that
images
carvedcontradicts
on the statue’s
back (and on its ventral torso) are of a proportionally
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
68 21
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Behrens’ narrative of the discovery of Easter Island:
Two editions, two personalities, two realities
Zuzanna Jakubowska
This article is dedicated to the figure of Carl Friedrich Behrens, a member of the Dutch expedition led by Jacob
Roggeveen, who re-discovered Easter Island in 1722. Behrens, a German soldier serving on one of the ships, left
a narrative describing the whole journey. The first edition was published in 1737 followed, among others, by a
re-published edition made by German anthropologist Hans Plischke that was published in 1923. The important
thing is that this version differs from the original to a great extent and the editor did not account for the changes
he had introduced into the text: besides grammar and orthography modernization, he omitted certain portions,
misinterpreted other ones and added some comments without marking them as his own. As a result, the narrative
gives an impression of having been written by another author; Behrens appears as a person with a different character
and attitude, weaker, less convincing and even less trustworthy than he really was. This article presents numerous
examples of the distortions as a warning against making a scientific or an anthropological use of unreliable editions of
source texts, as this may wield a negative influence upon our view and interpretation of the culture we are analyzing.
Este artículo es dedicado a la figura de Carl Friedrich Behrens, un miembro de la expedición holandesa dirigida
por Jacob Roggeveen, quien re-descubrió la Isla de Pascua en 1722. Behrens, un soldado alemán quien sirve en una
de las naves, dejo un relato que describe toda la travesía. La primera edición fue publicada en 1737, seguida, entre
otras, por una edición que fue re-publicada en 1923, escrita por un antropólogo alemán llamado Hans Plischke.
La consideración importante es que esta versión difiere de la original en gran medida y el editor no dio cuenta de
los cambios que había introducido en el texto: además de la modernización de la gramática y ortografía, omitió
algunas partes, malinterpretó otras, y añadió algunos comentarios sin notarlos como propios. Como resultado, el
relato da la impresión de haber sido escrito por otro autor; Behrens aparece como una persona con un carácter y
actitud diferente, más débil, menos convincente y menos confiable de lo que realmente era. Este artículo presenta
numerosos ejemplos de las distorsiones como una advertencia al uso científico o antropológico de ediciones erróneas
de textos originales, ya que estas pueden ejercer una influencia negativa en nuestra visión e interpretación de la
cultura que estamos analizando.
Introduction
and that certain passages of his story lack cohesion. I
drew a conclusion that these must have been unmarked
interjections by the editor. Two questions are raised.
Firstly, how many of these interjections are included in
the text? Secondly, are they the only changes introduced
by Plischke? To examine these questions, I collated
Plischke’s edition with the original first edition of the
text, published in 1737.
The comparison between the two versions of the
narrative revealed major modifications in the 1923
edition. They can be grouped in the following general
types:
• errors;
• misinterpretations and/or over-interpretations;
• omissions;
• simplifications;
• editor’s comments and explanations;
I am working on a project that comprises the translation
of all the 18 th century narratives on Easter Island
discovery into Polish and their extended historical
and anthropological analysis. The first version of the
narrative written by Carl Friedrich Behrens that I had
at my disposal was its translation into English, made by
Alexander Dalrymple within his collection of voyage
reports. As its accuracy left much to be desired, I decided
to acquire the German original of the aforementioned
text. I purchased an edition issued in 1923 (edited by
Hans Plischke), and translated the portions of the text
that I needed for my purposes. However, what aroused
my suspicions were numerous comments in brackets,
inserted into the text; strange comments that sometimes
create an impression that Behrens contradicts himself
Rapa Nui Journal
21
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
Behrens’ narrative of the discovery of Easter Island
• stylistic changes (‘embellishing’ of the original text);
• language modernization (orthography and grammar
changes);
• order and sentence division changes.
“Als ein Schuß fiel […]” (Behrens 1923:65).
[After a shot…]
Natives’ behavior
“[sie] brachten Palm-Zweige und rothe und weisse
Fahnen, sowohl Weiber als Kinder, und … Hüner,
lebendige, gekochte und gebratene, ja sie warffen
sich zu unseren Füssen nieder” (Behrens 1737:84).
The last two alterations are technical ones and are
the least invasive, easy to justify, and quite common
in this kind of popular re-edition (the 1923 version
was published within a series of adventure books),
so I will not analyze them, except for the toponyms’
modernization. Nevertheless, as can be inferred from
other examples, the narrative underwent a serious
transformation.
Following the order I established above, I present
the most representative and interesting examples of
the enumerated modifications. I firstly quote chosen
excerpts from both editions in chronological order,
translating them into English, deliberately rendering
them as literally as possible, even at the expense of style.
What is most important here is the original sense of the
presented quotes. I then comment upon them, giving
necessary explanations. For the sake of making the
quotes’ recognition easier and discerning them from the
main body of the article, all quoted excerpts are indented.
[they brought palm branches and red and white
banners, as well women as children, and … chickens,
alive, cooked and roasted; they threw themselves to
our feet.]
“[sie] schleppten Palmzweige, rote und weiße Fahnen,
Weiber und Kinder herbei und … lebendige, ja auch
gebratene Hühner. Sie warfen alles zu unsern Füssen
nieder” (Behrens 1923:66).
[they dragged palm branches, red and white banners,
women and children and … alive and also roasted
chickens; they threw all to our feet.]
The first example – putting aside the distance omission
– is obvious proof of the editor’s inattention: he
confuses compass directions. The second one is similar:
it shows a typical tendency of overlooking negation
(a characteristic, for instance, for students solving a
multiple choice test); in the first edition, Behrens states
that at the moment the ships have not anchored yet; in
the 1923 edition they have.
The third quote is more problematic. Namely, of all
available narratives of the Dutch voyage, only Behrens
reports two gun-firing incidents. Except for a widely
known tragedy on the shore – an accidental shooting that
ended with the death of a dozen islanders – strangely,
the German soldier mentions another case that is said to
have occurred on board one of the ships. According to
the 1737 edition, apparently an islander was wounded
or even shot; Plischke is obviously confused with this
information and deliberately omits it, changing the
passage to a laconic expression: “After a shot…”
In my opinion, the next example contains two
mistakes. One is clear: in the first version of the narrative,
it is the islanders that fall to their knees in front of the
newcomers. In Plischke’s edition, however, they throw
their gifts to the feet of the strangers. The core of the
problem is the German verb used in this context in both
versions: werfen: ‘to throw’; sich werfen: ‘to throw
oneself’. But one more inconsistency can be observed
in this fragment: the 1737 text seems to state that women
and children – apart from adult male islanders – also
came to meet the travelers, bringing various gifts;
meanwhile the editor of the 1923 version decides that
the islanders brought along all the mentioned objects as
1.Errors
Course
“10 Meilen Westwärts von Ioan Ferdinando sahen wir
die Insul Klein Ferdinando” (Behrens 1737:78-9).
[10 miles to the west from Ioan Ferdinando we saw
the island Klein Ferdinando.]
“Ostwärts von Juan Fernandez sahen wir die Insel
Klein Ferdnandez (wohl Masafuero)” (Behrens
1923:62).
[To the east of Juan Fernandez we saw the island Klein
Fernandez (or Masafuero).]
Anchoring
“[Wir] kamen aber selbiges Tages noch nicht zu
Ancker” (Behrens 1737:82).
[This same day we have not already anchored.]
“Noch am selben Tage gingen wir vor Anker”
(Behrens 1923:64).
[This same day we have anchored.]
Shooting incident
“Es wurde einer von denen, welche in den Fahrzeugen
waren, unversehens geschossen” (Behrens 1737:83).
[One of those who were in their boats was accidentally
shot.]
Rapa Nui Journal
22
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
“Als ein Schuß fiel […]” (Behrens 1923:65).
Images, which are not seen, and
stolen friends, who
[After a shot…]
steal: A reply to Van Tilburg and Arévalo Pakarati
• stylistic changes (‘embellishing’ of the original text);
• language modernization (orthography and grammar
changes);
• order and sentence division changes.
The last two alterations are technical ones and are
Albert
Davletshin
the least invasive, easy to justify, and quite common
in this kind of popular re-edition (the 1923 version
was published within a series of adventure books),
so I will not analyze them, except for the toponyms’
modernization. Nevertheless, as can be inferred from
In their
“Response
to A. Davletshin’s
other
examples,
the narrative
underwentunconvincing
a serious
assertion”,
Jo
Anne
Van
Tilburg
and Cristián Arévalo
transformation.
Pakarati
assert
that the
designs “do
not Iexist”
Following
the order
I established
above,
presentand
that
their
documentation
employs
“objective
methods
the most representative and interesting examples
of
including
digital
scanning”,
while
my
methods
the enumerated modifications. I firstly quote chosenare
subjective,
replicable,
and
They also
require
excerpts
fromnot
both
editions
ininferior.
chronological
order,
me
to
explain
my
rendering
of
the
statue’s
name.
First
translating them into English, deliberately rendering
of
all,
I
should
emphasize
that
my
paper
is
not
about
them as literally as possible, even at the expense of style.
criticising
extensive
Eastersense
Islandofculture,
What
is mosttheir
important
hereworks
is theon
original
the
which I quotes.
constantly
refercomment
to throughout
paper.
presented
I then
upon the
them,
giving
Van explanations.
Tilburg and Pakarati’s
includes
necessary
For the commentary
sake of making
the a
figure
presenting
results
of
their
3D
digital
scanning.
quotes’ recognition easier and discerning them from the
Strangely
enough,
designsexcerpts
under are
discussion
main
body of the
article,the
all quoted
indented.are
seen even better there than on the photos I had available
before. Additional images, for example, a komari symbol
1.Errors
above
the statue’s right nipple,1 are discernible. This is
Course
due
the better
lighting
of the
upper part
of wir
the torso
“10to
Meilen
Westwärts
von Ioan
Ferdinando
sahen
during
theKlein
scanning
process.
I should
notify the reader
die Insul
Ferdinando”
(Behrens
1737:78-9).
that I have a JPG file at hand and I can zoom in and
out
on the image; this makes the recognition of eroded
details
easier.
I am eager to have a closer look at the 3D scanning,
because
it might permit us to discern elements of a
different
origin and find alternative explanations for
1923:62).
lines,
amongst them, later scratches. I have kindly asked
the
a copy
of their
Unfortunately,
[Toauthors
the east for
of Juan
Fernandez
we 3D
saw scan.
the island
Klein
I Fernandez
have not received
a
response.
It
is
a
pity,
because the
(or Masafuero).]
figure does not serve as more than a photograph; the
results
of 3D scanning should be presented as three to
Anchoring
four
renderings
fromselbiges
differentTages
angles
with
light
“[Wir] kamen aber
noch
nicht
zufrom a
different
direction.
I
will
explain
my
hesitations.
They
Ancker” (Behrens 1737:82).
don’t give the X,Y resolution of their scan, making
[This same day we have not already anchored.]
estimations
difficult. They state that the accuracy is
“sub-3mm”. Let us assume that they want to say that it
Tage gingen wir vor Anker”
is“Noch
greateram
thanselben
2mm and
less than 3mm. It means that the
(Behrens 1923:64).
resolution is probably around 5mm or more; any feature
on[This
the same
topography
less anchored.]
than 4-6mm is not going to be
day we have
recorded. These numbers may be worse if a filter or data
smoothing
was applied to get rid of the noise (as their
Shooting incident
image
suggests)
when
individual
were merged. I
“Es wurde
einer von
denen,
welche inscans
den Fahrzeugen
am
familiar
with thegeschossen”
standards of
3D documentation
of
waren,
unversehens
(Behrens
1737:83).
Maya monuments by the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic
[One of those who were in their boats was accidentally
Inscriptions
of Harvard University and the accuracy of
shot.]
+/2mm would be inadequate for Maya monuments of
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
Natives’ behavior
“[sie] brachten Palm-Zweige und rothe und weisse
Fahnen, sowohl Weiber als Kinder, und … Hüner,
lebendige, gekochte und gebratene, ja sie warffen
sich zu unseren Füssen nieder” (Behrens 1737:84).
[they brought palm branches and red and white
banners, as well women as children, and … chickens,
similar
size (Tokovinine
For example,
alive, cooked
and roasted;and
theyFash
threw2011).
themselves
to
the
bulk
of
Copan
Stela
63
was
recorded
with the
our feet.]
accuracy of +/- 0.08mm and some finer details were
scanned
with thePalmzweige,
accuracy of
(Alexandre
“[sie] schleppten
rote+/und0.04mm
weiße Fahnen,
Tokovinine,
pers.
comm.
2012).
The
Copan
stela
is about
Weiber und Kinder herbei und … lebendige, ja auch
the
same
size
as
Hoa-haka-nana‘ia.
gebratene Hühner. Sie warfen alles zu unsern Füssen
When
submitting
my paper, I made a suggestion to
nieder”
(Behrens
1923:66).
send my working PSD composition of multiple layers,
[they dragged
palm
and white
where
the based
onbranches,
a photo red
drawing
hadbanners,
been made. I
women
and
children
and
…
alive
and
roasted my or
am aware of the fact that the only wayalso
to control
chickens;
they
threw
all
to
our
feet.]
somebody else’s subjectivity is to have such a file in
order to switch over different layers to see how a person
Thedrawing
first example
– putting
aside the
distanceofomission
the image
interpreted
elements
the relief.
– is
obvious
proof
of
the
editor’s
hethe
Strangely, I was not asked about my inattention:
working file by
confuses
compass
directions.
The
second
one
is
similar:
reviewers. When a documentation process is completed,
it shows
typical
tendency
overlooking
whethera it
be either
a 3D of
scan
or a photo,negation
subjective
(a methods
characteristic,
for
instance,
for
students
solving
a
of interpretation are to be
applied.
