1. The 'pupils' of the 'eyes' in Pa6-46 are looking up respectively down:
Or to be more exact, up respectively down and left. Perhaps the directions Tokerau and Toga are meant: ... The expressions Tonga, Kona, Toa (Sam., Haw., Tah.), to indicate the quarter of an island or of the wind, between the south and west, and Tokelau, Toerau, Koolau (Sam., Haw., Tah.), to indicate the opposite directions from north to east - expressions universal throughout Polynesia, and but little modified by subsequent local circumstances - point strongly to a former habitat in lands where the regular monsoons prevailed. Etymologically 'Tonga', 'Kona', contracted from 'To-anga' or 'Ko-ana', signifies 'the setting', seil. of the sun. 'Toke-lau', of which the other forms are merely dialectical variations, signifies 'the cold, chilly sea'. Another interpretation is to see the sky 'cap' (up) and the sea 'cup' (down). But the double-rimmed eyes should exclude a time of Sun. Therefore the upper 'eye' should rather refer to the last time of the old year, still a time of Moon, while the bottom 'eye' could represent the beginning of 'the season of Moon'. The slightly flattened 'pupil' of the top 'eye' might indicate the time of winter solstice, when the horizontal direction of the path of Sun returns from the 'night side' to the side of his 'face'. The direction southwest, if we read it like a dial on a watch, suggests that 'Toga' could be located at 8 o'clock, or ⅔ of the cycle around. In other words:
The 'value' of the weak Moon light could possibly be regarded as half as much as the strong Sun light, and therefore 8 months of 'winter' could be discounted down to 4 months. The 'morning and evening stars' of Venus in Hb9-50 are arranged not exactly vertically but with the top star slightly to the northeast and the bottom one slightly to the southwest:
But with 7 'feathers' around both these 'stars' the 'currency' should be given by Moon rather than by Sun. And counted by Moon there are 8 months on the front side and 8 on the back side. |
