Word: aku
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Aku-Aku, Heyerdahl...
...Aku-Aku, Heyerdahl...
...Only in America, Harry Golden 2. Aku-Aku, Thor Heyerdahl...
...archaeological expedition to Easter Island. The islanders first tried to sell him their present-day wood carvings ("If we put on old rags, we are much better paid," explained one amiably), and promptly hailed him as "Señor Kon-Tiki." They attributed to Heyerdahl an aku-aku, or magical spirit, superior to their...
...wood carvings-which he excitedly declares "were entirely different from all ancient and modern art hitherto known from Easter Island." Heyerdahl became an initiate of sacred rites. He crept round the island at night, eating chickens buried according to formula in earth ovens, muttering incantations to placate hostile aku-akus, shouting out ritual invocations such as: "Wizard Juan, stand up for good luck!" Only slowly did it dawn on Heyerdahl that the natives might be hipsters who were taking a square for a ride. One native was caught scattering potsherds in an excavation site; Mayor Atan himself twice salted secret...