Ironically,
multiple
choice
test);
in
the
first
edition,
Behrens
states
subjective methods are also necessary for understanding
thathow
at the
moment
ships have not
adequate
thethe
documentation
weanchored
obtain is.yet; in
the 1923
edition
they
have.
In her earlier work (2006:37, 64) Van Tilburg speaks
The the
third
quotebody
is more
problematic.
Namely,
all
about
supine
of Hoa
Hakananai‘a
being of
dragged
available
narratives
of
the
Dutch
voyage,
only
Behrens
by English sailors during its transportation to Topaze.
reports
twotwo
gun-firing
incidents.
Exceptdepictions
for a widely
Indeed,
contemporary
published
of the
known
on the
– an
accidental
shooting
eventtragedy
represent
theshore
statue
being
dragged
face upthat
(Van
ended
with2006:37;
the deathOrliac
of a dozen
islanders
– strangely,
Tilburg
& Orliac
2008:80).
Admitting
thethat
German
soldier mentions
another
that is said toVan
the “curved
line on the
torsocase
is tantalizing”,
have
occurred
board Pakarati
one of the
ships. According
Tilburg
and on
Arévalo
probably
agree that to
such
thean
1737
edition,
anfrom
islander
was wounded
intricate
lineapparently
cannot result
an occasional
scratch
or during
even shot;
Plischke
obviously
confused
with this
transport.
Anisattentive
look
at the figure
of the
information
anddiscussed
deliberately
changing
the on
3D rendering
and atomits
manyit,
photos
available
passage
to a laconic
“After
a shot…”
the official
websiteexpression:
of the British
Museum
reveals a clear
In corresponding
my opinion, the
nextback
example
two
line
to the
and legcontains
of a crouching
mistakes.
One
is
clear:
in
the
first
version
of
the
narrative,
birdman figure, obliterated lines suggesting a head of a
it iscircular
the islanders
that fall
to atheir
of theand
eye supplied
with
longknees
beak in
andfront
a crown,
newcomers.
In
Plischke’s
edition,
however,
they
throw
a hand holding an egg. The area between the described
their
gifts
to
the
feet
of
the
strangers.
The
core
of
the
designs is rather unclear (Davletshin this issue: Figure
problem
is
the
German
verb
used
in
this
context
in
both
5); I cautiously suggested a hypothetical scenario for its
versions:
werfen:
‘toscholar
throw’;should
sich do
werfen:
throw
explanation
as any
in my ‘to
place.
Let us
oneself’.
But
one
more
inconsistency
can
be
observed
forget about the problematic in-between area for a while.
in this
fragment:
text seems
to statehow
thatoccasional
women
Then,
it wouldthebe1737
difficult
to imagine
andscratches
children could
– apart
from
adult
male
islanders
– also
find their perfect place in order
to so
came
to
meet
the
travelers,
bringing
various
nicely form a consistent image of a birdman gifts;
with its
meanwhile
editor of the
1923
decideswith
thatthe
back, leg,the
egg-holding
hand
andversion
head supplied
thecharacteristic
islanders brought
along
all
the
mentioned
objects
as
beak and eye.
22 67
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Zuzanna Jakubowska
Hoa Hakananai‘a in detail: Comment on A. Davletshin
scratches
well as or
women
lines and
on the
children.
ventralFor
side
me,
of there
the torso
is a significant
depicts
NotesNatural dye
“…wir wissen aber nicht, wovon sie diese schöne
thedifference
elements Davletshin
in the attitude
illustrates.
towards
Not considering
the indigenous
here
1. A discussion
of the (Behrens
spelling, accents,
history and possible
Farbe machen”
1737:88).
theRapanui.
poor quality
I will
and
return
stylistic
to this
anomalies
later. of his so-called
meaning
of
the
term
Hoa
Hakananai‘a
is given in Van
“birdman” and its suggested but debatable chronology,
[…but
we do2006).
not know
what they
this to
beautiful
Tilburg
(1992,
Davletshin
is make
required
explain
we2.
conclude
Misinterpretations,
that:
over-interpretations
his inexplicable use of an alternate rendering.
Curiosity of indigenous Rapanui
hattencurved
sie bey
undvisible
hunder
• the “Theils
single central
line50.
most
in ten
the
niedergelassen,
und
sahen
unsere
Schiffe
mit
earliest known photo (taken on shipboard in England;
(Behrens
1737:82-3).
VanWerwunderung
Tilburg 2006)an”
is more
shallow
and narrow than
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
it appears
in they
the scan
1);the shore] in groups
[Partially
were(Figure
sitting [on
the single
curved
line
cannot
be
defined
as “pecked
of 50, 100, and were looking with
astonishment
at
and our
abraded”;
ships.]
at least some of the scratches on the ventral side of
the torso
were
the statue
was
dragged on
“Trupps
vonmade
50 undwhen
100 hatten
sich dort
niedergelassen
its face
to
embark
Topaze;
und sahen mit Werwunderung nach unsern Schiffen
other
scratches
and lines were
made
during
least
herüber.
Sie betrachteten
sich all
diese
ihnen at
fremde
10 separate
times
when
the
statue
was
moved
after
Dinge” (Behrens 1923:65).
departing Rapa Nui;
[Groups
100 sat
downsurface,
and looked
small
pits on of
the50,
statue’s
ventral
as we with
have
astonishment
at our ships. They were watching all
noted,
are not natural;
theseon
things,
strangeside
to them.]
a repair
the dorsal
was made by curators;
the relief figures on the dorsal side were carved in
Huts
more
than one episode;
“…die
Häuserorwaren
40.tools
bis 60.
lang, 6. bis
marks
of stone
metal
areSchuh
discernible
but
8. Schuh breit
undissocomplicated
hoch von hölzernen
Stangen
understanding
them
by the probable
1737:86).
use aufgerichtet”
of grappling(Behrens
hooks and
other instruments.
dye of.]
2. A single torso (MA-IDP-015) of re-carved Rano Raraku
tuff from the vicinity of Vai Hina Ao but otherwise not
“Wir wissenhas
abertangata
nicht, woraus
sierelief.
diese schöne Farbe
contextualized
manu in
gewinnen” (Behrens 1923:68).
Acknowledgements
[But we do not know where they get this beautiful
dye from.]
Thanks to Lissant Bolton and Natasha Smith of the British
Museum;
Garryexamples
Farrow, Andrew
Johannes
Van to
The above
show Simmons,
the editor’s
tendency
Tilburg,
Debra
Isaac,
Alice
Hom,
and
Deidre
Whitmore
“read between the lines” while analyzing the original
of text.
EISP,Sometimes
all of whom
or analyzedmore
thesethan
data.was
he collected
seems to understand
Interested
readers
may
visit
www.eisp.org
for
more
details
actually written; probably thanks to other narratives
anddescribing
qualified the
researchers
may download
the Camtasia
island’s discovery
by Europeans.
This is
movie
clip
through
a
link
provided
on
request.
clear when we see the first excerpt: Plischke puts the
words about the astonishment of the indigenous Rapanui
References
when they saw European ships into Behrens’ mouth. This
is described
in other on
voyage
diaries
of the
Vanastonishment
Tilburg, J. 1992.
HMS Topaze
Easter
Island:
th
18Hoacentury,
but is only
in the first
edition
Hakananai‘a
and mentioned
five other museum
statues
in of
archaeological
context.
Britishelaborates
Museum Occasional
the
narrative, and
Plischke
on that. Paper
73.The
London:
The British Museum.
misinterpretation
in the second quote again
——2006. Remote Possibilities: Hoa Hakananai‘a and HMS
seems to result from inattention. What I understand when
Topaze on Rapa Nui. British Museum Occasional Paper
reading
the original
1737Museum.
passage is that huts were 6-8
158. London:
The British
feet wide and also 6-8 feet high; moreover, they were
supported by wooden posts. Plischke does not seem to
notice the fact of equal width and height of the houses.
What caused the modification of the original
information in the third passage might be an everyday
experience of the editor: he knows, namely, that earrings
are often pieces of jewelry that are hanging from the ear.
And thus – despite the fact that all the contemporary texts
on Easter Island describe very thoroughly an ‘exotic’
custom of ear piercing and inserting tuber pieces or sugar
cane leaves in the hole – in the 1923 edition, ear ornaments
are hanging, although in the 1737 version they are not.
The last quote may be another manifestation of
the attitude shift between the first edition and the latter
version of the text, even if a slight one: whereas the
first example suggests the indigenous Rapanui were
themselves producing a certain dye, in the second one
Behrens asks himself where they acquire it, as if it was
ready to use in a form of some plant or mineral and did
not need any effort or elaboration.
[…the huts were 40 to 60 feet long, 6 to 8 feet wide
and of the same height, supported by wooden posts.]
“Die Häuser waren vierzig bis sechzig Schuh lang,
sechs bis acht Schuh breit und aus hölzernen Stangen
hoch aufgerichtet” (Behrens 1923:67).
[The huts were forty to sixty feet long, six to eight
feet wide and supported on wooden posts].
Ear piercing
“Ihre Ohren waren so lange, daß sie ihnen bis auf
die Schultern hiengen; Einige hatten weisse Klötze
darinnen liegend zur Bedeutung einer besondern
Zierath” (Behrens 1737:87).
[Their ears were so long that they were hanging down
to their shoulders. Some of them had white blocks
stuck [lit. lying] there [i.e. in the hole] for a strange
ornament.]
“Die Ohren hingen ihnen bis auf die Schultern herab.
Viele hatten darin weiße Klötze als Zierat hängen”
(Behrens 1923:68).
3.Omissions
Reference to other authors
“Der Herr Dampier und Waffer davon melden in ihren
Beschreibungen, nach der Süd-See entdeckt seyn”
(Behrens 1737:78).
[Their ears were hanging down to their shoulders.
many [of the indigenous Rapanui] had white blocks
hanging from them for ornament.]
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
[Mister Dampier and Waffer inform on that in their
reports, after the discovery of the South Sea.]
66 23
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Zuzanna Jakubowska
well as women and children. For me, there is a significant
difference in the attitude towards the indigenous
Rapanui. I will return to this later.
Natural dye
“…wir wissen aber nicht, wovon sie diese schöne
Farbe machen” (Behrens 1737:88).
2. Misinterpretations, over-interpretations
[…but we do not know what they make this beautiful
dye of.]
Curiosity of indigenous Rapanui
“Theils hatten sie bey 50. und hunder ten
niedergelassen, und sahen unsere Schiffe mit
Werwunderung an” (Behrens 1737:82-3).
“Wir wissen aber nicht, woraus sie diese schöne Farbe
gewinnen” (Behrens 1923:68).
[But we do not know where they get this beautiful
dye from.]
[Partially they were sitting [on the shore] in groups
of 50, 100, and were looking with astonishment at
our ships.]
The above examples show the editor’s tendency to
“read between the lines” while analyzing the original
text. Sometimes he seems to understand more than was
actually written; probably thanks to other narratives
describing the island’s discovery by Europeans. This is
clear when we see the first excerpt: Plischke puts the
words about the astonishment of the indigenous Rapanui
when they saw European ships into Behrens’ mouth. This
astonishment is described in other voyage diaries of the
18th century, but is only mentioned in the first edition of
the narrative, and Plischke elaborates on that.
The misinterpretation in the second quote again
seems to result from inattention. What I understand when
reading the original 1737 passage is that huts were 6-8
feet wide and also 6-8 feet high; moreover, they were
supported by wooden posts. Plischke does not seem to
notice the fact of equal width and height of the houses.
What caused the modification of the original
information in the third passage might be an everyday
experience of the editor: he knows, namely, that earrings
are often pieces of jewelry that are hanging from the ear.
And thus – despite the fact that all the contemporary texts
on Easter Island describe very thoroughly an ‘exotic’
custom of ear piercing and inserting tuber pieces or sugar
cane leaves in the hole – in the 1923 edition, ear ornaments
are hanging, although in the 1737 version they are not.
The last quote may be another manifestation of
the attitude shift between the first edition and the latter
version of the text, even if a slight one: whereas the
first example suggests the indigenous Rapanui were
themselves producing a certain dye, in the second one
Behrens asks himself where they acquire it, as if it was
ready to use in a form of some plant or mineral and did
not need any effort or elaboration.
“Trupps von 50 und 100 hatten sich dort niedergelassen
und sahen mit Werwunderung nach unsern Schiffen
herüber. Sie betrachteten sich all diese ihnen fremde
Dinge” (Behrens 1923:65).
[Groups of 50, 100 sat down and looked with
astonishment at our ships. They were watching all
these things, strange to them.]
Huts
“…die Häuser waren 40. bis 60. Schuh lang, 6. bis
8. Schuh breit und so hoch von hölzernen Stangen
aufgerichtet” (Behrens 1737:86).
[…the huts were 40 to 60 feet long, 6 to 8 feet wide
and of the same height, supported by wooden posts.]
“Die Häuser waren vierzig bis sechzig Schuh lang,
sechs bis acht Schuh breit und aus hölzernen Stangen
hoch aufgerichtet” (Behrens 1923:67).
[The huts were forty to sixty feet long, six to eight
feet wide and supported on wooden posts].
Ear piercing
“Ihre Ohren waren so lange, daß sie ihnen bis auf
die Schultern hiengen; Einige hatten weisse Klötze
darinnen liegend zur Bedeutung einer besondern
Zierath” (Behrens 1737:87).
[Their ears were so long that they were hanging down
to their shoulders. Some of them had white blocks
stuck [lit. lying] there [i.e. in the hole] for a strange
ornament.]
“Die Ohren hingen ihnen bis auf die Schultern herab.
Viele hatten darin weiße Klötze als Zierat hängen”
(Behrens 1923:68).
3.Omissions
Reference to other authors
“Der Herr Dampier und Waffer davon melden in ihren
Beschreibungen, nach der Süd-See entdeckt seyn”
(Behrens 1737:78).
[Their ears were hanging down to their shoulders.
many [of the indigenous Rapanui] had white blocks
hanging from them for ornament.]
