3. If the head of moe should be the 'noon' sky, then the long beak towards right could illustrate the spring sky. A position at right means 'future', and spring in a way is the future of the year. In manu kake glyphs the whole sky dome apparently is visualized by a pair of long necks and beaks, as e.g. in Eb5-29--30, the first two glyphs in the 24th and last period of a Keiti calendar:
Metoro connected the first of these two manu kake glyphs with a 'neck' (gao) - e manu gao takoa. The 2nd manu kake was referred to as e manu kake rua. Eb5-29 is incised stronger into the board than Eb5-30, and 29 probably alludes to the dark night of the moon, the time when new life is generated. The first manu kake presumably corresponds to spring, while the second - with a fish sign - could refer to the time when sun is far in the north together with his 'winter maid', Hine-takurua, when his light is weaker. |
