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3.
In the Polynesian symbolic system, we have found, both
fingers and toes associate to
fire (cfr the finger and toe nails of Mahuika). Sun (or in general: the celestial
'persons', hetu'u) deliver
us light (an emanation from fire). In nature there must be circuits.
Therefore the delivery of light from the sky ought to be compensated
by an opposite flow of light (or its precursor) upwards. Possibly vae glyphs should be read with this idea in mind.
Hand signs are (in rongorongo texts) involved in a play of input and output of
sun light,
therefore also toes ought to be involved in this play. Limbs of
trees are used as wood in fires; limbs in glyphs associate to
fire. Not only are fires 'built' from wood, also canoes are built
from wood:
| ... Ta.: 1. Timbers of a boat. Ha.:
wae, knees, side timbers of a boat. 2. To share
out. Sa.: vae, to divide, to share. Ma.: wawae,
to divide .... |
A myth from Tokelau (Oral Traditions) refers,
symbolically, to the circuit of the sun (and all life). In one
place pregnancy occurs, then follows a voyage by canoe, a turbulent
sea, the father dies (drowns), and the mother swims and swims;
arrives to a new island, gives birth to a child, given the name
Taetagaloa.
Ta'e
is a sign of negation, and the conclusion ought to be that the child
is Tane. On the other hand the word can also be an
'interjection expressing admiration' (i.e. an intensifier), in which
case Taetagaloa should be the true Tagaloa.
Then a mysterious golden plover (tuli =
turi = knee, elbow etc) hovers above:
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"There is a
couple residing in one place named Kui and
Fakataka. After the couple stay together for a while
Fakataka is pregnant. So they go away because
they wish to go to another place - they go. The canoe
goes and goes, the wind roars, the sea churns, the canoe
sinks. Kui expires while Fakataka swims.
Fakataka swims and swims, reaching another land.
She goes there and stays on the upraised reef in the
freshwater pools on the reef, and there delivers her
child, a boy child. She gives him the name Taetagaloa.
When the baby is born a golden plover flies over and
alights upon the reef.
(Kua fanau lā te pepe kae lele mai te tuli oi tū mai
i te papa).
And so the woman thus names various parts of the child
beginning with the name 'the plover' (tuli): neck
(tuliulu), elbow (tulilima), knee (tulivae).
They go inland at the land. The child nursed and tended
grows up, is able to go and play. Each day he now goes
off a bit further away, moving some distance away from
the house, and then returns to their house. So it goes
on and the child is fully grown and goes to play far
away from the place where they live. He goes over to
where some work is being done by a father and son.
Likāvaka is the name of the father - a
canoe-builder, while his son is Kiukava.
Taetagaloa goes right over there and steps forward
to the stern of the canoe saying - his words are these:
'The canoe is crooked.' (kalo ki ama) Instantly
Likāvaka is enraged at the words of the child.
Likāvaka says: 'Who the hell are you to come and
tell me that the canoe is crooked?' Taetagaloa
replies: 'Come and stand over here and see that the
canoe is crooked.' Likāvaka goes over and stands
right at the place Taetagaloa told him to at the
stern of the canoe. Looking forward, Taetagaloa
is right, the canoe is crooked. He slices through all
the lashings of the canoe to straighten the timbers. He
realigns the timbers. First he must again position the
supports, then place the timbers correctly in them, but
Kuikava the son of Likāvaka goes over and
stands upon one support. His father Likāvaka
rushes right over and strikes his son Kuikava
with his adze. Thus Kuikava dies. Taetagaloa
goes over at once and brings the son of Likāvaka,
Kuikava, back to life. Then he again aligns the
supports correctly and helps Likāvaka in building
the canoe. Working working it is finished." |
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