Rapa Nui Journal
[Mister Dampier and Waffer inform on that in their
reports, after the discovery of the South Sea.]
23
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
[Actually we saw many land birds. Some [of the crew]
maintained that they did see the land. Also from the
wind we could reckon the proximity of land. But, to
the greatest surprise of our Admiral, we did not notice
the Land of Davis. We either went past it or there is
no land in this place.]
“Die Herren Dampier und Waffer berichten darüber”
(Behrens 1923:62).
[Misters Dampier and Waffer inform on that.]
Seeking land
“Wir sahen auch viele Land-Vögel, worunter viel
Pfeil-Sterten gewesen, auch haben sie würcklich
gemeinet, daß wir Land gesehen hätten, auch wagirte
der Wind und lieff nach dem Westen, welches
ebenfalls auf allen Küsten, wo der feste Passæt-Wind
wehet, ein Zeichen, daß man nicht weit vom Lande
ist; alleine wir sahen jedoch, zum grösten Bestürzung
unsres Admirals, kein Land Davids: ich glaube daß
wir neben den Lande hingefahren, oder muß allda kein
Land seyn. Diß ist gewis, daß sich alle Küsten von
den Süd-Ländern meistens gegen Ost und West, oder
Osten N. und Westen-Süden strecken, welches wohl
eine Haupt-Ursache mit seyn mag, warum ehedem
diß Süd-Land vor vielen ist unentdeckt geblieben:
Denn mit den W. N. W. Cours seegelte man neben
dem Lande hin, und mit den N. W. drehet man sich
gar davon ab, welches ich accurat untersuchet, durch
Aufnehmung aller entdeckten Süd-Länder, und eine
besondere Charte davon formiret habe, da es sich denn
deutlich gezeiget, daß sie entweder neben den Lande
hingefahren, oder mit den N. W. Cours sich gar davon
abgewendet haben” (Behrens 1737:79-80).
Appearance of indigenous Rapanui
“…mit langen Ohren welche bis auf die Schultern
herab hiengen, so durchs Gewicht die Länge wohl
werden bekommen haben, nach Art der Mogolischen
Mohren” (Behrens 1737:81).
[…with long ears that hung down to their shoulders,
probably so long because of some weight, like in case
of the Moghul Negroes.]
“Die Ohrläppchen hingen bis auf die Schultern herab
(wohl wegen dere Ohrpflöcke)” (Behrens 1923:64).
[Their earlobes hung down to their shoulders
(probably because of ear pegs).]
Glass of wine
“…wir gaben diesem Süd-Länder oder fremden Gast
ein Glas Wein zu trinken; alleine er nahm solches,
und stürzte es in seine Augen: worüber wir uns
werwunderten; alleine ich glaube, daß er gedacht,
daß man ihm dadurch vergeben wolte, welches
unter denen Indianern ein allgemeiner Gebrauch ist”
(Behrens 1737:81).
[We also saw many land birds, among which there were
many Pfeil-Sterten [I could not identify that species –
ZJ], they could also be a sign of a land to be seen, also
the wind changed and began to blow to the West, and
along all the shores, where a permanent trade wind
blows, this is a sign that one is not far from the land;
but, to a great consternation of our Admiral, we did not
see the Land of Davids. I think we went past it or there
must be no land at all. What is sure is that all shores
of the south lands generally extend in the direction
from the East to the West, or from the N.-West to the
South-West, and that may be the main reason that the
South Land remained undiscovered by so many; then,
following the WNW course one sailed past the land and
following the NW [course] one turned away completely
from it, what I examined accurately by marking all the
discovered lands and making a special chart, and it can
be seen very clearly that they either went past the land
or, following the NW course, turned away from it.]
[We gave this Southlander or a strange guest a glass
of wine to drink; but he took it and threw it into his
eyes; this amazed us; but I think that he thought that
we wanted to poison him, what is common among
the Indians.]
“Wir gaben diesem Südländer, unserm Gast, ein Glas
Wein zu trinken. Er nahm es und stürzte es in seine
Augen, worüber wir uns sehr wunderten” (Behrens
1923:64).
[We gave this Southlander, our guest, a glass of wine
to drink. He took it and threw it into his eyes; this
amazed us much.]
Maneuvers
“…da giengen wir S. O. in einie [sic] Boog (Bucht)
oder Einlauf zum Ancker” (Behrens 1737:82).
“Wir sahen in der Tat zahlreiche Landvögel. Einige
meinten auch wirklich Land gesehen zu haben. Auch
konnten wir aus dem Wind auf Landnähe schießen.
Aber zur größten Bewunderung unseres Admirals
erblickten wir das Davisland nicht. Entweder sind wir
an ihm vorübergefahren, oder es gibt an dieser Stelle
kein Land” (Behrens 1923:63).
Rapa Nui Journal
Jo Anne Van Tilburg and Cristián Arévalo Pakarati
[then we went SE into a bay [Behrens uses three
different terms to design it – ZJ] to anchor there.]
“gingen wir endlich in einer Bucht vor Anker”
(Behrens 1923:64).
[eventually we went into a bay to anchor there.]
24
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
[Actually we saw many land birds. Some [of the crew]
maintained that they did see the land. Also from the
wind we could reckon the proximity of land. But, to
the greatest surprise of our Admiral, we did not notice
the Land of Davis. We either went past it or there is
no land in this place.]
“Die Herren Dampier und Waffer berichten darüber”
(Behrens 1923:62).
[Misters Dampier and Waffer inform on that.]
Seeking land
“Wir sahen auch viele Land-Vögel, worunter viel
Pfeil-Sterten gewesen, auch haben sie würcklich
gemeinet, daß wir Land gesehen hätten, auch wagirte
der Wind und lieff nach dem Westen, welches
ebenfalls auf allen Küsten, wo der feste Passæt-Wind
wehet, ein Zeichen, daß man nicht weit vom Lande
ist; alleine wir sahen jedoch, zum grösten Bestürzung
unsres Admirals, kein Land Davids: ich glaube daß
wir neben den Lande hingefahren, oder muß allda kein
Land seyn. Diß ist gewis, daß sich alle Küsten von
den Süd-Ländern meistens gegen Ost und West, oder
Osten N. und Westen-Süden strecken, welches wohl
eine Haupt-Ursache mit seyn mag, warum ehedem
diß Süd-Land vor vielen ist unentdeckt geblieben:
Denn mit den W. N. W. Cours seegelte man neben
dem Lande hin, und mit den N. W. drehet man sich
gar davon ab, welches ich accurat untersuchet, durch
Aufnehmung aller entdeckten Süd-Länder, und eine
besondere Charte davon formiret habe, da es sich denn
deutlich gezeiget, daß sie entweder neben den Lande
hingefahren, oder mit den N. W. Cours sich gar davon
abgewendet haben” (Behrens 1737:79-80).
“…mit langen Ohren welche bis auf die Schultern
herab hiengen, so durchs Gewicht die Länge wohl
werden bekommen haben, nach Art der Mogolischen
Mohren” (Behrens 1737:81).
[…with long ears that hung down to their shoulders,
probably so long because of some weight, like in case
of the Moghul Negroes.]
“Die Ohrläppchen hingen bis auf die Schultern herab
(wohl wegen dere Ohrpflöcke)” (Behrens 1923:64).
[Their earlobes hung down to their shoulders
(probably because of ear pegs).]
Glass of wine
“…wir gaben diesem Süd-Länder oder fremden Gast
ein Glas Wein zu trinken; alleine er nahm solches,
und stürzte es in seine Augen: worüber wir uns
werwunderten; alleine ich glaube, daß er gedacht,
daß man ihm dadurch vergeben wolte, welches
unter denen Indianern ein allgemeiner Gebrauch ist”
(Behrens 1737:81).
[We also saw many land birds, among which there were
many Pfeil-Sterten [I could not identify that species –
ZJ], they could also be a sign of a land to be seen, also
the wind changed and began to blow to the West, and
along all the shores, where a permanent trade wind
blows, this is a sign that one is not far from the land;
but, to a great consternation of our Admiral, we did not
see the Land of Davids. I think we went past it or there
must be no land at all. What is sure is that all shores
of the south lands generally extend in the direction
from the East to the West, or from the N.-West to the
South-West, and that may be the main reason that the
South Land remained undiscovered by so many; then,
following the WNW course one sailed past the land and
following the NW [course] one turned away completely
from it, what I examined accurately by marking all the
discovered lands and making a special chart, and it can
be seen very clearly that they either went past the land
or, following the NW course, turned away from it.]
[We gave this Southlander or a strange guest a glass
of wine to drink; but he took it and threw it into his
eyes; this amazed us; but I think that he thought that
we wanted to poison him, what is common among
the Indians.]
“Wir gaben diesem Südländer, unserm Gast, ein Glas
Wein zu trinken. Er nahm es und stürzte es in seine
Augen, worüber wir uns sehr wunderten” (Behrens
1923:64).
[We gave this Southlander, our guest, a glass of wine
to drink. He took it and threw it into his eyes; this
amazed us much.]
Maneuvers
“…da giengen wir S. O. in einie [sic] Boog (Bucht)
oder Einlauf zum Ancker” (Behrens 1737:82).
“Wir sahen in der Tat zahlreiche Landvögel. Einige
[then we went SE into a bay [Behrens uses three
meinten auch wirklich Land gesehen zu haben. Auch
different terms to design it – ZJ] to anchor there.]
konnten wir aus dem Wind auf Landnähe schießen.
Aber zur größten Bewunderung unseres Admirals
“gingen wir endlich in einer Bucht vor Anker”
Figure
1. ZVM nicht.
screenEntweder
shot/3D rendered
erblickten wir
das Davisland
sind wir still of Hoa Hakananai‘a accomplished with permission by
(Behrens 1923:64).
EISP at the British
an ihm vorübergefahren,
oder esMuseum.
gibt an dieser Stelle
[eventually we went into a bay to anchor there.]
kein Land” (Behrens 1923:63).
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
24 65
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Zuzanna Jakubowska
holes up from it [sic]; on the other hand, there, in the
for indigenous Rapanui
HoaGifts
Hakananai‘a
in Stuck
detail:
on
springtime, its
food A.
comesDavletshin’s
out and [the stork] stays at
“[wir]
beschenckten sie mit einen
Bunten Comment
the latitude between 40 and 60 degrees South in some
Leinwand, von ungefehr 50. bis 60. Elen lang, welches
unconvincing
assertion
of an ‘overlooked
on
unknown lands, or in theimage’
land of Hernandus
Gallego,
sie über hundert mahl Klaffter
weise gemessen”
discovered by him in 1595; and as the fall begins
(Behrens 1737:85).
the ventral side of the ‘Orongo statue
there, and thennow
because of in
the airthe
and of the food, it
[we gave them a piece of colorful linen, about 50 to
undertakes its journey back to the North. The stork was
60 ells long,
which they measured over a hundred
British
Museum
frequently mentioned in a kind manner by such learned
times with outstretched arms.]
men as Epiphanio, Francisci, Heldelino, Guicciardyno,
Munstero and by other distinguished scholars.]
Jo Anne
Tilburg
Cristián
Arévalo Pakarati
“[wir]Van
beschenkten
sie and
mit einem
Stück bunter
Leinwand, die ungefähr fünfzig bis sechzig Ellen lang
war” (Behrens 1923:66).
[we gave them a piece of colorful linen that was about
Introduction
50 to 60 ells long.]
Albert Davletshin contends that he has detected several
Storks
rock art elements on the ventral side of the basalt statue
“Doch kan auch nicht wol seyn, daß auf der höhe von
Hoa Hakananai‘a (EISP inventory BM-LON-001).1 The
28 ½. Grad, auf welche Breite diese Insul lieget, sich
statue was collected from ‘Orongo by HMS Topaze
die Störche können aufhalten: denn gleichwie die
in 1868 (Van Tilburg 1992, 2006) and is now in the
Natur an diesem Vogel etwas sonderliches geleget, so
British Museum (1869.10-5.1). We take his claim very
muß ein jedweder mit bekennen, daß wenn der Storch
seriously and agree that a single curved line on the torso
ein warmes Clima suchte, würde man ihn in unseren
is tantalizing. However, the designs he depicts do not
Ländern nich sehen: denn auf der Breite von 28 Grad,
exist on Hoa Hakananai‘a.
das ganze Jahr kein Winter, und also stets eine warme
Since we are constrained for space we cannot deal
Lufft ist: ich urtheile vielmehr, das der Storch, wann
with all of our disagreements with this article, most of
er hinweg ziehet, das Clima gegen den Süd-Pohl
which we raised during the peer review process. Our
suchet, gleichwie er hie zu sehen gegen Norden, da
main points here are that Hoa Hakananai‘a is unique
derselbe aus unserem Herbst in ihren Frühling ziehet,
within our inventory of 1,042 monolithic sculptural
gleich als wenn gegen dem Herbst sich alles zu seiner
objects but must be considered within an island-wide
Nahrung verkriecht, hingegen in ihrem Frühling seine
archaeological context of which the author has no
Nahrung hervor kommt und sich zwischen die 40.
apparent grasp. Secondly, our documentation employs a
und 50. Grad Suder-Breite auf einigen unbekannten
variety of objective, replicable methods including stateLändern, oder auf dem Lande von Hernandus Gallego,
of-the-art digital scanning procedures (www.eisp.org).
welches er A. 1595. entdecket, sich aufhalt, diß daß
Davletshin’s methods, in contrast, are subjective and not
ihr Herbst wieder anfänget, und sodann wegen der
replicable, not encouraged in the field of modern rock art
Lufft und auch der Nahrung halber seine Ruckreise
studies, produce unreliable results (especially in artificial
nach Norden wieder antritt. Der Storch wird bey
light and with a raised target), and are inferior to ours.
denen Gelehrten in einigen artigen Anmerckungen
His resultant data are erroneous and his interpretations
angezogen, wie bey dem Epiphanio, Francisci,
are incorrect.
