The fact that Kuukuu
was ordered by Ira to dig a taro plantation in Maro 1 maybe was
intended to indicate
we should use not a calendar with 12 months
but instead should think in terms of a calendar with
10 months:
Barthel has given us a summary
over the months on Easter Island
(according to the structure of a
modern calendar). I have adapted
the table somewhat.
Red
means the 6 months when Sun
could be said to be 'present': |
1st quarter |
2nd quarter |
3rd quarter |
4th quarter |
He Anakena
(July) |
Tagaroa uri
(October) |
Tua haro
(January) |
Vaitu nui
(April) |
Same as the previous month. |
Cleaning up of the fields.
Fishing is no longer taboo.
Festival of thanksgiving (hakakio)
and presents of fowl. |
Fishing. Because of the strong
sun very little planting is
done. |
Planting of sweet potatoes. |
Hora iti
(August) |
Ko Ruti
(November) |
Tehetu'upú
(February) |
Vaitu potu
(May) |
Planting of plants growing
above the ground (i.e.,
bananas, sugarcane, and all
types of trees).
Good time to fish for eel along
the shore. |
Cleaning of the banana
plantations, but only in the
morning since the sun becomes
too hot later in the day.
Problems with drought. Good
month for fishing and the
construction of houses (because
of the long days). |
Like the previous month. Some
sweet potatoes are planted where
there are a lot of stones
(pu). |
Beginning of the cold season. No
more planting. Fishing is taboo,
except for some fishing along
the beach. Harvesting of paper
mulberry trees (mahute).
Making of tapa capes (nua). |
Hora nui
(September) |
Ko Koró
(December) |
Tarahao
(March) |
He Maro
(June) |
Planting
of plants growing below
the ground (i.e., sweet
potatoes, yams, and taro).
A
fine spring month. |
Because of the increasing heat,
work ceases in the fields. Time
for fishing, recreation, and
festivities. The new houses are
occupied (reason for the
festivities). Like the previous
month, a good time for surfing (ngaru)
on the beach of Hangaroa O
Tai. |
Sweet potatoes are planted in
the morning; fishing is done in
the afternoon. |
Because of the cold weather,
nothing grows (tupu meme),
and there is hardly any work
done in the fields. Hens grow an
abundance of feathers, which are
used for the festivities. The
time of the great festivities
begins, also for the
father-in-law (te ngongoro mo
te hungavai).
There is much singing (riu). |
The spelling of the names of the
months are according to Vanaga |
Maro
Maro: A
sort of small banner or pennant
of bird feathers tied to a
stick. Maroa: 1. To stand
up, to stand. 2. Fathom
(measure). See kumi.
Vanaga. Maro: 1.
June. 2. Dish-cloth T P Mgv.:
maro, a small girdle or
breech clout. Ta.: maro,
girdle. Maroa: 1. A
fathom; maroa hahaga, to
measure. Mq.: maó, a
fathom. 2. Upright, stand up,
get up, stop, halt. Mq.: maó,
to get up, to stand up.
Churchill.
Pau.: Maro,
hard, rough, stubborn. Mgv.:
maro, hard, obdurate, tough.
Ta.: mârô, obstinate,
headstrong. Sa.: mālō,
strong. Ma.: maro,
hard, stubborn. Churchill.
Ta.:
Maro,
dry, desiccated. Mq.:
mao,
thirst, desiccated. Fu.:
malo,
dry. Ha.:
malo,
maloo,
id. Churchill.
Mgv.:
Maroro,
the flying fish. (Ta.:
marara,
id.) Mq.:
maoo,
id. Sa.:
malolo,
id. Ma.:
maroro,
id. Churchill. |
An adjustment with 2
months could be suggested by the obviously
wrong date June 1. On Easter Island the
proper time for planting taro was in the
spring month of September and north of
the equator the corresponding month
ought to have been
March (as in Mars, Kuukuu).
