TIL 32: Going the distance

Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian explorer and writer.

In the 1940s, Heyerdahl had a belief that early Pre-Columbian South Americans would have traveled all the way to Polynesia- a group of Islands in the South Pacific triangulating the Hawaiian Islands in the North, New Zealand borders, and Rapa- Nui also called the Easter Islands.

He reasoned this belief by spending some time in Easter Islands and especially interacting with a tribe there called ‘Tiki people’- a group of white-bearded men.

On interacting with their Chief, Thor heard stories about the tribe’s Supreme leader Kon Tiki who led their ancestors on the Island, saving them from a tragedy that wiped their ‘white-skinned’ race back home.

Thor realized the legend falls well in line with the Incan legend about a heroic figure Con-Tici Viracocha who lived in Peru in the 1400s. Additionally, he figured the monuments of ancient monuments found in Peru vaguely resembled the ‘Tiki people’- with their long beards and white skins.

Thus, he concluded that these mythical ‘Tiki people’ of Polynesia came all the way from Peru to these islands, making an 8000km journey across the Pacific Ocean.

But anthropologists and researchers laughed at his theory. Some stated that it would be impossible to make such a long journey given the technology of the time. Others stated that the ’Tiki people’ might’ve originated from Asia based on linguistic, physical, and genetic evidence.

So, Thor Heyerdahl decided to prove his theory. In 1947, he took a hand-built raft, made out of balsa wood and other native materials, and decided to sail all the way from Peru to Polynesia. He hired a crew and called their journey the ‘Kon Tiki’ expedition.

Heyerdahl and the crew nearly drowned several times and said later that there were moments when they feared for their lives.

It took them 101 days and the raft was nearly broken, but they did it. They did manage to touch a reef in French Polynesia.

Thor Heyerdahl had a belief and had proven to the world that such a journey could be possible by doing it himself. The Polynesians were able to migrate from South America.

He also decided to record his journey and made a documentary film called ‘Kon Tiki’ which won the Academy Awards in 1950. A cinematic version by the same name was also released in 2012 and nominated for several Academy Awards.

Years later though, in 2011, Thor Heyerdahl would be proven partially wrong. The genetic analysis would state that both Asian and South American genes were present in early Polynesians.

But that’s not the point. The point is, how far can you go for something you believe in?

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