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GD78
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vaero | Vaero means the tail of a kite, of a bird, or similar. | |||||||||
A few preliminary remarks and imaginations: 1. A comet (uero, tuverovero, hoku-welo-welo) is a 'star' with streaming light trailing behind and the sight of a comet is all over the world regarded as an ill omen. When a comet appears in the sky the ruler down on earth is in danger of falling, to be turned over (fall) on his face, following the example in the sky. A meteor is also named hoku-welo-welo and such fall down on earth. And if this happens Mother Nature will be upset and turn into a geat rage (wero):
The tail (vaero) of a bird, or of a kite, is similar to the light rays streaming behind a comet. And a ray of light is like a spear (vero). And this spear threatens the king. On the Marquesas the 10th month of the lunar year was veo. Sun has only 10 months. ... A vestige of the practice of putting the king to death at the end of a year's reign appears to have survived in the festival called Macahity, which used to be celebrated in Hawaii during the last month of the year. About a hundred years ago a Russian voyager described the custom as follows: 'The taboo Macahity is not unlike to our festival of Christmas. It continues a whole month, during which the people amuse themselves with dances, plays, and sham-fights of every kind. The king must open this festival wherever he is. On this occasion his majesty dresses himself in his richest cloak and helmet, and is paddled in a canoe along the shore, followed sometimes by many of his subjects. He embarks early, and must finish his excursion at sunrise. The strongest and most expert of the warriors is chosen to receive him on his landing. The warrior watches the canoe along the beach; and as soon as the king lands, and has thrown off his cloak, he darts his spear at him, from a distance of about thirty paces, and the king must either catch the spear in his hand, or suffer from it: there is no jesting in the business ... |
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