Sons of Hau Maka |
Sons of Hua Tava |
Sons of Te Rona / Te Runu |
Ira |
Sun |
Kuukuu |
Mars |
Nga Tavake A Te Rona |
Raparenga |
Moon |
Ringiringi |
Mercury |
Te Ohiro A Te Runu |
|
Nonoma |
Jupiter |
Uure |
Venus |
Makoi |
Saturn |
MAY 8 |
9 |
10 (130) |
11 |
12 |
13 (*53) |
"MARCH 8 |
9 (68) |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ga2-18 |
Ga2-19 |
Ga2-20 (50) |
Ga2-21 |
Ga2-22 |
Ga2-23 |
Ghost-23 (?)
ρ Gemini (?) (112.1),
Eskimo Nebula = NGC2392
Gemini
(112.2)
ANTARES (α Scorpii)
|
Al Dhirā'-5 /
Punarvasu-7 /
Mash-mashu-Mahrū-10
(Western One of the Twins)
CASTOR = α Gemini
(113.4) |
ANA-TAHUA-VAHINE-O-TOA-TE-MANAVA-7
(Pillar for elocution)
υ Gemini (114.0),
MARKAB PUPPIS = κ Puppis
(114.7), ο Gemini (114.8),
PROCYON = α Canis Minoris
(114.9) |
α Monocerotis
(115.4), σ Gemini (115.7) |
Mash-mashu-arkū-11
(Eastern One of the Twins)
κ Gemini (116.1),
POLLUX = β Gemini
(116.2), π Gemini (116.9) |
AZMIDISKE = ξ Puppis
(117.4) |
July 11 |
12 (193) |
13 |
14 (*115) |
15 |
16 |
°July 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 (*111) |
11 |
12 (193) |
'June 14 |
15 |
16 |
17 (168) |
18 |
19 (*90) |
"May 31 |
Maro 1 (*72) |
"June 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 (156) |
... From the natives of South Island
[of New Zealand] White [John] heard
a quaint myth which concerns the
calendar and its bearing on the
sweet potato crop. Whare-patari,
who is credited with introducing the
year of twelve months into New
Zealand, had a staff with twelve
notches on it. He went on a visit to
some people called Rua-roa
(Long pit) who were famous round
about for their extensive knowledge.
They inquired of Whare how
many months the year had according
to his reckoning. He showed them the
staff with its twelve notches, one
for each month. They replied: 'We
are in error since we have but ten
months. Are we wrong in lifting our
crop of kumara (sweet potato)
in the eighth month?'
Whare-patari answered: 'You are
wrong. Leave them until the tenth
month. Know you not that there are
two odd feathers in a bird's tail?
Likewise there are two odd months in
the year.' The grateful tribe of
Rua-roa adopted Whare's
advice and found the sweet potato
crop greatly improved as the result
... The Maori further accounted for
the twelve months by calling
attention to the fact that there are
twelve feathers in the tail of the
huia bird and twelve in the
choker or bunch of white feathers
which adorns the neck of the parson
bird ...
Perhaps the myth
named this 10-month people
Rua-roa (Long pit) because their
'solstice ditch' was much longer than for
a people with a year
measuring 12 months.
Rua
1. Two;
second; other (precedes the
noun); te rua paiga,
the other side. 2. Hole,
grave; holes in the rocks or
between the rocks of the
coastal lagoons; he keri
i te rua, to dig a hole.
3. To vomit. Vanaga. 1. Two. P
Mgv., Ta.: rua, id.
Mq.: úa. 2. Nausea,
seasickness, to vomit,
disgust; hakarua, to
vomit, to spew. PS Mgv.:
aruai, ruai, to
vomit. Mq.: úa, id.
Ta.: ruai, id. Pau.:
ruaki, id. Sa.:
lua'i, to spit out of
the mouth; lulua, to
vomit. To.: lua to
vomit. Fu.: lulua,
luaki, id. Niuē:
lua,
id. Viti: lua,
id.; loloa,
seasick. 3. Cave, hollow,
ditch, pit, hole, beaten
path, grave; rua
papaka,
a ditch. P Pau.:
rua,
a hole. Mgv.: rua,
a hole in the ground, ditch,
trench. Mq.: úa,
dish, hole, cavern. Ta.:
rua,
hole, opening, ditch.
Churchill.
Ta.:
ruahine,
an old woman. Ma.:
ruahine,
id. Ta.:
ruaroa,
tropic of Capricorn. Mq.:
uaoa,
a constellation, the
eleventh month. The sense in
Tahiti is probably that of
some constellation which may
be used to determine the
position. Ta.:
ruau,
an old man, an old woman.
