Our symbol for eight (8) is designed as if to inform the reader that eight consists of two equal parts, each of which has four units.

Anciently, they saw 'earth' as a 'square', i.e. a time measure consisting of four units. The problem of 'squaring the circle' could have meant to find the 4 points which divides the circumference of the time cycle into 4 equal parts, for instance by counting 360 days as 4 times 90.

With two 'years' in a year, a similar structure would be to count 4 times 90 twice: 2 * 4 * 90 = 720. But in order to get it right, each half of the year must then be counted against half days:

4 * 90 * ½ = 180

Similarly, to reach 180 days by counting to 8 could have meant to count twice 4 times by using quarter days (6 hours):

4 * 90 * 6  +  4 * 90 * 6  =  4320 hours = 180 days

Once it was important to use units of the same kind as that which was going to be counted. They must be in harmony with each other.

In G the kuhane stations clearly are tuned in to number 8. The journey of the sun on side a goes to Te Pei, a station which seems to be located at high summer.

Eight is called varu in Polynesian:

Varu

1. To cut one's hair (te puoko). 2. To shave. 3. To paint, to put on make-up: he varu te kiea. Varu a-roto, to have diarrhoea. Vanaga.

1. Eight. 2. To shave, to remove the beard, to shear, to clip, to rasp, a plane. Varuvaru, to peel, to remove the bark, to plane, to scrape, to shear. Churchill.

The same word (varu) is used for a plane, i.e. a flat surface. At the solstices, where the sun is taking a rest before returning, the terrain is level. It is natural to count to 8 (varu) in order to reach such a place. Number and terrain are in harmony.