Heldelino, Guicciardyno, Munstero und andern
bewährten Scribenten, weitläufftiger zu sehen ist”
Context
(Behrens 1737:89-90).
[But it cannotisbeone
that of
at the
28 ½
degrees,
Hoa Hakananai‘a
85 height
Rapa ofNui
sculptural
therecorded
island lies,tothe
storks
can make
stop;
objectsatofwhich
basalt
date.
It may
havea come
regardless
of any
strange
features
could
from the
Rano Kau
basalt
flow
but that
thatthe
is nature
not certain
bestow
bird,of
everyone
has to acknowledge
until we
haveupon
the this
results
XRF analyses.
We have
that,
if rock
the stork
were in
looking
for mostly
a warmassociated
climate, it
recorded
184
art sites
situ and
would notart
be seen
in our country;Fifty-seven
then, at the latitude
with megalithic
and architecture.
statues
of 28 degrees
there is nomany
winterofduring
theare
whole
year,
have petroglyph
elements,
which
directly
“Und doch spricht manches dagegen, das die Störche
hierher ziehen” (Behrens 1923:69).
[And still
there are reasons totattoo
believepatterns.
that the storks
comparable
to well-documented
None
do not
migrate
of these
statues
arehere.]
embellished with “birdmen”
petroglyphs.2 Our recently completed excavations of
I viewinit,Rano
all theRaraku
examples
omissions ininthe
1923
twoAsstatues
wereofundertaken,
part,
versiontheir
of theroles
Behrens’
texttoresult
a single general
to clarify
relative
Hoafrom
Hakananai‘a
and
idea oficonography
the editor: and
the ceremonies.
idea of offering the audience
‘Orongo
an easy-reading adventure book. That is why all the
information that seemed superfluous, or ‘unnecessary’
Methods
in the course of the narration, was left out. I suppose
that1987
whatto
reinforced
the we
editor’s
delete
these
From
the present
havedecision
collectedto89
image
fragments
was Hakananai‘a.
their style: they
are often
vague,
rough,
records
for Hoa
These
include
on-site
or sometimes
problem,
however,
original
drawings incoherent.
produced byThe
Arévalo
Pakarati,
who is
thathand
these
passages
frequently
revealin
Behrens’
hasprecisely
a practiced
and
experienced
eye gained
over
character:
he was an experienced
soldier
and seaman,
20 true
years
of field experience
on Rapa Nui.
Petroglyphs,
whotool
hadmarks
a certain
knowledge
of and
the world,
some
and various
curved
straightalthough
lines
nowadays
we
may
consider
this
knowledge
naïve.
In the
are discernible in all of our drawings and in the earliest
excerpts
from
the
1737
edition,
Behrens
speaks
about
known photograph of the statue (1868). To clarify them,
geography,
winds
and
charts,
about
supposed
customs
we scanned the outside configuration of the statue on of
Mughals
andthe
Indians,
about
and bird
migrations,
four
sides and
top with
a Zclimate
+ F Imager
5003
with a
alsodegrees
uses varied
terminology.
last excerpt
360and
x 312
fieldmarine
of view.
Each scanThe
captured
11
is particularly
stunning
(thatanisaccuracy
why I decided
to quote
million
3D data points,
giving
of sub-3mm
in spite
of its
length):
elaborates
on stork
@ it
10M
range.
The
result the
wasGerman
a combined
data record
habits,3D
wondering
the birds7could
could not make
of fifteen
modelingif images,
digitalorcomposites
and a
stop on Easter
3 Camtasia
video Island
clips. (in fact, what he saw on an Easter
Islander’s head were probably frigate and not stork
feathers),and
and in
the 1923 edition, the whole passage is
Analysis
Conclusion
reduced to one short sentence.
The UCLA Rock Art Archive follows the standards
and4.Simplifications
guidelines of the California Digital Library (CDL;
Journey and the Online Archive of California
www.cdlib.org)
hattenartists
täglich
einenunder
gutenthese
Fortgang,
weil
(OAC).“…wir
EISP digital
trained
guidelines
uns der
O. elements,
passat Wind
treflichand
favorabel
reintegrate
rockS.art
objects,
sites inwar”
our
(Behrensinto
1737:79).
EISP database
discrete matrices using appreciably
advanced techniques. Our data on Hoa Hakananai‘a,
[…every day we were making a good progress,
including especially 3D renderings viewed with
because the SE trade wind was very favorable to us.]
adjustments of light source and direction while panning
around the entire statue, convince us that none of the
“Wir hatten gute Fahrt. Der Südostwind war uns sehr
and the air is constantly warm; moreover, I think that
günstig” (Behrens 1923:63).
the stork, when it migrates, looks for the climate near
regardless
[what]
it Art
could
find here
[WeDirector,
had a good
ride.Island
The south-eastern
wind was
Jo Anne the
VanSouth
TilburgPole,
| Director,
theof
UCLA
Rock
Archive,
Los Angeles, CA, USA;
the Easter
Statue Project (EISP).
www.eisp.org
to the north, then it migrates during our fall to look
very favorable to us.]
Cristián Arévalo
Pakaratithere,
| Rapa
Nui artist
for the spring
because
in theand
fallco-Director,
all it feedsthe
on Easter Island Statue Project (EISP). www.eisp.org
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
64 25
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Zuzanna Jakubowska
holes up from it [sic]; on the other hand, there, in the
springtime, its food comes out and [the stork] stays at
the latitude between 40 and 60 degrees South in some
unknown lands, or in the land of Hernandus Gallego,
discovered by him in 1595; and as the fall begins
there, and then because of the air and of the food, it
undertakes its journey back to the North. The stork was
frequently mentioned in a kind manner by such learned
men as Epiphanio, Francisci, Heldelino, Guicciardyno,
Munstero and by other distinguished scholars.]
Gifts for indigenous Rapanui
“[wir] beschenckten sie mit einen Stuck Bunten
Leinwand, von ungefehr 50. bis 60. Elen lang, welches
sie über hundert mahl Klaffter weise gemessen”
(Behrens 1737:85).
[we gave them a piece of colorful linen, about 50 to
60 ells long, which they measured over a hundred
times with outstretched arms.]
“[wir] beschenkten sie mit einem Stück bunter
Leinwand, die ungefähr fünfzig bis sechzig Ellen lang
war” (Behrens 1923:66).
“Und doch spricht manches dagegen, das die Störche
hierher ziehen” (Behrens 1923:69).
[we gave them a piece of colorful linen that was about
50 to 60 ells long.]
[And still there are reasons to believe that the storks
do not migrate here.]
Storks
“Doch kan auch nicht wol seyn, daß auf der höhe von
28 ½. Grad, auf welche Breite diese Insul lieget, sich
die Störche können aufhalten: denn gleichwie die
Natur an diesem Vogel etwas sonderliches geleget, so
muß ein jedweder mit bekennen, daß wenn der Storch
ein warmes Clima suchte, würde man ihn in unseren
Ländern nich sehen: denn auf der Breite von 28 Grad,
das ganze Jahr kein Winter, und also stets eine warme
Lufft ist: ich urtheile vielmehr, das der Storch, wann
er hinweg ziehet, das Clima gegen den Süd-Pohl
suchet, gleichwie er hie zu sehen gegen Norden, da
derselbe aus unserem Herbst in ihren Frühling ziehet,
gleich als wenn gegen dem Herbst sich alles zu seiner
Nahrung verkriecht, hingegen in ihrem Frühling seine
Nahrung hervor kommt und sich zwischen die 40.
und 50. Grad Suder-Breite auf einigen unbekannten
Ländern, oder auf dem Lande von Hernandus Gallego,
welches er A. 1595. entdecket, sich aufhalt, diß daß
ihr Herbst wieder anfänget, und sodann wegen der
Lufft und auch der Nahrung halber seine Ruckreise
nach Norden wieder antritt. Der Storch wird bey
denen Gelehrten in einigen artigen Anmerckungen
angezogen, wie bey dem Epiphanio, Francisci,
Heldelino, Guicciardyno, Munstero und andern
bewährten Scribenten, weitläufftiger zu sehen ist”
(Behrens 1737:89-90).
As I view it, all the examples of omissions in the 1923
version of the Behrens’ text result from a single general
idea of the editor: the idea of offering the audience
an easy-reading adventure book. That is why all the
information that seemed superfluous, or ‘unnecessary’
in the course of the narration, was left out. I suppose
that what reinforced the editor’s decision to delete these
fragments was their style: they are often vague, rough,
or sometimes incoherent. The problem, however, is
precisely that these passages frequently reveal Behrens’
true character: he was an experienced soldier and seaman,
who had a certain knowledge of the world, although
nowadays we may consider this knowledge naïve. In the
excerpts from the 1737 edition, Behrens speaks about
geography, winds and charts, about supposed customs of
Mughals and Indians, about climate and bird migrations,
and also uses varied marine terminology. The last excerpt
is particularly stunning (that is why I decided to quote
it in spite of its length): the German elaborates on stork
habits, wondering if the birds could or could not make a
stop on Easter Island (in fact, what he saw on an Easter
Islander’s head were probably frigate and not stork
feathers), and in the 1923 edition, the whole passage is
reduced to one short sentence.
4.Simplifications
Journey
“…wir hatten täglich einen guten Fortgang, weil
uns der S. O. passat Wind treflich favorabel war”
(Behrens 1737:79).
[But it cannot be that at the height of 28 ½ degrees,
at which the island lies, the storks can make a stop;
regardless of any strange features that the nature could
bestow upon this bird, everyone has to acknowledge
that, if the stork were looking for a warm climate, it
would not be seen in our country; then, at the latitude
of 28 degrees there is no winter during the whole year,
and the air is constantly warm; moreover, I think that
the stork, when it migrates, looks for the climate near
the South Pole, regardless of [what] it could find here
to the north, then it migrates during our fall to look
for the spring there, because in the fall all it feeds on
Rapa Nui Journal
[…every day we were making a good progress,
because the SE trade wind was very favorable to us.]
“Wir hatten gute Fahrt. Der Südostwind war uns sehr
günstig” (Behrens 1923:63).
[We had a good ride. The south-eastern wind was
very favorable to us.]
25
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
“Sein Körper war mit allerlei Figuren nett bemahlt
(Tatauierung)” (Behrens 1923:63).
Fields
“Auch die Aecker oder das Land alles nach der Schnur
accurat abgemessen, und sehr artig eingerichtet, auch
war gerade um die Zeit, als wir da waren, alles in der
vollkommenen Reiffe und Zeitigung; die Felder und
Bäume trugen sehr reichlich ihre Früchte, und ich
glaube sicherlich, daß, wenn man dieses Land recht
durchsuchet hatte, daß man darinnen viel gutes würde
gefunden haben” (Behrens 1737:86).
[His body was nicely painted with various figures
(tattoos).]
Gifts for indigenous Rapanui
“…wir beschenckten sie auch mit Corallen, kleinen
Spiegeln rc” (Behrens 1737:85).
[…we gave them also corals, small mirrors etc.]
[Also the fields and the land, all of them [were]
scrupulously measured up and neatly tilled, also at
the time that we were there everything was in full
bloom and ripe; the fields and trees yielded their rich
produce, and I am sure that if we examined this land
thoroughly, we would find there many good things.]
“Wir gaben ihnen Korallen (Glasperlen), kleine
Spiegel und anderes mehr” (Behrens 1923:66).
[We gave them corals (glass beads), a small mirror
and much more.]
“Das Land ringsum war genau zu Ackern aufgeteilt
und schön bearbeitet. Gerade um die Zeit, als wir
dort waren, stand alles in voller Reife. Felder und
Bäume trugen reichlich Früchte. Hätten wir dieses
Land genau durchforscht, so glaube ich, wäre dort
viel Nützliches gefunden worden” (Behrens 1923:67).
Food
“…eine gute Menge der Erd-Aepffel” (Behrens
1737:85).
[…a whole lot of potatoes.]
“…eine Menge Erdäpfel (wohl Bataten)” (Behrens
1923:66).
[The land all around was precisely divided into fields
and nicely tilled. Right in the time when we were
there everything stood in full bloom. Fields and trees
yielded their rich produce. If we examined well this
land, I think, many useful things could be found there.]
[…a lot of potatoes (or sweet potatoes).]
Banana leaves
“…das Blatt ist 2. bis 3. Fuß breit, und wohl 6. bis 8.
Fuß lang. Unsere ersten Eltern sollen sich im Paradies,
nach dem leidigen Sünden-Fall, mit diesen Blättern
bedecket haben” (Behrens 1737:85-6).
The simplification of the original narrative is a measure
similar to the previous one, but operates in a slightly
different manner: the message of a given excerpt is
generally preserved, but made clearer or less complicated.
The resulting text is lighter and easier to read. We find
various examples of this in the narrative, although I decided
to present only two passages that illustrate this point.
[…the leaf is 2 to 3 feet wide and about 6 to 8 feet
long. Our first parents in paradise, after the lamentable
Fall of Man, must have covered themselves with
those leaves.]
5. Editor’s comments and explanations
“Das Blatt der Pflanze ist zwei bis drei Fuß breit
und wohl sechs bis acht Fuß lang (Banane). Unsere
ersten Eltern, Adam und Eva, sollen sich im Paradies,
nach dem Sündenfall mit derartigen Blättern bedeckt
haben” (Behrens 1923:67).
Toponyms
[The leaf of this plant is two to three feet wide and
about six to eight feet long (banana). Our first parents
in paradise, Adam and Eve, after the Fall of Man must
have covered themselves with such leaves.]
1923:62).
Tapa
“…sie müsten Weber-Stühle haben, vermittelst deren
sie solche [Decken] selbst verfetigten” (Behrens
1737:87).
Tattoos
“Er war sehr artig bemalet, mit allerhand Figuren”
(Behrens 1737:81).
[…they must have had looms with which they could
make such mantles.]
