To continue with the 'proof' of a connection between period 6 and Tagaroa we naturally have to explain the following glyphs too:
In Eb3-17 moe refers to the 'sleepy old bird' glyph type. Its meaning seems to be the opposite of the glyph type at left in Eb3-18 (tamaiti or tama for short). When somebody is 'finished' (euphemism for dead) somebody else will soon be ready to take his place. Death and birth are mutually necessary. The new life (re)appearing at birth is a baby, 'little child', tamaiti (iti = little). At right in the two glyphs we see a string from which a fish (ika) is hanging down (reva). Probably the left glyph means 'fishing finished' - stop (for) fishing - and the right glyph 'fishing starts' (beginning - fishing). Once again the argumentation is weak, pure guesswork it may seem. However, the month Tagaroa uri, at the beginning of the summer year, is characterized by, among other things, the opening of the fishing season - there has been a taboo against fishing, beginning in May, Vaitu potu, half a year previously and ruling through the whole winter - and it is now being lifted:
The glyphs Eb3-17--18 together are expressing exactly what Metoro said (kua moe, kua reva te ika followed by tama, reva ika), i.e., (as to the) fishing taboo - fishing begins again.
The creator of the E calendar seems, in his 6th period, to have written about Tagaroa uri. The imagined allusion from the bent henua in Eb3-15 to the 'shell boat' of Tagaroa, together with Metoro's choice of words, tuo and tino ('body shouting without any answer') are like pieces of a puzzle which fall into their right places, when the lifting of the fishing taboo in Tagaroa uri is added. |
