page_title: Tahiti
section_title: Death
hierarchical_section_title: Tahiti / Culture / Death
caption_attribution_description: English: Tahitian Parae, or Chief Mourner costume, on display in the Bishop Museum
context_page_description: Tahiti is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean. Divided into two parts, Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, the island was formed from volcanic activity; it is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs. Its population is 133,627 inhabitants, making it the most populous island of French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of its total population.
  Tahiti is the economic, cultural, and political centre of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic. The capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, is located on the northwest coast of Tahiti. The only international airport in the region, Faa'a International Airport, is on Tahiti near Papeete. Tahiti was originally settled by Polynesians between 300 and 800 AD. They represent about 70% of the island's population, with the rest made up of Europeans, Chinese, and those of mixed heritage. The island was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880, when it was proclaimed a colony of France, and the inhabitants became French citizens.
context_section_description: The Tahitians believed in the afterlife, a paradise called Rohutu-no'ano'a.  When a Tahitian died, the corpse was wrapped in barkcloth and placed on a funeral bier, fare tupapa 'u, which was a raised canoe awning on posts surrounded by bamboo.  Food for the gods was placed nearby to prevent them from eating the body, which would condemn the spirit to the underworld.  Mourners would slash themselves with shark's teeth and smear the blood on barkcloth placed nearby.  Most importantly, the Chief Mourner donned the parae, an elaborate costume that included an iridescent mask made of four polished pearl shell discs.  One disk was black, signifying Po, the spirit world, while one was white, signifying Ao, the world of people.  A crown of red feathers signified 'Oro.  A curved wooden board, pautu, below the mask contained five polished pearl shells, which signified Hina, the moon goddess.  Hanging below were more shells in rows, ahu-parau, representing the Pleiades, believed to be the eyes of former chiefs.  Finally, a ceremonial garment, tiputa, covered the body and was decorated with an apron of polished coconut shells, ahu-'aipu.
caption: Tahitian Parae, or Chief Mourner costume, on display in the Bishop Museum
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