Ha.:
luau,
a parent. Churchill. |
Roa
Long: haga
roa, long bay, wide
beach; ara roa râkei,
wide, neat path. Roaroa,
long, tall, far, distant:
tagata roaroa, tall man;
kaiga roaroa, distant
land; roaroa tahaga,
middle finger. Vanaga.
Long,
large, extent; roaroa,
to grow, height; mea
roaroa, a long while;
roaroa tahaga, middle
finger; roaroa ke,
infinite (time and space);
roroa, far, distant,
thin, to grow tall;
tagata roroa, giant;
roroa ke, immense;
arero roroa, to rapport,
to tell; vanaga roroa,
to chatter, babbler; vare
roroa, driveller;
hakaroa, to lengthen, to
defer; hakaroaroa, to
lengthen, to develop;
hakaroroa, to extend,
prolong, defer, lengthen;
roaga, distance, extent,
size, length, distant, long.
Churchill. |
And these
natives of South Island could have
used a Rigel year as the basis for
their calendar with no 'tail
feathers'.
... In view of the almost universal
prevalence of the Pleiades year
throughout the Polynesian area it is
surprising to find that in the South
Island and certain parts of the
North Island of New Zealand and in
the neighboring Chatham Islands, the
year began with the new Moon after
the early morning rising, not of the
Pleiades, but of the star Rigel in
Orion ...
APRIL 1 (91) |
2 |
3 |
4 (*14) |
33 |
"JANUARY 30 (*315) |
31 |
"FEBRUARY 1 |
2 (398) |
|
|
|
|
Ga1-11 |
Ga1-12 |
Ga1-13 |
Ga1-14 |
HAEDUS II = η Aurigae
(75.9) |
5h (76.1)
ε Leporis (76.0),
CURSA
= β Eridani
(76.4), λ Eridani (76.7) |
μ Aurigae, μ Leporis
(77.6) |
ĸ Leporis (78.0),
RIGEL
(Foot)
= β Orionis
(78.1),
Flaming Star = IC405
(78.2),
CAPELLA
= α Aurigae
(78.4), ο Columbae, τ
Orionis (78.8)
THUBAN (α Draconis)
|
June 4 |
5 |
6 (157) |
7 (*78) |
°May 31 (151) |
°June 1 |
2 (*73) |
3 |
'May 8 (128) |
9 |
10 (*50) |
11 |
"April 24 |
Vaitu Nui 25 (115) |
26 (*36) |
27 |
NAKSHATRA DATES: |
OCTOBER 1 |
2 (*195) |
3 |
4 (277) |
"AUGUST 1 |
2 (214) |
3 (*500) |
4
(*136) |
17h (258.7)
ARRAKIS = μ Draconis
(258.7) |
Mula-19
SABIK = η Ophiuchi
(259.7),
η Scorpii
(259.9) |
NODUS I = ζ Draconis(260.0),
π Herculis (260.7),
RAS ALGETHI
= α Herculis
(260.8) |
SARIN = δ Herculis
(261.0), ο Ophiuchi (261.4)
ALRISHA (α Piscium)
|
December 4 |
5 |
6 (340) |
7 |
°November 30 |
°December 1 |
2 (*256) |
3 |
'November 7 (*231) |
8 |
9 |
10 (314) |
"October 24 (*217) |
25 |
26 |
27 (300) |
MAY 8 |
9 |
10 (130) |
11 |
12 |
13 (*53) |
"MARCH 8 |
9 (68) |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ga2-18 |
Ga2-19 |
Ga2-20 (50) |
Ga2-21 |
Ga2-22 |
Ga2-23 |
Ghost-23 (?)