[He was very neatly painted with various figures.]
Rapa Nui Journal
Albert Davletshin
Fields
Notes
“Auch die Aecker oder das Land alles nach der Schnur
1.accurat
Hoa-haka-nana‘ia
ing eingerichtet,
Fellow’ is probably
a
abgemessen, und ‘Surf
sehr artig
auch
humorous
description
of
floating
the
statue
out
to
the
HMS
war gerade um die Zeit, als wir da waren, alles in der
Topaze (Routledge 1919:257; McCall pers. comm. 1992
vollkommenen
Reiffe
und Zeitigung;
Felder is
und
in Van Tilburg
2006:64).
The worddie
nana‘ia
found in
Bäume
trugen
sehr
reichlichand
ihrein Früchte,
ich(Englert
Englert’s
1978
dictionary
publishedund
texts
glaube
sicherlich,
wenntranslations
man dieses‘Stolen
Land recht
1948:297).
The daß,
common
Friend’ and
‘Hidden Friend’
(Van
Tilburg
2006:36)
cannot
be accepted
durchsuchet
hatte, daß
man
darinnen
viel gutes
würde
on linguistic
grounds:
Hoa-haka-nanai‘a
can be translated
gefunden
haben”
(Behrens
1737:86).
as ‘Doing Robberies/Mockeries Friend’, ‘Hidden Friend’
would
something
like
Hoa-na‘a(na‘a).
[Also
thebe
fields
and the
land,
all of them [were]
2.scrupulously
Rock art motifs
carved
on neatly
various
stone
statues
are
measured up and
tilled,
also
at
recorded (see for example Van Tilburg & Lee 1987).
the Nevertheless,
time that we as
were
everything
was in full is the
far there
as I know,
Hoa-haka-nana‘ia
bloom
ripe;
the fields
and
richdesigns
onlyand
case
attested
when
a trees
statueyielded
and itstheir
carved
produce,
andaI figurative
am sure that
if we examined this land
represent
whole.
thoroughly, we would find there many good things.]
Acknowledgements
“Das Land ringsum war genau zu Ackern aufgeteilt
undpaper
schönisbearbeitet.
umfor
diewhich
Zeit, Ials
This
a result ofGerade
a finding
amwir
indebted
waren,
stand
in vollerofReife.
undHarris,
todort
a dear
friend
andalles
colleague
mine,Felder
Martyn
Bäume
trugen
Hätten
wir dieses“Easter
who
invited
mereichlich
to take Früchte.
part in the
conference
Land genau
durchforscht,
so glaube
ich, wäre held
dort on the
Island:
Cultural
and Historical
Perspectives”
viel of
Nützliches
gefunden
(Behrens
19th
November,
2010worden”
in London.
My 1923:67).
deepest thanks
go to him for his hospitality and this lucky chance to
[The land all around was precisely divided into fields
find a previously unrecognized carving. I am also very
and nicely tilled. Right in the time when we were
grateful to Paul Horley and Evgenia Korovina for their
there everything stood in full bloom. Fields and trees
interest in my observation and encouragement to publish
yielded their rich produce. If we examined well this
this note, and in particular to Georgia Lee and Paul
land, I think, many useful things could be found there.]
Horley for their kind permission to use their drawings
Rapa Nui petroglyphs.
Theofsimplification
of the original narrative is a measure
similar to the previous one, but operates in a slightly
References
different
manner: the message of a given excerpt is
generally preserved, but made clearer or less complicated.
Dundas, C.M. 1870. Notice of Easter Island, its Inhabitants,
The resulting
text is lighter and easier to read. We find
Antiquities, and Colossal Statues. In Proceedings of the
various Society
examples
of this in theofnarrative,
I decided
of Antiquaries
Scotlandalthough
8:312-320.
to present
that
this point.
Englert, only
S.F. two
1948.passages
La tierra
de illustrate
Hotu Matu‘a:
historia y
etnología de la Isla de Pascua: gramática y diccionario
del antiguo
idiomaand
de Isla
de Pascua. Santiago de Chile:
5. Editor’s
comments
explanations
Imprenta y Editorial San Francisco.
Toponyms
——1970. Island at the Center of the World. New York: Charles
Scribner’s Sons.
“Sein Körper
war mit
allerlei Figuren
nett ybemahlt
——1978.
Idioma
Rapanui:
gramática
diccionario
del antiguo(Behrens
idioma de
la Isla de Pascua. Santiago:
(Tatauierung)”
1923:63).
Universidad de Chile.
[His body
wasLee,
nicely
painted
withofvarious
figures
Horley,
P. & G.
2008.
Rock Art
the Sacred
Precinct at
Mata Ngarau, ‘Orongo. Rapa Nui Journal 22(2):110-116.
(tattoos).]
Lavachery, H. 1939. Les pétroglyphes de l‘Ile de Pâques,
Parties 1-2. Anvers: de Sikkel.
Gifts
indigenous
Rapanui
Lee,
G.for
1986.
Easter Island
rock art: Ideological symbols as
“…wir
beschenckten
sie auch mit
Corallen,
kleinen Ph.D.
evidence of socio-political
change.
Unpublished
Spiegeln
rc” (Behrens
1737:85).
Dissertation,
University
of California, Los Angeles.
——1992. Rock Art of Easter Island. Symbols of Power,
[…we
gave to
them
corals,
mirrors
etc.]Institute of
Prayers
thealso
Gods.
Los small
Angeles:
UCLA
Archaeology.
Métraux,
A. 1940.
Easter Island.
Honolulu:
“Wir gaben
ihnenEthnology
Korallen of
(Glasperlen),
kleine
Bishop
Spiegel
undMuseum
anderes Press.
mehr” (Behrens 1923:66).
Palmer, J.L. 1869-1870. A Visit to Easter Island, or Rapa-Nui.
the Royal
Society
of London
[WeProceedings
gave them of
corals
(glassGeographical
beads), a small
mirror
14:108-120.
and much more.]
Routledge, K. 1917. The Bird Cult of Easter Island. Folk-lore
28:337-81.
Food
——1919.
The Mystery of Easter Island. London: Hazell,
“…eine
gute
der Erd-Aepffel” (Behrens
Watson
andMenge
Viney. (Reprint)
——1920.
1737:85).Survey of the Village and Carved Rocks of Orongo,
Easter Island, by the Mana Expedition. Journal of the
[…a
wholeAnthropological
lot of potatoes.] Institute of Great Britain and
Royal
Ireland 50:425-451.
Van
Tilburg,
J.A.Erdäpfel
1986. Power
Symbol:
The Stylistic
“…eine
Menge
(wohland
Bataten)”
(Behrens
Analysis of Easter Island Monolithic Sculpture.
1923:66).
Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation. University of California,
Los
[…a
lotAngeles.
of potatoes (or sweet potatoes).]
——1994. Easter Island: Archaeology, Ecology and Culture.
London: British Museum Press.
Banana leaves
——2004.
Hoa Hakananai‘a. London: British Museum Press.
“…das Blatt
ist 2.Possibilities:
bis 3. Fuß breit,
wohl 6. bis and
8. HMS
——2006.
Remote
Hoaund
Hakananai‘a
on Rapa
Nui.Eltern
London:
British
Museum
Research
FußTopaze
lang. Unsere
ersten
sollen
sich im
Paradies,
Papers.
nach
dem leidigen Sünden-Fall, mit diesen Blättern
——2007. Hoa Hakananai‘a Laser Scan Project. <www.
bedecket
haben” (Behrens 1737:85-6).
sscnet.ucla.edu/ioa/eisp/history/years/2007.htm>
Accessed
4, and
2008.
[…the
leaf isonline:
2 to 3 August
feet wide
about 6 to 8 feet
Van Tilburg, J.A. & G. Lee. 1987. Symbolic Stratigraphy: Rock
long.
Our
first
parents
in
paradise,
after
lamentable
Art and the Monolithic Statues of the
Easter
Island. World
FallArchaeology
of Man, must
have
covered
themselves
with
19(2):133-149.
those leaves.]
This
article has been peer-reviewed. Received 25 July
“Das Blatt der Pflanze ist zwei bis drei Fuß breit
2011,
accepted 19 January 2012.
und wohl sechs bis acht Fuß lang (Banane). Unsere
ersten Eltern, Adam und Eva, sollen sich im Paradies,
nach dem Sündenfall mit derartigen Blättern bedeckt
haben” (Behrens 1923:67).
[The leaf of this plant is two to three feet wide and
about six to eight feet long (banana). Our first parents
in paradise, Adam and Eve, after the Fall of Man must
have covered themselves with such leaves.]
1923:62).
Tapa
“…sie müsten Weber-Stühle haben, vermittelst deren
sie solche [Decken] selbst verfetigten” (Behrens
1737:87).
Tattoos
“Er war sehr artig bemalet, mit allerhand Figuren”
(Behrens 1737:81).
[…they must have had looms with which they could
make such mantles.]
[He was very neatly painted with various figures.]
26
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
26 63
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
An overlooked image on the Hoa-haka-nana‘ia stone statue from Easter Island in the British Museum
Zuzanna Jakubowska
variants (and giving an account of them) and on the most
necessary restitution of the original form of the work;
he even refers to “one of the most prominent German
editors” (without giving his name) in whose opinion an
editor acts as a spokesman of the author (Pilat 1886:104).
As can easily be seen, the 1923 edition of Behrens fails
to fulfill these postulates.
[…the inhabitants must have possessed looms with
Despite this, Plischke has not included any chapter
the use of which they could make such mantles. (It
or note in the book that would give an account of the
is a mistake, what is meant is not a woven cloth but
methods he used to elaborate and prepare the narrative
a bark
cloth,
the tapa, examples
manufactured
from the
paper Nui rock art (drawings courtesy of Georgia Lee, after
Figure
6. Atypical
of birdmen
in Rapa
for the re-edition. Nor does he use any kind of footnotes.
Lee 1992:
Figures 5.6, 5.8, 5.44).
mulberry
tree.)]
As a result, some of his remarks quoted above give
an amusing impression that Behrens states some fact
Pukao
or describes a situation and, immediately after that,
“…oben auf dem Haupt mit einer Krone geziert”
contradicts or corrects himself. The most absurd example
(Behrens 1737:88).
is the quote referring to tapa, in which Behrens describes
[…with the head adorned with a crown.]
a type of presumably woven fabric used by the islanders
and from the message in brackets we learn that it is a
“Das Haupt war mit einer Krone geziert (flache
mistake and what he saw was a cloth made from paper
Zylinder aus wulkanischem Gestein)” (Behrens
mulberry bark.
1923:69).
In other instances we cannot be readily aware of
the editor’s interference, as in the case when he adds
[The head was adorned with a crown (a flat cylinder
alternative names of the Juan Fernández Islands, a
of the volcanic rock).]
definition of a pukao, or explains that an indigenous
custom of ‘body painting’ often was actually a practice
It is a common procedure to insert editor’s remarks in
of tattooing. Only a reader familiar with the matters
certain old texts, but it is also common knowledge that
described would realize that given passages were subject
it has to be obvious which parts of a text derive from the
to some alteration.
author and which from the editor of a given publication.
In case of the Behrens’ narrative published in 1923, it
6. Style changes
is not always obvious. In Plischke’s times, the practice
of preparing critical editions was quite developed. As a
“Er hatte eine ziemliche Länge, war ziemlich starck
comparison, I can refer to a 19th century Polish project
von Gliedern, und gut von Gesicht, munter von
on the methodology of editing old Polish literature
Gestalt, angenehm im Reden und Geberden” (Behrens
(Pilat 1886:97-106); the author gives his fellow scholars
1737:81).
the example of Germany as a country which was
considerably
field
of critical
editions.
Figure advanced
7. Tracing in
of the
dorsal
designs
on Hoa-haka-nana‘ia
and a tentative reconstruction of the earlier
[He was quite tall, with quite strong limbs, with a good
drawings
(drawings
of for
Paulpreserving
Horley, afterthe
Horley & Lee 2008:Figure 4c-d).
As to his
postulates,
Pilatcourtesy
appeals
face, a lively figure, pleasant in talk and gestures.]
original, authentic text ‘as it was written’; he states:
of attention
inziemlich
the ritual.
theKörperbau.
back turned
to
have become an ‘embodiment’ of the tangata manu.
“Er war
großMoreover,
und stark von
Seine
“Unfortunately,
we know
by suggested
experience,that
the works
Routledge
(1920:436,asPlate
X) has
a flat,
the entrance
became
the
side
of
the
statue
illuminated
by
Gesichtszüge waren angenehm, seine Gebärden und
older slab
as well
as newerinto
writers
to us
daylight.
The carvings
of the back
motifs1923:64).
are stylistically
roundedbybasalt
embedded
the rarely
wall ofarrive
House
18
Reden
nicht ungeschickt”
(Behrens
in their
original
form.
Under
influence
various
in ‘Orongo
might
have
once
beentheused
as theofpedestal
late and only cover the upper part of the body and neck.
[He was
tall and
of aback
strongshow
constitution.
circumstances they
usually
getwas
corrupt
to a buried
greater or
Once again,
thequite
designs
on the
at least His
one
for Hoa-haka-nana‘ia.
The
statue
found
up
were(Horley
pleasant,
his talk
and gestures
lesser extent.
Copyists’
errors,Tau-ra-renga,
typesetters’ mistakes
to its shoulders
in House
11, called
facing
stage offeatures
re-carving
& Lee
2008:113,
Figurenot
4).
and omissions,
and even
changes
and
correctionsIt
Re-use awkward.]
of monolithic sculpture, and more broadly, reuse
the interior
of the structure
(Van
Tilburg
1986:580).
by printers
and editors,
accumulate
appearsintroduced
that in ca.freely
AD 1500,
Tau-ra-renga
collapsed
and
of prestigious objects is commonplace in the history of
Maneuvers
slowly, multiply
within successive
editions,
becomeat
humankind.
