Haua Tu’u Taketake, usually shortened to just Haua, is a Rapanui god and chief companion of the creator Make-make. Haua’s epithet of “Chief of the eggs” illustrates his special connection to both the birds of the island and their eggs. Haua was born shortly after creation, when Make-make looked at his own reflection in the sea, with it taking the shape of Haua. The birds that once called Rapanui home had begun to dwindle due to the over hunting of their eggs. So Haua and Make-make drove the birds to the nearby Motu Iti and Motu Nui. The two then taught the islanders the ceremony of the Tangata-Manu selection, in order to keep peace on the island.

The Tangata-Manu ceremony was a contest held by the Rapanui in order to crown a new Tangata-Manu, translated as ‘bird-man’. The island’s priests would select others of great status to be the contestants of the ceremony. These contestants would then choose another person who would be the one to actually participate in the events, these selected people were called Hopu. Each of the contestant’s Hopus would all swim to Motu Nui and race to find the first Sooty Tern egg laid as the birds recently came back from migration. The Hopu who wins in this race calls out in victory as the other Hopu swim back in defeat. The contestant who choose the winning Hopu would then be crowned the Tangata-Manu with his clan gaining sole ownership over that season’s Sooty Tern eggs, along with being treated as especially holy for the next five months. The modern day Easter egg hunts are derived from this tradition.