TRANSLATIONS

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Probably each of the glyphs at the beginning of side a of Tahua represents a period of events (time/space). The number of glyphs before the X-area is 12. Therefore the conclusion is that Aa1-1--12 represents a calendar with 12 solar months.

Aa1-1 seems to be without parallel in the comparable calendars of  H/P/Q. Though that is not certain, because it is possible that the 'little bird' is parallel with the 'triple balls':

A
H
P
Q

The 'little bird' may have a meaning similar to the meaning of those small birds at the beginning of the 8 moon periods (according to Mamari Ca6-17--Ca9-2):

1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8

Even the sickle of the moon is there, although in the moon calendar there is contact between bird and moon and the sickle is turned as if to imply that the 'chicken' is the left dark part of the moon. Probably we should draw the conclusion that the moon sickle in Tahua is turned the other way to indicate that a solar period (the year) is starting - the bird 'is' the sun and therefore the left part of the moon in Aa1-2 is shown illuminated.

A calendar with only one glyph per month cannot express very much meaning otherwise than by implication - the suggestions engendered by the glyph and its surroundings.

The creator of the calendar necessarily must use only the most important and relevant images of his culture, e.g. the lifting up of the sky roof to let the light in:

Aa1-5 Aa1-6 Aa1-7 Aa1-8

These 4 months cover the period up to midsummer and they may allude to different (though similar) stories, e.g. how Ure Honu lifted up the hare paega of Tuu Ko Ihu:

'... Ure set out and arrived in front of the house of Tuu Ko Ihu. Ure said to the king, 'I (come) to you for my very large and very beautiful skull, which you took away on the day when the banquet for the new house was held. Where is the skull now?' (whereupon) Tuu Ko Ihu replied, 'I don't know.'

When Tuu Ko Ihu came out and sat on the stone underneath which he had buried the skull, Ure Honu shot into the house like a lizard. He lifted up the one side of the house. Then Ure Honu let it fall down again; he had found nothing. Ure Honu called, 'Dig up the ground and continue to search!'

The search went on. They dug up the ground, and came to where the king was. The king (was still) sitting on the stone. They lifted the king off to the side and let him fall ...'

Metoro understood the glyphs as meaning young roosters and probably the explorers, because he mentioned Kuukuu later at Aa1-11:

ko te moa   Aa1-5
e noho ana ki te moa   Aa1-6
e moa te erueru

Oh rooster, who scratches diligently!

Aa1-7
e moa te kapakapa

Oh rooster, who beats his wings!

Aa1-8
e moa te herehua

Oh rooster, who ties up the fruit!

Aa1-9

ka hora - ka tetea

Spread out! Have many descendants!

Aa1-10
ihe kuukuu ma te maro   Aa1-11 (†)
ki te henua   Aa1-12

'... The 'one who beats his wings' refers to the best person, and the 'one who ties up the fruit' refers to the richest. The 'one who scratches diligently' must be a person who is industrious, so that we can interpret the praise of a promising young man ...'

The young explorers lead by Ira may be interpreted as bringing light to Easter Island, because they investigated (looked around, ira):

Ira

1. Then, there, behold; o ira, no ira, so, wherefore, from that time; ki te ira, yet, already. 2. To turn around to look; hakaira, id. Churchill.

They were 7 (2 sons of Hau Maka and 5 sons of Hua Tava), which number corresponds to to the number of glyphs with sun-like heads in the sequence Aa1-5--11.

In autumn (fall) the head (of) the king must fall:

'... The king (was still) sitting on the stone. They lifted the king off to the side and let him fall ...'

'... it grew light, and again Ira spoke. This is what he said: 'Turn around, all of you, and go down to ride the waves (literally, 'to the turtle, to act like a turtle') ...' The message is delivered in midwinter - 23rd of July (Anakena) - the point of turning around. Even bringers of light must follow the local rule of the season and become 'turtles' when arriving at the white plain of the king (Oromanga). Similarly when time was due the head of King Oto Uta had to be severed from his neck - while the turtle escapes, because he is capable of drawing in his head.

This leaves us with Aa1-3--4, what do they mean?

Aa1-3 Aa1-4

The running figures probably represent the running phase of the sun in 'spring', two months during which light advances fast. Metoro's: 'e tagata noho ana - i te ragi te tagata - hakamaroa ana i te ragi' possibly means that the 'person' (tagata) is making upright (hakamaroa ana) the sky (te ragi):

Maroa

1. To stand up, to stand. 2. Fathom (measure). See kumi. Vanaga.

1. A fathom; maroa hahaga, to measure. 2. Upright, stand up, get up, stop, halt. Churchill.

Probably the glyphs also illustrate the measurements made in spring in order to follow the quick development of the moving sun (maroa hahaga, to measure).

Two glyphs for spring precede the 6 glyphs for summer and the two glyphs for fall; 8 glyphs in all to describe the path of the sun over the year. The two glyphs at the beginning of the calendar must be 'black' ('negligible'). New year is 'born' in the 'black' season.