The idea is easily understandable: people
was subsequently
renovated
into smaller
structures;
noch old
einige
Tageand
hierinvest
herum,
und
generally
accepted, transform
the author’s
thought
that time,
Hoa-haka-nana‘ia
was embedded
into the
earth
take an“…wir
object schifften
imbued with
values
it with
thaten alle
Coursen,
Compas
waren:
and of
sometimes
result
in such
considerable
changes
inside one
them (Van
Tilburg
2006:37).
If the
statue
new meanings,
using
the olddie
onesauf
to den
enhance
the value
of
hie war kein Davids-Land
zu sehen”
(Behrens
that the
giventotext
published
one, but in
was found
buried
its gets
shoulders
duenot
to inarchitectural
the newalleine
ones. Sometimes
a ritually re-used
object
suffers
several
editions”
1886:100
[translation
remodeling
ofdifferent
the ritual
space (Pilat
provoked
by the
collapse
from a 1737:91).
domino effect, as is the case for the Hoa-hakaby
the
present
author]).
of the original building, we can understand why the
nana‘ia[…for
stonesome
statue,
undoubtedly
of the
dayswhich
we wereisnavigating
to andone
fro, trying
most representative part of the statue, its front, was
most valuable
items
embellishing
the
British
Museum
all courses that were to be found on the compass; but
Then, Pilat
among
things,inon
abandoned
and elaborates,
its back, where
newother
sculptures
thethe today. Even
there its
wasmocking
no Land nickname
of Davids to‘Hoa-haka-nana‘ia’,
be seen.]
verification
of figures
authenticity,
on examining
form
of bas-relief
were carved,
becamedifferent
the centertext or ‘Surfing Fellow’, sounds solemn.
“…die Einwohner müßten Webstühle besitzen, mit
deren Hilfe sie sich solche Decken selbst verfertigen.
(Ein Irrtum, es handelt sich hier nicht um gewebte
Stoffe, sondern um Rindenstoff, die Tapa, die aus der
Rinde des Papiermaulbeerbaums gewonnen wird.)”
(Behrens 1923:68).
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
62 27
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Zuzanna Jakubowska
variants (and giving an account of them) and on the most
necessary restitution of the original form of the work;
he even refers to “one of the most prominent German
editors” (without giving his name) in whose opinion an
editor acts as a spokesman of the author (Pilat 1886:104).
As can easily be seen, the 1923 edition of Behrens fails
to fulfill these postulates.
Despite this, Plischke has not included any chapter
or note in the book that would give an account of the
methods he used to elaborate and prepare the narrative
for the re-edition. Nor does he use any kind of footnotes.
As a result, some of his remarks quoted above give
an amusing impression that Behrens states some fact
or describes a situation and, immediately after that,
contradicts or corrects himself. The most absurd example
is the quote referring to tapa, in which Behrens describes
a type of presumably woven fabric used by the islanders
and from the message in brackets we learn that it is a
mistake and what he saw was a cloth made from paper
mulberry bark.
In other instances we cannot be readily aware of
the editor’s interference, as in the case when he adds
alternative names of the Juan Fernández Islands, a
definition of a pukao, or explains that an indigenous
custom of ‘body painting’ often was actually a practice
of tattooing. Only a reader familiar with the matters
described would realize that given passages were subject
to some alteration.
“…die Einwohner müßten Webstühle besitzen, mit
deren Hilfe sie sich solche Decken selbst verfertigen.
(Ein Irrtum, es handelt sich hier nicht um gewebte
Stoffe, sondern um Rindenstoff, die Tapa, die aus der
Rinde des Papiermaulbeerbaums gewonnen wird.)”
(Behrens 1923:68).
[…the inhabitants must have possessed looms with
the use of which they could make such mantles. (It
is a mistake, what is meant is not a woven cloth but
a bark cloth, the tapa, manufactured from the paper
mulberry tree.)]
Pukao
“…oben auf dem Haupt mit einer Krone geziert”
(Behrens 1737:88).
[…with the head adorned with a crown.]
“Das Haupt war mit einer Krone geziert (flache
Zylinder aus wulkanischem Gestein)” (Behrens
1923:69).
[The head was adorned with a crown (a flat cylinder
of the volcanic rock).]
It is a common procedure to insert editor’s remarks in
certain old texts, but it is also common knowledge that
it has to be obvious which parts of a text derive from the
author and which from the editor of a given publication.
In case of the Behrens’ narrative published in 1923, it
is not always obvious. In Plischke’s times, the practice
of preparing critical editions was quite developed. As a
comparison, I can refer to a 19th century Polish project
on the methodology of editing old Polish literature
(Pilat 1886:97-106); the author gives his fellow scholars
the example of Germany as a country which was
considerably advanced in the field of critical editions.
As to his postulates, Pilat appeals for preserving the
original, authentic text ‘as it was written’; he states:
6. Style changes
“Er hatte eine ziemliche Länge, war ziemlich starck
von Gliedern, und gut von Gesicht, munter von
Gestalt, angenehm im Reden und Geberden” (Behrens
1737:81).
[He was quite tall, with quite strong limbs, with a good
face, a lively figure, pleasant in talk and gestures.]
“Er war ziemlich groß und stark von Körperbau. Seine
Gesichtszüge waren angenehm, seine Gebärden und
Reden nicht ungeschickt” (Behrens 1923:64).
“Unfortunately, as we know by experience, the works
by older as well as newer writers rarely arrive to us
in their original form. Under the influence of various
circumstances they usually get corrupt to a greater or
lesser extent. Copyists’ errors, typesetters’ mistakes
and omissions, and even changes and corrections
introduced freely by printers and editors, accumulate
slowly, multiply within successive editions, become
generally accepted, transform the author’s thought
and sometimes result in such considerable changes
that the given text gets published not in one, but in
several different editions” (Pilat 1886:100 [translation
by the present author]).
[He was quite tall and of a strong constitution. His
features were pleasant, his talk and gestures not
awkward.]
Maneuvers
“…wir schifften noch einige Tage hier herum, und
thaten alle Coursen, die auf den Compas waren:
alleine hie war kein Davids-Land zu sehen” (Behrens
1737:91).
[…for some days we were navigating to and fro, trying
all courses that were to be found on the compass; but
there was no Land of Davids to be seen.]
Then, Pilat elaborates, among other things, on the
verification of authenticity, on examining different text
Rapa Nui Journal
27
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
I am not opposing the modernization of the toponyms,
especially because centuries ago, there were no strict
regulations of their spelling. However, in my opinion,
for the sake of preserving the spirit of the original, a
separate remark or some footnotes should be added, to
give an account of which versions of the names were
used by Behrens in the first edition.
Another question relates to the versions proposed
by Plischke. Some of them are still incorrectly spelled,
which is a surprise to me, as the editor was an educated
scientist and a professional anthropologist. ‘Klein
Fernandez’ – called Alejandro Selkirk today – was then
properly called ‘Más Afuera’.
‘Paasch-Eiland’ is an old version of the Dutch name
of Easter Island, which now, after an orthography reform,
is Paaseiland. In the journal by Roggeveen himself,
published in 1838, an almost identical spelling, ‘Paasch
Eyland/Eiland’, was used (Roggeveen 1838:101). At
the beginning of the 20th century, around the time when
Plischke’s version of the narrative by Behrens was edited,
the journal of Bouman – discovered almost 200 years
after Roggeveen’s voyage and then published – referred
to the island as ‘Paascheyland’ (Mulert 1911:143).
Nevertheless, I was told that this spelling was incorrect
as well (von Saher pers. comm. 2012)
It is also worth mentioning that the editor even
changes the name of one of Roggeveen’s ships: the
‘Africanische Galeere’, translated into German in the
first edition of the narrative, in the 1923 version is
called ‘Afrikanische Galey’. It is another failed attempt
to return to the original Dutch proper noun, which was
‘Afrikaansche Galey’, here again in the modern spelling.
In the journal by Roggeveen, we read ‘Africaansche Galey’
(Roggeveen 1838:101). Around the time of Plischke’s
abridged book publication, in Bouman’s journal, it was
spelled ‘Affricaanse Galley’ (Mulert 1911:139), again
incorrectly (von Saher pers. comm. 2012).
One might also wonder why Behrens calls the
Schouten Islands ‘Schouten schlecht Wasser’ (literally,
‘Schouten Bad Water’). As I have no access to Schouten’s
original narrative and cannot look up how he personally
describes the discovery of these islands, all I could resort
to were online versions of books of the type I consider
rather unreliable: second-hand collections of narratives,
early English compilations of travel stories proceeding
from different countries. The Internet is a rich source for
these kinds of texts (I also found a two-volume collection
by Dalrymple), but it is also possible to get access to
valuable scanned materials, such as the 1st edition of
the journal by Roggeveen or the complete works by
Georg Forster. As for the Schouten voyage, one of the
mentioned books is Terra Australis Cognita by John
Callander (1768) and the other is A General History
and Collection of Voyages and Travels by Robert Kerr
(1824). The first is a scanned book, while the second
“Wir kreuzten noch einige Tage in diesem Meere
herum und suchten in allen Himmelsrichtungen nach
Land. Aber nirgends war das Davisland zu erblicken”
(Behrens 1923:70).
[For some days we were sailing [cruising/tacking; the
verb kreuzen is ambiguous – ZJ] to and fro through
these seas, searching for the land in all directions. But
the Land of Davis was nowhere to behold.]
The style modifications introduced by Plischke go far
beyond the simple procedure of editing and modernizing
a book. To tell the truth, the editor literally rewrites
every sentence. He polishes almost every case of
roughness, ‘embellishes’ grammar structures, uses
more refined phrases and diversified vocabulary. He
turns colloquialisms used by Behrens into a more
sophisticated language. This can be observed in all the
passages quoted above, so I present just two appropriate
examples to illustrate this phenomenon above.
7. Other changes
“…auch wiesen sie auf ihre Weibsbilder, ob wir etwan
mit denselben in ihre Hütten wolten gehen, oder sie
auf die Schiffe mitnehmen?” (Behrens 1737:85).
[…they were also pointing at their women, [as if
asking] whether perhaps we wanted to go with them
to their huts or take them on board.]
“Dazu wiesen sie auf ihre Weibsbilder, ob wir sie
vielleicht mit auf die Schiffe nehmen oder ob wir
mit ihnen in ihre Hütten gehen wollten” (Behrens
1923:66).
[Besides they were pointing at their women, [as if
asking] whether perhaps we wanted to take them on
board or go with them to their huts.]
The excerpt quoted above shows an unnecessary change
of order introduced by Plischke; it makes no difference
which element of the sentence comes first and which is
next. Needless to say, many of his other operations on the
narrative seem unfounded. And, moreover, they cannot
be justified, as they alter the original text.
I previously mentioned the tendency to modify
toponyms as an example of updating Behrens’ text. As
a result, we encounter the following place names:
1737 edition
Lande Davids, Davids-Land
Ioan Ferdinando
Klein Ferdinando
Pasch-Eilandt, Oster-Land
Schautten (sic) / Schouten
schlecht Wasser
Rapa Nui Journal
Albert Davletshin
1923 edition
Davisland
Juan Fernandez
Klein Fernandez, Masafuero (sic)
Paasch-Eiland, Osterinsel
von Schouten entdeckten Inseln
28
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
I am
notrock
opposing
modernization
thetotoponyms,
Nui
art, Leethe
(1992:66-68)
wasofable
define early
especially
centuries
there were
strict
and late because
stylistic variants
of ago,
the birdman
motifno(see
Table
regulations
their birdmen
spelling.resemble
However,the
in my
opinion,
2). Earlyofphase
birdman
motif
forfound
the sake
of preserving
spirit of (see
the original,
a
elsewhere
in Eastthe
Polynesia
for example
separate
remark orFigure
some 9.1
footnotes
should
added, to
Lee 1992:201,
supporting
thisbesuggestion).
give anTable
account
of which
versions
of carved
the names
were
2 shows
that the
birdman
on the
front
used
Behrens in the first
of by
Hoa-haka-nana‘ia
mayedition.
belong to a stylistically early
Another
relates
the versions
variant
of question
the motif.
The to
extended
arm, proposed
the straight
by back
Plischke.
of them body
are still
incorrectly
spelled, of
line, Some
the additional
line,
and the technique
which
is a surprise
to me,
the editor
was an educated
manufacture
indicate
an as
earlier
date; meanwhile,
the extra
scientist
professional
anthropologist.
arm andand
theaelaborated
fingers
and toes point‘Klein
to a later
Fernandez’
– called
Alejandro
Selkirkhints
todayat–awas
then
re-carving.
I suggest
that the carving
naturalistic,
properly
called ‘Más Afuera’.
non-conventionalized
image of a frigate bird. If this
‘Paasch-Eiland’
is an
of the as
Dutch
name
impression
is correct,
it old
can version
be interpreted
an indication
of Easter
now,birdman
after an orthography
reform,
of oneIsland,
of thewhich
earliest
representations
in the
is Paaseiland.
the journal
by Roggeveen
himself,had
context of theInbirdman
cult, when
artistic conventions
published
in 1838,
an almost
identical
spelling,
‘Paasch
not yet been
worked
out. Atypical
features
– the
possible
Eyland/Eiland’,
was
used
At
eggs held in the
hand
and(Roggeveen
in the beak, 1838:101).
the feather crown
theand
beginning
of thewing
20th line,
century,
around
the disproportion
time when
the possible
as well
as some
Plischke’s
version– of
the narrative
bysuch
Behrens
was edited,The
of the image
seem
to support
a suggestion.
theimage
journal
– discovered
200
years
onof
theBouman
front probably
precedesalmost
the very
late
motifs
after
Roggeveen’s
voyage
andstatue
then (Figure
published
carved
on the back
of the
7).– referred
to the island as ‘Paascheyland’ (Mulert 1911:143).
