3. Mago presumably depicts a shark with bent tail. The shape of a shark as seen against white coral sand at the bottom of a shallow sea (as for instance in a lagoon) will appear like a dark shadow and the shark is associated with darkness. "... The handsome shark Fa'a-rava-i-te-ra'i, Sky-shade, is there in his pool and close by is Pirae-tea, White Sea-swallow (Deneb in Cygnus) in the Living-waters of Tane." (Makemson) 4. If on the other hand the shark has a closed jaw, as in Ha2-37 below, then we could be looking at the light stomach side of the shark:
"Here, in a very condensed form, is a typical Fijian myth of the origin of the current ruling clan (mataqali): A handsome, fair-skinned stranger, victim of an accident at sea, is befriended by a shark who carries him ashore on the south coast of Viti Levu. The stranger wanders into the interior where he is taken in by a local chieftain, whose daughter he eventually marries. From this union springs the line of Noikoro ruling chiefs, the narrator of the story being the tenth descendant on that line. He and his clansmen are called 'The Sharks' (Na Qio)... It is all as in the Hawaiian proverb: 'A chief is a shark that travels on land'... " (Islands of History) The sign inside the head of the shark in Ha2-37 is very much like that in Omotohi (although located at the top instead of at the bottom):
5. In the sacred landscape of Easter Island we find a 'swift shark' in the east: "Further to the east, there is Tama, whose addition 'an evil fish with a long nose' is explained by Juan Tepano to mean 'a shark' (he niuhi ME:58) [niuhi tapaka'i = hammerhead shark according to Vanaga] and may be connected with the youngest son of Hotu Matua (TP:54)." "The first and third sons rule over important points along the northern and southern shore. Their domains can be said to represent the noon and the midnight sides of the island and, as such, are in contrast with each other. On the other hand, the words of the king to his second and fourth sons refer to contrasting types of behavior. It is Miru's task to watch over his people, while Hotu Iti is compared to a dangerous shark. My informants explained niuhi tapaka'i as 'como diablo' and called it an attribute for an 'hombre valiente'. Englert was not familiar with the word, but I suspect that it is related to TON. tapakaki 'to run swiftly', and I suggest the translation 'swift (?) shark', which seems an appropriate metaphor for a brave man. The contrast between Miru and Hotu Iti could be summed up as (a) the contrast between the (north)western shore and the (south)eastern shore, (b) the contrast between the 'big tribe' (mata nui) and the 'small tribe' (mata iti), and (c) the contrast between the (peaceful) 'watching over the people' and the (warlike) 'behavior of the shark'." (Barthel 2) Open jaws ('eating' = growing) should characterize spring time and be appropriate as a sign for the 1st half of the year. Smallness implies growing, while big should denote 'no more growth' (satisfaction), i.e. the 'jaw' should be closed (as in the 2nd half of the week). There could be a 'slow shark' in the west. |
