|
When Metoro said 'hia' it was probably an
instruction for Bishop Jaussen on Tahiti to 'Count!' For instance:
...
Ecclesiastically, the equinox is reckoned to be on 21 March (even
though the equinox occurs, astronomically speaking, on 20 March in
most years) ... → 3-20 ↔ right
ascension day *320 at the south pole star Dramasa.
... A very detailed
myth comes from the island of Nauru. In the beginning
there was nothing but the sea, and above soared the Old-Spider.
One day the Old-Spider found a giant clam, took it up, and tried
to find if this object had any opening, but could find none. She
tapped on it, and as it sounded hollow, she decided it was
empty. By repeating a charm, she opened the two shells and
slipped inside. She could see nothing, because the sun and the
moon did not then exist; and then, she could not stand up
because there was not enough room in the shellfish. Constantly
hunting about she at last found a snail. To endow it with power
she placed it under her arm, lay down and slept for three days.
Then she let it free, and still hunting about she found another
snail bigger than the first one, and treated it in the same way
... |
