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TRANSLATIONS
The figure at the Beginning maybe is the season of spring:
If so, then we have an example of GD15 at the beginning (not only at the center or at the end). The beginning of the texts in G and K have somewhat similar signs as those at the beginning of line a2 in Tahua:
In Ga1-1 the right part resembles Aa2-2. Ga1-2 maybe corresponds to Aa2-1 and Aa2-6? The 3 marks towards right in Ka1-3 and Ga1-5 probably correspond to each other. In Ga4-2 they seem to have moved downwards and to the left (past):
Although Ga4-1 ought to mark summer solstice, Ga4-2--3 maybe together represent what was before. If so, then the 'quickening' (veveke) belongs to the time before spring equinox, not to the 2nd quarter of the year. In Tahua (we remember) there were also triplets of marks:
Maybe a movement towards left means 'past' and the movement downwards 'more past'? Haga Takaśre was the 15th station of the kuhane. The explorers stayed there 7 days and at Haga Hōnu they stayed 5 days. Possibly we should add these resting places and get 12 (= half-months in a 'year'). The explorers 'year' covered 180 days. They departed from Hiva on Vaitu nui 25 and arrived to the island on He Maro 1 (in June). They left the island on Tagaroa uri 25 in the beginning of the spring season (October). Consequently their 'year' was approximately equal to the time from autumn equinox to spring equinox. The explorer's 'year' was 'winter'. If they had followed the same time schedule as the kuhane, they would have reached Haga Takaśre after 15 / 28 * 180 = ca 96 days. Earlier we have (based on Barthel's calculations) reached 96 as the sum of 76 and 20. '... They rested 7 + 5 = 12 days. If we subtract these from 96 days, we find 84. That is probably the solution. They worked twice 42 days (a period in harmony with both sun and moon) ...'
In the middle (15th station) of the kuhane journey Haga Takaśre is located, while Haga Hōnu is station no. 21. The explorers 'winter' journey lasted 180 days (and only ca 110 of those on Easter Island), yet they visited the stations of the kuhane which covers a whole year:
It is impossible to fit these two journeys in the same structure. But one similarity can be observed: the central importance of Haga Takaśre and Haga Hōnu. The bay (haga) is a good illustration of, or symbol for, the resting place from which the next phase of the long journey will commence. A point not only for rest but also for changing direction. The solstices are places where the sun takes a rest and from where he will start in a new direction. At the equinoxes it is the speed which is adjusted, at the solstices the direction. Veveke means quickening, and was one of the words Metoro used at the pepe kind of glyph. Hōnu is turtle and unquestionably Haga Hōnu must be associated with winter solstice:
The turtle is slow (on land), while the insects are speedy, they are the creatures of the land (i.e. summer). From this it follows that Haga Takaśre should be summer solstice. Though the geography says that Poike is summer solstice. Haga Takaśre and Haga Hōnu are about equidistant from the summit of Poike. From this it follows that Haga Takaśre must be spring equinox and Haga Hōnu autumn equinox. Haga Takaśre is a good name for the prolific (veveke) spring equinox, while Haga Hōnu could be understood not as the slow winter solstice but the point where land meets the sea and where the waves allows you to 'act like a turtle'. From the facts of geography the names have been chosen appropriately. It is not certain that the rongorongo texts used the same frame of concepts. Furthermore, with two 'years' there must be a force to make them structurally similar, as we have seen for example by way of niu:
In the 7th period niu has a separate new 'branch' (with 6 'feather' marks) growing at right and presumably at spring equinox it illustrates the new season arriving = the 'summer year'. In the 24th period the corresponding new 'branch' is thinner (but has 6 'feather' marks) and it is not a new entity, because it is clearly a part of the 'body' of niu. At winter solstice there is no new year (according to this perspective). The calendar structure does not correspond to what we read from these two niu. The calendar begins with new year, but not the niu 'branches'. Although the 'container' at bottom in Eb6-5 is empty - the spooky 'leg' tells us that. The hand gesture in Eb6-7 suggests 'giving', not 'taking'. The 3 'balls' in Eb6-8 suggest the 3 dark nights between the calendar years, the seeds for the new year. It begins fertile and full of life. We must get on with vero. In Ka1-1 the changeover has not occurred, it seems:
The sky (?) is hanging low and upside down. Something similar is seen in Sa1-102:
The raising of the sky will let in light, the great event which Metoro called vero tahi (the first 'revolution'). That light is the important factor probably is shown by the little mark on the 'neck' of the hanging down 'sky head' in Ka1-1. Also perhaps by the fingers in Sa1-101--102. In Ea7-8, Ea7-11 and Ea7-14 it appears as if the earth (henua ora) is giving the light (life) back:
In Ea7-15 the 'knee' reappears - probably to indicate that midsummer is still at right. Ea7-12 has another design, looking like half a viri and I guess it means spring equinox. Before spring equinox the 'knee' (in Ea7-9) seems to be rather juvenile. Presumably we see the 3 double-months of the sun between winter solstice and summer solstice. The downward oriented 'wings' of the pepe would then probably mean the time beteen winter and summer solstice, a wedge-like mark pointing upwards to indicate movement towards the highest point of the year? In Ea7-14 a change has occurred at the bottom end of henua ora and I guess it means that up to and including Ea7-12 we see 'winter' (which includes spring equinox according to the E calendar of the year). The following 3 double-months are:
Ea7-17 and Ea7-19 has a beak looking like that in Ea7-15. Maybe a long hooked beak means 'winter'? As periods 1-2 probably are located in 'winter', if follows that periods 4-5 should be located in 'summer'. Ea 7-17 and Ea7-19 have (like Ea7-12) no 'knees'. In Ea7-21 and Ea7-22 the 'knees' have shifted to the right. The 'knee' in Ea7-15 tells that summer solstice is still to come. |
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