Nevertheless,
was told of
thatthe
thisSculpture
spelling was incorrect
Multiple IRe-use
as well (von Saher pers. comm. 2012)
It isproposed
also worth
mentioning
that the
The
image
on the front
onceeditor
againeven
raises
changes
the name
of one of
Roggeveen’s
ships:
the
the question
of multiple
re-use.
According
to stylistic
‘Africanische
Galeere’,
translated
Germantimes.
in theThe
features, the
statue was
carvedinto
in classic
first
editionused
of the
in the found
1923 at
version
is
material
for narrative,
carving is basalt
Rano Kau,
called
‘Afrikanische
Galey’.
It is
another
attempt
suggesting
that the
statue
may
have failed
originally
been
to return
to on
thethe
original
noun,
which was
situated
slopesDutch
of theproper
volcano.
Therefore,
Hoa‘Afrikaansche
Galey’,
here again in and
the modern
spelling. in
haka-nana‘ia
was transported
accommodated
1923:66).
In the
journal by
Roggeveen,
we read
Galey’
‘Orongo,
where
it became
an ‘Africaansche
important part
of the
(Roggeveen
1838:101).
Around
the
time
of
Plischke’s
birdman
cult.
The
proportions
of
the
statue
are
thin
when
Dating
[Besides the
they Image
were pointing at their women, [as if
abridged
book
publication,
inand
Bouman’s
journal,
it wasand
compared
with
other
moai,
the
absence
of
a
hami
asking] whether perhaps we wanted to take them on
‘Affricaanse
Galley’
(Mulert
1911:139),
again
Following
the original proposal by Henry Lavachery spelled
the worn-away
fingers
indicate
deliberate
modification
board or go with them to their huts.]
(von Saher
pers. comm.
2012).
(1939:27), examining superimposed images of birdmen incorrectly
(Van Tilburg
1986:581,
2004:47).
At that time, the
One might
also on
wonder
why
calls
in particular,
obliterated
attested
in Rapa
image
was carved
its front
andBehrens
the statue
itselfthe
may
Theand,
excerpt
quoted above
shows examples
an unnecessary
change
Schouten Islands ‘Schouten schlecht Wasser’ (literally,
of order introduced by Plischke; it makes no difference
‘Schouten Bad Water’). As I have no access to Schouten’s
which element of the sentence comes first and which is
original narrative and cannot look up how he personally
next. Needless to say, many of his other operations on the
describes the discovery of these islands, all I could resort
narrative seem unfounded. And, moreover, they cannot
to were online versions of books of the type I consider
be justified, as they alter the original text.
rather unreliable: second-hand collections of narratives,
I previously mentioned the tendency to modify
early English compilations of travel stories proceeding
toponyms as an example of updating Behrens’ text. As
from different countries. The Internet is a rich source for
a result, we encounter the following place names:
these kinds of texts (I also found a two-volume collection
by Dalrymple), but it is also possible to get access to
1737 edition
1923 edition
valuable scanned materials, such as the 1st edition of
Lande Davids, Davids-Land Davisland
the journal by Roggeveen or the complete works by
Ioan Ferdinando
Juan Fernandez
Georg Forster. As for the Schouten voyage, one of the
Klein Ferdinando
Klein Fernandez, Masafuero (sic)
mentioned books is Terra Australis Cognita by John
Pasch-Eilandt, Oster-Land Paasch-Eiland, Osterinsel
Callander (1768) and the other is A General History
Schautten (sic) / Schouten von Schouten entdeckten Inseln
and Collection of Voyages and Travels by Robert Kerr
schlecht Wasser
(1824).
The
firstinis
a scanned
while
the second
Table 2. Characteristic stylistic traits of early and late variants of the
birdman
motif
Rapa
Nui rock book,
art (after
Lee 1992:36,
66-67).
“Wir
kreuzten
noch to
einige
Tage in of
diesem
Meere
It seems
logical
see images
bird eggs
in close
herum undtosuchten
in allen
Himmelsrichtungen
nach such
proximity
a birdman.
However,
as far as I know,
Land.are
Aber
warin
das
Davisland
zu erblicken”
cases
notnirgends
discussed
studies
dedicated
to Rapa Nui
(Behrens
1923:70).
rock
art, nor
were the ubiquitous cupules in Rapa Nui
rock art interpreted as representations of bird eggs. On the
[For some days we were sailing [cruising/tacking; the
other hand, it seems unexpected to find komari symbols in
verb kreuzen is ambiguous – ZJ] to and fro through
the context of a birdman, for these two designs do not bear
these seas, searching for the land in all directions. But
a clear iconic relation one to another. Thanks to a thorough
the Land of Davis was nowhere to behold.]
documentation of Rapa Nui rock art motifs published by
Lee (1992) there is an easy way to demonstrate that the
The style modifications introduced by Plischke go far
mask, komari, and birdman motifs are somehow related.
beyond the simple procedure of editing and modernizing
Table 1 includes these three general types of rock art
a book. To tell the truth, the editor literally rewrites
motifs: 3010 (birdman, early phase), 3020 (birdman,
every sentence. He polishes almost every case of
late phase), 3021 (manupiri – two birdmen joined face
roughness, ‘embellishes’ grammar structures, uses
to face), 2070 (komari), 2010 (mask, full face), 2020
more refined phrases and diversified vocabulary. He
(mask, eye-nose face), and 2030 (eye mask), along with
turns colloquialisms used by Behrens into a more
other major motifs: 5080 (sea turtle) and 9010 (fishhook)
sophisticated language. This can be observed in all the
found at various sites in Routledge’s proposed territories
passages quoted above, so I present just two appropriate
of Rapa Nui. In contrast to the sea turtle (5080) and
examples to illustrate this phenomenon above.
fishhook (9010) motifs, territorial distribution of the
birdman (3010, 3020, 3021), komari (2070) and mask
7. Other changes
(2010, 2020, 2030) motifs is similar. The latter motifs
“…auch wiesen sie auf ihre Weibsbilder, ob wir etwan
show two peaks of concentration: a larger one in ‘Orongo
mit denselben in ihre Hütten wolten gehen, oder sie
and a smaller one in the proposed territory of the Miru
auf die Schiffe mitnehmen?” (Behrens 1737:85).
clan. This similarity in distribution may imply that these
[…they
were
pointing
their
[as complex
if
three
types
of also
motifs
were at
part
of women,
one ritual
asking]
whetherinperhaps
wehistory
wanted of
to go
them
that
developed
the late
thewith
island
and, for
to their huts oristake
them to
on by
board.]
convenience,
referred
scholars as the ‘birdman
cult’ (cf. Van Tilburg 1994:58). This observation might
“Dazu the
wiesen
sie aufofihre
ob wir
explain
presence
the Weibsbilder,
komari symbols
onsie
the front
vielleicht
die Schiffe
nehmen
oderthat
ob the
wir statue
and
back ofmittheaufstatue,
for it is
probable
mit ihnen
in ihre Hütten
gehen
wollten” cult.
(Behrens
played
an important
role in
the birdman
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
28 61
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
An overlooked image on the Hoa-haka-nana‘ia stone statue from Easter Island in the British Museum
is an already elaborated html text. Both publications
confirm that while Schouten and his crew stayed around
the aforementioned islands, there was an earthquake that
made them very frightened (Callander 1768:257; Kerr
1824). Firstly, I supposed that this is a reason for the
supposed bad reputation of these waters. Nevertheless,
Herbert von Saher explained to me that the true cause of
the so-called slecht water (in Dutch) is the phenomenon
of vehement waves produced when the wind strikes a
rocky coast, gets refracted and makes the breakers roll
in the opposite direction. When these waves meet regular
oceanic waves, they lose their regularity, the sea turns
rough, and – on one hand – it causes a difficult situation
for ship crews, but – on the other hand – they can expect
to arrive at some land before discerning it on the horizon
(von Saher pers. comm. 2012).
Conclusion
Figure
3. Possible
reconstruction
of the image
carved narrative,
on
When
comparing
the two editions
of Behrens’
Hoa-haka-nana‘ia’s
front
torso.
one may have an impression that this is not the same
text. Although it may sound paradoxical, it seems to be
translated from German to German. The editor acted at
his own will, without consideration for the original spirit
and message of the story. He even changed the title of
the work and chapter titles.
In the first edition of his narrative, in 1737, Behrens
appears to us as an experienced, stubborn soldier that
possesses a certain knowledge base and convictions.
He may not be a skilled writer and he surely shows a
tendency to confabulate, but he knows how to justify his
points of view and defend his opinions. In comparison,
in the 1923 edition, Behrens seems to be a pretentious
man with a musket, but without character or charisma.
In my opinion, this has quite serious consequences
as to the way in which the Rapanui culture is presented
to us and how we perceive it from the perspective of
this particular narrative. It is a known fact that the first
published news about Easter Island were the so-called
‘anonymous sailor’s narratives’ (included in Kort en
nauwkeurig verhaal…, 1727, and Tweejaarige Reyze
rondom de Wereld…, 1728). But when Behrens’ story
appeared in 1737, it was this text that was considered as a
credible report. However, when the journal of Roggeveen
was found and published in 1838, in a moment when
the public also knew the narratives by Cook and Forster,
Behrens’ text was disregarded as unreliable and full of
confabulations. Now, taking into consideration such
circumstances, if we read a simplified, nearly falsified
version of the narrative, through which we see its author
as a plain, boring soldier without personality, we will
treat him with mistrust and underestimate his relation.
Moreover, I pointed out two cases when the 1923
edition changes the meaning of Behrens’ words and
judgments about the islanders. In the excerpt concerning
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
Zuzanna Jakubowska
the indigenous inhabitants’ behavior towards the Dutch,
according to the 1st edition it can be inferred that male
and female Rapanui came together to meet the travelers,
while in Plischke’s edition we read that male islanders
brought women with them. Needless to say, the first
version roughly suggests to us that the German soldier
sees men and women more or less on equal terms, at
least when speaking of the foreign culture he met on the
discovered island. The second excerpt deals with a kind
of a natural dye used by the indigenous Rapanui. In the
1737 edition, Behrens has no doubt that the islanders are
able to produce it; this same fragment in the 1923 version
sounds more cautious in respect of the islanders’ skills:
“…where they get this beautiful dye from.” Both of the
excerpts mentioned here refer to nuances; the focus
shift is slight, but it still contributes to the shedding of
a different light on the culture we are discussing.
Perhaps the phenomena treated in this article would
not be worth analyzing if it were not for the fact that
Figure
5. scientists
Ambiguous,
of the of
many
andpresumably
researchersre-carved,
who studyarea
the course
proposed
image.
events related to the European discovery of Easter Island
want to refer to the narrative by Behrens. However,
due to a lack of availability or linguistic barriers, they
use English or French translations, or newer German
editions such as the one edited by Plischke. Often they
are unaware of the grave alterations present in a given
text. If the German edition of 1923 is so negligent,
what can we expect of old French or English versions,
prepared in times when people were striving for editorial
success and not for accuracy? This problem concerns not
only the narrative by Behrens; I also know of abridged,
popular editions of Georg Forster’s work that were
published in German and Polish. Presently, when the
world has virtually no real mysteries for us (at least when
it comes to geographic discoveries), and technological
progress has made our lives hasty and hectic, people
tend to seek out easy entertainment —when it comes to
books as well. Nowadays, the old travel stories do not
teach us about the world, but serve to amuse us; that is
why many editors distort and simplify them, sometimes
without admitting it explicitly enough. And not all the
researchers are careful or competent enough to resort
to the original diaries and memoirs.
However, I am aware of one more aspect of the
whole situation that I see as problematic. If the edition
edited by Plischke is so different from the first edition
of the book, then how different is the first edition from
the original manuscript? I cannot appeal for studying
only hand-written documents, as this would be a Utopian
idea, but I do appeal for scientific precision.
Acknowledgements
Figure
4. Birdman motifs in Rapa Nui rock art (drawings
courtesy of Georgia Lee after Lee 1992: Figure 3.7): a) 3010
I would
likephase)’,
to express
my‘birdman
gratitude
tophase)’,
the staff
‘birdman
(early
b) 3020
(late
andofc)the
3021
‘manupiri (two late phase
birdmen joined facewho
to face)’.
Universitätsbibliothek
Erlangen-Nürnberg,
were so
60 29
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012
Zuzanna Jakubowska
is an already elaborated html text. Both publications
confirm that while Schouten and his crew stayed around
the aforementioned islands, there was an earthquake that
made them very frightened (Callander 1768:257; Kerr
1824). Firstly, I supposed that this is a reason for the
supposed bad reputation of these waters. Nevertheless,
Herbert von Saher explained to me that the true cause of
the so-called slecht water (in Dutch) is the phenomenon
of vehement waves produced when the wind strikes a
rocky coast, gets refracted and makes the breakers roll
in the opposite direction. When these waves meet regular
oceanic waves, they lose their regularity, the sea turns
rough, and – on one hand – it causes a difficult situation
for ship crews, but – on the other hand – they can expect
to arrive at some land before discerning it on the horizon
(von Saher pers. comm. 2012).
the indigenous inhabitants’ behavior towards the Dutch,
according to the 1st edition it can be inferred that male
and female Rapanui came together to meet the travelers,
while in Plischke’s edition we read that male islanders
brought women with them. Needless to say, the first
version roughly suggests to us that the German soldier
sees men and women more or less on equal terms, at
least when speaking of the foreign culture he met on the
discovered island. The second excerpt deals with a kind
of a natural dye used by the indigenous Rapanui. In the
1737 edition, Behrens has no doubt that the islanders are
able to produce it; this same fragment in the 1923 version
sounds more cautious in respect of the islanders’ skills:
“…where they get this beautiful dye from.” Both of the
excerpts mentioned here refer to nuances; the focus
shift is slight, but it still contributes to the shedding of
a different light on the culture we are discussing.
