The importance of Roto Iri Are can be quickly described by pointing to number 13, because even we in the civilized world understand that sign. It is a 'dark' month. Once there were 13 zodiacal signs, but one was eliminated - the Serpent (or, more to the point, Ophiuchus - the 'Snake'-Bearer). Raw nature cannot be tolerated, it must be curbed. Recreation (now that old sun is dead and buried) must take place in the dark (inside). In Tahua, we can suspect, not only Hua Reva but also Roto Iri Are should be at most just hinted at. At Aa8-84 a great henua can be interpreted as a way to ignore the dark and instead state that a new light is beginning on day 355. Our 12 zodiacal signs leave no gap, and instead of 13 * 28 = 364 days our calendar mixes 30 with 31 - yet has February as a conspicious exception, and there the leap day is located. Fact is, though, that the baby sun child comes in Tama, next month. Somehow a 'snake' must be in action before that. In ancient Egypt Isis gave birth to 5 gods during the 5 dark intercalated days between the regular 360-day years. With a calendar which is broken after 12 * 29.5 = 354 days, there must be a gap to bridge before the next 354-day year can begin. The gap functions like a leap day, only it stretches for a month or so (viz. Roto Iri Are). In Tahua, on the other hand, the gap seems to be hidden between the end of Akahanga and the beginning of Hatinga Te Kohe:
In G the approach is more straightforward, and the break is clearly stated:
Gb5-29 illustrates a 'ghost' (no real 'person'), but already at Gb6-1 the 'ghostly period' seems to be over. Maybe, therefore, the counting should start from the last glyph on side b (instead of from Ga1-1), because only then will the secure foothold at 384 be reached at Gb6-1. As a consequence glyph number 354 would then be Gb4-33 and all 29 glyphs in line b5 would be in Roto Iri Are. |
