The last glyph in line Qa2 seems to be fading away and has ordinal number -43, like haati in *Qa9-43 seven lines later:
In *Qa2-36 we must associate to 4 * 59 because 236 = 8 * 29.5 and mea ke with 3 vertex 'roofs' presumably means that spring Sun has reached his last day (= 236 + 64 = 300). In the following glyph a haati sign without 'head' evidently confirms this idea. Te Pei (at day 236 counted from the beginning of the front side of the year) marks day 300 from winter solstice according to G. Mea ke signs normally appear at winter solstice, but here it may have been used as a sign for summer solstice - the bottom of the henua sign is not of the 'midnight' type. Te Pei is the tasty 'black fish' deep down in the sea and mea ke with the added sign at bottom could refer to the last day of Spring Sun, he is going down. However, what is written in line Qa2 does not necessarily refer to the time immediately prior to the time described in line Qa3. It might instead be a short preview of the 'life course' of Sun - in which case his end ought to be described towards the close of line Qa2. We have earlier found that glyph line a3 seems to be reserved for the place where Spring Sun makes his entrance in the texts (cfr at kara etahi). Pare in *Qa2-40 possibly plays a double role - both a role hinting at the coming line a3 and a role referring to day 240. The crescents instead of flames point to an interpretation of pare as standing at the end of the front side of the year, at day 240. If so, then haati in Qa9-43 could be at day number 240 + 160 (given that we count with 2 glyphs per day):
This reading agrees with counting 13 * 29.5 = 383½ to Roto Iri Are. The pair of tamaiti glyphs (Qa9-42 and Qa9-44) are special and maybe they can be read as the twin children of the Moon (Waxing respectively Waning). Beyond Roto Iri Are comes Tama. Furthermore, we have identified Pa9-42 as a strange manu rere (which should have a special meaning) immediately before pare fades away:
The 'limb' at bottom right in Pa10-1 resembles the limb at bottom right in *Qa2-40. In Pa10-1 we can imagine a picture of Y 'swallowing' an upside down V (though it is the same entity). Poporo at right in Pa10-2 seems to show a Moon type of 'sky pillar' rising from a little mata. In H we can see an exceptional ariga erua in Ha9-42, and the following ua appears to be part of the game:
'Rain' (ua) comes - according to my interpretation of Q above - 160 days after 240 days of Spring Sun. 3 * 80 days of Spring Sun are followed by 2 * 80 further days before the year is ending. 5 * 80 = 400. The strange allocation of pare to the end of line Qa2 and its crescent signs, together with evidence from some number juggling, seals the case: Pare in Qa2-40 is a Moon type of pare, not of the kind in H and P (where line a3 is the proper location for the Sun type of pare). But it should also be mentioned here that Qa3-1 is showing us how the nuku season is turned upside down, and that the glyph has as its basic sign (at left) haati oriented in the same way as in Qa9-43. Toa in Qa3-2 - like a 'pitcher of Aquarius' - is 'finished' (has at right a hanging down maro string). The word 'pitch black' ought to be related to 'pitcher':
The inclination (of Sun) is beginning at Aquarius and 'fire' (five feathers at right in Qa3-3 lies ahead. |
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