Perhaps the phenomena treated in this article would
not be worth analyzing if it were not for the fact that
many scientists and researchers who study the course of
events related to the European discovery of Easter Island
want to refer to the narrative by Behrens. However,
due to a lack of availability or linguistic barriers, they
use English or French translations, or newer German
editions such as the one edited by Plischke. Often they
are unaware of the grave alterations present in a given
text. If the German edition of 1923 is so negligent,
what can we expect of old French or English versions,
prepared in times when people were striving for editorial
success and not for accuracy? This problem concerns not
only the narrative by Behrens; I also know of abridged,
popular editions of Georg Forster’s work that were
published in German and Polish. Presently, when the
world has virtually no real mysteries for us (at least when
it comes to geographic discoveries), and technological
progress has made our lives hasty and hectic, people
tend to seek out easy entertainment —when it comes to
books as well. Nowadays, the old travel stories do not
teach us about the world, but serve to amuse us; that is
why many editors distort and simplify them, sometimes
without admitting it explicitly enough. And not all the
researchers are careful or competent enough to resort
to the original diaries and memoirs.
However, I am aware of one more aspect of the
whole situation that I see as problematic. If the edition
edited by Plischke is so different from the first edition
of the book, then how different is the first edition from
the original manuscript? I cannot appeal for studying
only hand-written documents, as this would be a Utopian
idea, but I do appeal for scientific precision.
Conclusion
When comparing the two editions of Behrens’ narrative,
one may have an impression that this is not the same
text. Although it may sound paradoxical, it seems to be
translated from German to German. The editor acted at
his own will, without consideration for the original spirit
and message of the story. He even changed the title of
the work and chapter titles.
In the first edition of his narrative, in 1737, Behrens
appears to us as an experienced, stubborn soldier that
possesses a certain knowledge base and convictions.
He may not be a skilled writer and he surely shows a
tendency to confabulate, but he knows how to justify his
points of view and defend his opinions. In comparison,
in the 1923 edition, Behrens seems to be a pretentious
man with a musket, but without character or charisma.
In my opinion, this has quite serious consequences
as to the way in which the Rapanui culture is presented
to us and how we perceive it from the perspective of
this particular narrative. It is a known fact that the first
published news about Easter Island were the so-called
‘anonymous sailor’s narratives’ (included in Kort en
nauwkeurig verhaal…, 1727, and Tweejaarige Reyze
rondom de Wereld…, 1728). But when Behrens’ story
appeared in 1737, it was this text that was considered as a
credible report. However, when the journal of Roggeveen
was found and published in 1838, in a moment when
the public also knew the narratives by Cook and Forster,
Behrens’ text was disregarded as unreliable and full of
confabulations. Now, taking into consideration such
circumstances, if we read a simplified, nearly falsified
version of the narrative, through which we see its author
as a plain, boring soldier without personality, we will
treat him with mistrust and underestimate his relation.
Moreover, I pointed out two cases when the 1923
edition changes the meaning of Behrens’ words and
judgments about the islanders. In the excerpt concerning
Rapa Nui Journal
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to the staff of the
Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen-Nürnberg, who were so
29
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
kind as to make me a free copy of the analyzed excerpts
of the first edition of Behrens’ narrative. Also, I want to
thank my friends: Herbert von Saher, especially for his
advice and the information about Schouten Island and
the Dutch orthography reform, and Bartosz Mielnikow
for his interest and help; our discussions are always very
inspiring to me. Moreover, it was thanks to him that I
became aware of the article by Pilat.
Callander, J. 1768. Terra Australis Cognita: or, Voyages
to the Terra Australis, or Southern Hemisphere,
During the Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth
Centuries. Vol. II. Edinburgh: Printed for the Author.
Available at http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/dms/load/
img/?PPN=PPN265771471.
Dalrymple, A. 1771. An Historical Collection of the Several
Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean.
Vol. II, Containing the Dutch Voyages. London: Printed
for the Author.
Kerr, R. 1824. A General History and Collection of Voyages
and Travels Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming
a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of
Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and
Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time. Vol. X.
Edinburgh: William Blackwood & London: T. Cadell.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13130/13130-h/13130-h.
htm#chapter4-6.
Mulert, F.E. 1911. Sheepsjournaal, gehouden op het ship
Tienhoven tijdens de ontdekkingsreis van Mr. Jacob
Roggeveen, 1721–1722. In Archief; vroegere en latere
mededeelingen voornamelijk in betrekking tot Zeeland.
Middelburg: Zeeuwsch Genootschap der Wetenschappen.
Pilat, R. 1886. Jak należy wydawać dzieła polskich pisarzów
XVI i XVII w.? Referat na zjazd im. Kochanowskiego. In
Archiwum do dziejów literatury i oświaty w Polsce. Vol.
V. Pamiętnik Zjazdu Historyczno-Literackiego Imienia
Jana Kochanowskiego. Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności.
Roggeveen, J. 1838. Dagverhaal der ontdekkings-reis van Mr.
Jacob Roggeveen in de jaren 1721 en 1722. Middelburg:
Nabu Press.
References
Anonymous. 1727. Kort en nauwkeurig verhaal van de reize,
door drie schepen in’t Jaar 1721 gedaan, op ordre van
de Ed. Bewindhebberen vande West-Indische Compagnie
in Holland, om eenige tot nog toe onbekende Landen,
omtrent de Zuid-zee gelegen, op te zoeken. Amsterdam:
Johannes van Septeren.
Anonymous. 1728. Tweejaarige Reyze rondom de Wereld, ter
nader Ontdekkinge der Onbekende Zuydlanden, Met drie
Schepen, in den Jahr 1721 ondernommen, door last van de
Nederlandsche Westindische Maatschappy… Dordrecht:
Johannes van Braam, Boekverkooper.
Behrens, C.F. 1737. Carl Friedrich Behrens selbst gethane
Reise Und Begebenheiten durch die bekannte und
unbekannte Südländer und um die Welt… Franckfurth:
Joachim von Lahnen.
——1923. Der wohlversuchte Südländer, Reise um die Welt
1721/22. In Alle Reisen und Abenteuer. No. 7. Hans
Plischke (ed.). Leipzig: Brockhaus-Verlag.
This article has been peer-reviewed. Received 25
January 2012; accepted 19 February 2012.
kind
to makeormeare
a free
copy of unclear
the analyzed
excerpts
tooaseroded
iconically
(Figure
1). The
of the
first edition
narrative.
Also,
I want
to I
everlasting
ruleof
is Behrens’
“don’t draw
what you
cannot
see!”
thank
friends:
von some
Saher,komari,
especially
hisand
havemy
also
chosenHerbert
not to draw
bird for
eggs,
advice
the information
about Schouten
otherand
designs,
which are probably
present Island
on the and
statue,
thebecause
Dutch orthography
reform,
Bartosz
Mielnikow on
they are unclear
and and
difficult
to reconstruct,
forone
his interest
and
our discussions
are always very
hand, and
dohelp;
not assist
with the understanding
of the
inspiring
to carved
me. Moreover,
was
thanks
toThese
him that
I
principal
figure, onitthe
other
hand.
designs
became
aware of
the article
by Pilat.
are carved
using
the same
“pecking and abrading”
technique. I was unable to discern the statue’s rectangular
hami (royal loincloth) in between the slightly delineated
References
hands that was once probably there, since loincloth
Anonymous.
Kort ento
nauwkeurig
verhaal
van(for
de reize,
elements 1727.
are attested
on the statue’s
back
further
door drie schepen in’t Jaar 1721 gedaan, op ordre van
discussion
of
the
hami
motif,
see
Routledge
1917:135;
de Ed. Bewindhebberen vande West-Indische Compagnie
Van
Tilburg 1986:118-123,
1994:134-136),
butLanden,
I suspect
in Holland,
om eenige tot nog
toe onbekende
that
its
traces
may
still
be
discernible
using
improved
omtrent de Zuid-zee gelegen, op te zoeken. Amsterdam:
Johannes
lighting
in van
the Septeren.
museum. The artist who carved the image
Anonymous.
1728.
Tweejaarige
rondom
de Wereld,
ter
may have disregarded
someReyze
sculptured
traits
of the statue
nader Ontdekkinge der Onbekende Zuydlanden, Met drie
such
as its nipples and navel. The image occupies the
Schepen, in den Jahr 1721 ondernommen, door last van de
whole
frontal surface
between
them.
Nederlandsche
Westindische
Maatschappy…
Dordrecht:
The main
figure is easily recognized as an
Johannes
van petroglyph
Braam, Boekverkooper.
Behrens,
C.F.
1737. Carl
Friedrich
Behrens
selbst creature
gethane of
atypical
birdman
(Figure
3). This
composite
Reise
Und
Begebenheiten
durch
die
bekannte
undin a
Rapa Nui rock art is a combination of a human body
unbekannte Südländer und um die Welt… Franckfurth:
crouching
position and a frigate bird that is characterized
Joachim von Lahnen.
by
its
long
hooked beak,Südländer,
circular eye,
——1923. Der wohlversuchte
Reiseand
um sometimes
die Welt
by1721/22.
its gularInpouch
(Métraux
Lee 7.
(1992:36)
Alle Reisen
und 1940:270).
Abenteuer. No.
Hans
Plischkethree
(ed.).birdman
Leipzig: motifs:
Brockhaus-Verlag.
assigns
3010 – birdman (early
phase), 3020 – birdman (late phase), 3021 – manupiri
(two late phase birdmen joined face to face) (Figure 4).
The barely discerned birdman on Hoa-haka-nana‘ia’s
front torso is a crouching figure in profile with a straight
back line that forms a right angle with the line of its
leg, which ends in a large foot. The big toe of the foot is
Callander,
J. 1768.
Terra Australis
Cognita:
Voyages
visible, but
it is difficult
to say whether
theor,
other
toes are
to the Terra
Australis,
or aSouthern
Hemisphere,
indicated.
The image
shows
heavy head
crowned with
During the Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth
feathers
and provided with a long hooked beak holding an
Centuries. Vol. II. Edinburgh: Printed for the Author.
egg.
The
is represented by a double circle. In its
Availablebig
at eye
http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/dms/load/
extended
hand, the birdman holds one more egg. A zigzag
img/?PPN=PPN265771471.
Dalrymple,
A. 1771.
An Historical
Collection
of thefeathers
Several of
line under
the extended
arm might
indicate
Voyages
Discoveries
the South in
Pacific
the
wing, and
but this
design isin unknown
Rapa Ocean.
Nui rock
Vol. II, Containing the Dutch Voyages. London: Printed
art.
Another possible hand is seen attached to the body.
for the Author.
It possesses
indicated
fingers
and adds
ambiguity
Kerr,
R. 1824. Aclearly
General
History and
Collection
of Voyages
toand
theTravels
image, Arranged
because birdmen
are
commonly
provided
in Systematic Order: Forming
a Complete
of only
the Origin
Progress
with
only one History
hand and
one leg.and
I suggest
thatofthis
Navigation,
and in
Commerce,
by Seaare
and
hand
as well asDiscovery,
other designs
the area (eggs?)
later
Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time. Vol. X.
additions
to the figure, for hands with carved fingers
Edinburgh: William Blackwood & London: T. Cadell.
are
characteristic of late phase birdmen, while the hand
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13130/13130-h/13130-h.
holding
an egg has no fingers (Figure 5). In my opinion,
htm#chapter4-6.
Mulert,
1911. Sheepsjournaal,
gehouden
op het ship
such aF.E.
suggestion
makes the image
more understandable.
Tienhoven
tijdens
de
ontdekkingsreis
van
Mr.
The keyhole feature and gular pouch, which
areJacob
typical
Roggeveen, 1721–1722. In Archief; vroegere en latere
for late phase birdmen, are not apparent, but they may
mededeelingen voornamelijk in betrekking tot Zeeland.
beMiddelburg:
found in the
area ofGenootschap
assumptiveder
re-carving,
i.e., the
Zeeuwsch
Wetenschappen.
particularly
damaged
area. Thedzieła
neckpolskich
shows an
extra line
Pilat,
R. 1886. Jak
należy wydawać
pisarzów
XVIFigure
i XVII4a),
w.? Referat
im. Kochanowskiego.
In
(see
which na
is zjazd
a typical,
but optional, feature
Archiwum
do
dziejów
literatury
i
oświaty
w
Polsce.
Vol.
of early birdmen (Lee 1992:68, Figure 4.40). Birdmen
V. Pamiętnik Zjazdu Historyczno-Literackiego Imienia
holding
eggs in their beaks are unknown; however, rare
Jana Kochanowskiego. Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności.
examples
of birdmen
holding
eggs in their van
hand
Roggeveen, J. 1838.
Dagverhaal
der ontdekkings-reis
Mr.and
crowned
with feathers
known
The feathers
Jacob Roggeveen
in deare
jaren
1721 (Figure
en 1722.6).
Middelburg:
Nabu
Press. either a ritual headdress worn by a tangata
may
represent
manu (cf. ha‘u oho ‘human-hair headdress’ in Routledge
1917:348)
or, been
alternatively,
ruffled feathers
characteristic
This
article has
peer-reviewed.
Received
25
of
frigate
birds.
The
resulting
image
seems
to be
January 2012; accepted 19 February 2012.
confusing and is barely apparent today, but this would
not have been the case in earlier times before the statue
was found planted into the ground and if it were painted.
Table 1. Correlated site-based and territorial distribution of the mask, komari, and birdman motifs in contrast with the sea turtle
and fishhook motifs (after Lee 1992:31-33). The eye mask motif shows a slightly different distribution but represents a stylistic
variant of the same figurative design as the full face and eye-nose face motifs. Here ‘Orongo is a conventional designation for the
area including ‘Orongo in the proper sense as well as Motu Nui, Rano Kau, and Vai Atare.
Rapa Nui Journal
30
Vol. 26 (1) May 2012
Rapa
Rapa
NuiNui
Journal
Journal
30 59
Vol.Vol.
26 26
(1) (1)
May
May
2012
2012

Behrens` narrative of the discovery of Easter Island: Two editions

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