ρ Gemini (?) (112.1),
Eskimo Nebula = NGC2392
Gemini
(112.2)
ANTARES (α Scorpii)
|
Al Dhirā'-5 /
Punarvasu-7 /
Mash-mashu-Mahrū-10
(Western One of the Twins)
CASTOR
= α Gemini
(113.4) |
ANA-TAHUA-VAHINE-O-TOA-TE-MANAVA-7
(Pillar for elocution)
υ Gemini (114.0),
MARKAB PUPPIS = κ Puppis
(114.7), ο Gemini (114.8),
PROCYON = α Canis Minoris
(114.9) |
α Monocerotis
(115.4), σ Gemini (115.7) |
Mash-mashu-arkū-11
(Eastern One of the Twins)
κ Gemini (116.1),
POLLUX
= β Gemini
(116.2), π Gemini (116.9) |
AZMIDISKE = ξ Puppis
(117.4) |
July 11 |
12 (193) |
13 (*114) |
14 |
15 |
16 |
°July 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 (*112) |
12 (193) |
'June 14 |
15 |
16 |
17 (168) |
18 |
19 (*90) |
"May 31 |
Maro 1
(*72) |
"June 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 (156) |
NAKSHATRA DATES: |
NOVEMBER 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 (314) |
11 |
12 (*236) |
"SEPTEMBER 7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 (254) |
12 (*175) |
ν Aquilae (Ant.) (295.0),
ALBIREO = β Cygni
(295.5) |
ALSAFI = σ Draconis
(296.0), μ Aquilae (296.3),
ι Aquilae (Ant.) (296.8),
κ Aquilae (Ant.) (296.9) |
ε Sagittae (297.1), σ
Aquilae (Ant.) (297.4),
SHAM
= α Sagittae
(297.8) |
β Sagittae (298.0), χ
Aquilae (298.3), ψ Aquilae
(298.8) |
υ Aquilae (299.1),
TARAZED = γ Aquilae
(299.3), δ Sagittae (299.6),
π Aquilae (299.9) |
Sravana-23
TYL = ε Draconis
(300.0), ζ Sagittae (300.1),
ALTAIR
= α Aquilae
(300.3), ο Aquilae (300.5),
BEZEK = η Aquilae (Ant.)
(300.8) |
January 10 |
11 |
12 |
13 (378) |
14 |
15 (*300) |
°January 6 |
7 (372) |
8 |
9 |
10 (*295) |
11 |
'December 14 |
15 |
16 (350) |
17 |
18 |
19 (*273) |
"November 30 |
"December 1 |
2 (336) |
3 |
4 |
5 (*259) |
We should notice that the day
number for "FEBRUARY 2 -
corresponding to
Vaitu Nui 27 ("April 27)
- was 398 (= 366 + 32). Here the Sun
reached Rigel and at
midnight Thuban culminated.
At the time of
Bharani the Full Moon would have
been where
Alrisha culminated at midnight,
around
"AUGUST 4 (216 = 6 * 36). Or
counted from 0h around day *136, in
the day after the place for the head
of Hercules (Ras Algethi).
398 is the glyph number
for the outstanding Cb1-6, we should
remember, and supposing this was the
place where Thuban culminated at
midnight, we can add dates etc
accordingly:
APRIL 4 (*14
= *318 + 61) |
"FEBRUARY 2 (398) |
|
Cb1-6 (398) |
ĸ Leporis (78.0),
RIGEL
(Foot)
= β Orionis
(78.1),
Flaming Star = IC405
(78.2),
CAPELLA
= α Aurigae
(78.4), ο Columbae, τ
Orionis (78.8)
THUBAN (α Draconis)
|
June
7 (*78) |
°June
3 (*74) |
'May
11 (*23) |
"April
27 (*37 = *14 + 23) |
Ca4-2 (78 = 398 - 365)
should then also be at heliacal Rigel,
which indeed I have suggested:
June 6 (157) |
7 |
8 |
December 6 (340) |
7 |
8 |
|
|
|
Ca4-1 (77) |
Ca4-2 |
Ca4-3 |
kua tupu
te rakau |
kua tupu -
te kihikihi |
te hau tea |
μ Leporis (77.6) |
ĸ Leporis (78.0), Rigel
(78.1), Capella (78.4), ο
Columbae (78.8)
Thuban |
λ Leporis (79.6)
Arcturus
|
Nodus I (260.0), π Herculis
(260.7), Ras Algethi (260.8) |
Sarin (261.0), ο Ophiuchi
(261.4)
Alrisha
|
ξ Ophiuchi (262.2), θ
Ophiuchi, ν Serpentis, ζ, ι
Apodis (262.4), ι Arae
(262.8), ρ Herculis (262.9) |
|