Up to now I have perceived the position of
heliacal Polaris at the end of side a of the C tablet as
simply due to a wish from the creator of the text to extrapolate
back to the time of the Romans, when the Sun and the stars had
been put in their proper places by Julius Caesar.
However, we have en passent noted the fact
that the distance from 0h down to heliacal Sheratan, 27 right ascension nights,
was a measurement which also could be applied to the distance
from Bharani (*41) down to Aldebaran (*68). This could have been
an additional weight for locating Polaris at the end of side a -
thereby alluding to where Bharani was in relation to Aldebaran,
i.e. with the time of rongorongo as a place for birth
comparable to Bharani. The end
of side a would then be the natural place of birth for side b.
The northern spring equinox occurred,
astronomically speaking, most often in March 20, not in March
21. Counting from March 20 (79) to heliacal Polaris in April 16
(106) the distance was 27 days, and 27 = 3 * 3 * 3.
|
ARIES: |
|
1 |
Ashvini |
β and γ
Arietis |
Horse's head |
27 = 16
+ 11 |
|
wife of the
Ashvins |
Sheratan and
Mesarthim |
April 17
(107) |
|
2 |
Bharani |
35, 39, and
41 Arietis |
Yoni, the
female organ of reproduction |
41 = 27
+ 14 |
|
the bearer |
Musca
Borealis |
May 1 (121) |
|
TAURUS: |
|
3 |
Krittikā |
M 45 Tauri |
Knife or
spear |
55 = 41
+ 14 |
|
the nurses
of Kārttikeya |
The Pleiades |
May 15 (135) |
|
4 |
Rohini |
α Tauri |
Cart or
chariot, temple, banyan tree |
68 = 55
+ 13 |
|
the red one |
Aldebaran |
May 28 (148) |
Competing, so to say, was the fact that Polaris
rose with the Sun in day 26 counted from March 21 (0h), which
could be combined with day 260 from 0h for its midnight
culmination:
|
POLARIS |
|
Heliacal rising |
Midnight culmination |
|
April 16
(*26) |
December 6
(*260) |
|
2 * 13 = 26 |
2(0) * 13 =
26(0) |
Side a on the C tablet did not begin at Polaris
but close to Acrux. Possibly this structural detail was based on the
fact that Easter Island was far down in the south with Acrux in
plain view but not so Polaris. All movements should therefore go
from the south upwards (and
not downwards as north of the equator). The texts on the rongorongo
tablets also went from bottom up.
... Gravitation makes all things fall downwards -
how then was it possible for them to return, to move upwards
again? Imix, the first Mayan day sign, means Sea-dragon
(or wine) and like a water lily he was undulating upwards from
the very bottom, from the very beginning. Part of the answer was
obvious: if the southern hemispheric bowl (semi-gourd) was
filled with water, then the buyoancy of water would make them
float upwards. Water was a great force which south of the
equator acted against gravity. Or we could say that north of the
equator things went downwards and south of the equator they
floated up - in both cases as if magically drawn towards the
equator ...
The beginning of side a on the tablet would
accordingly
correspond to springtime on Easter Island, leaving side b for
the downwards movement from Polaris as described by the Hawaiian
astronomers.
However, heliacal Polaris was not only at the end
of side a but also at the end of its first glyph line (and there
appropriately at glyph 26):
|
September 20
(*183) |
21 (264 =
364 - 100) |
Equinox |
23 (266) |
24 (*187) |
|
°September
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 (*183) |
|
'August 24
(236) |
25 (*314 / 2) |
26 |
27 |
28 (*160) |
|
ALCHITA = α
Corvi,
MA
WEI (Tail of the Horse)
= δ Centauri (183.1),
MINKAR
(Nose)
= ε Corvi
(183.7), ρ Centauri (183.9) |
PÁLIDA
(Pale)
= δ Crucis (184.6),
MEGREZ (Root
of the Tail)
= δ Ursae Majoris (184.9) |
Hasta-13 /
Chariot-28
(Worm)
GIENAH
(Wing)
= γ Corvi
(185.1), ε Muscae (185.2), ζ Crucis (185.4),
ZANIAH
(Corner)
= η Virginis
(185.9) |
CHANG SHA
(Long Sand-bank)
= ζ Corvi
(186.3) |
INTROMETIDA
= ε Crucis
(187.4),
ACRUX = α
Crucis
(187.5) |
|
no glyph |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ca1-1 |
Ca1-2 |
Ca1-3 |
Ca1-4 |
| koia |
ki te
hoea |
ki te
henua |
te rima
te hau tea |
|
Al
Fargh al Thāni (Rear Spout)-25
0h (365.25)
CAPH
= β Cassiopeiae,
SIRRAH = α
Andromedae (0.5), ε
Phoenicis, γ³ Oct. (0.8) |
Uttara Bhādrapadā-27
/ Wall-14
(Porcupine)
ο Oct. (1.3),
ALGENIB
PEGASI = γ Pegasi
(1.8) |
χ Pegasi (2.1), θ Andromedae
(2.7) |
σ Andromedae (3.0), ι Ceti
(3.3), ζ Tucanae (3.5), ρ Andromedae, π Tucanae (3.7) |
no star listed (4) |
|
March 21
(0h) |
22 (81) |
23 |
24 |
Julian equinox (84) |
|
°March 17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 (80, 0h) |
|
'February 22
(53) |
Terminalia |
24 |
25 |
26 (*343 = 7
* 7 * 7) |
|
September 25 (*188) |
26 |
27 (270) |
28 |
|
'August 29
(*161) |
30 (242) |
31 |
'September 1 |
|
γ Com.
Berenicis (188.0), σ Centauri (188.1),
ALGORAB
= δ Corvi (188.5),
GACRUX
= γ Crucis (188.7) |
γ Muscae
(189.0),
AVIS SATYRA
= η Corvi (189.3),
ASTERION
= β Canum Ven. (189.5),
KRAZ
= β Corvi, κ Draconis (189.7) |
α Muscae
(190.2), τ Centauri (190.5), χ Virginis (190.7)
ALDERAMIN (α
Cephei)
|
Al
Áwwā'-11
Sombrero Galaxy M104 Virginis
(191.1), ρ
Virginis (191.4),
PORRIMA
= γ Virginis, γ Centauri (191.5) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ca1-5 |
Ca1-6 |
Ca1-7 |
Ca1-8 |
| haga i
te mea ke |
ki te
henua - tagata honui |
te ika |
te honu |
|
ANKAA = α
Phoenicis, κ
Phoenicis (5.0)
ALPHARD (α
Hydrae)
|
λ Phoenicis (6.3), β Tucanae
(6.4) |
Andromeda
Galaxy (M31), π
Andromedae (7.7) |
ε Andromedae (8.2),
DELTA
= δ Andromedae (8.4),
SCHEDIR
(Breast) = α
Cassiopeiae (8.6), ζ Andromedae, μ Phoenicis (8.9) |
|
March 26 |
27 |
28 |
29 (88) |
|
'February 27
(58) |
28 |
'March 1
(*346) |
2 |
|
ι Crucis
(192.2), β Muscae (192.5),
MIMOSA
= β Crucis (192.9) |
no star
listed (193) |
κ Crucis
(194.4), ψ Virginis (194.5), μ Crucis, λ Crucis (194.6),
ALIOTH (Fat Tail)
= ε Ursae
Majoris, ι Oct. (194.8) |
MINELAUVA
= δ Virginis (195.1),
COR CAROLI
= α Canum
Ven. (195.3) |
δ Muscae
(196.5) ,
VINDEMIATRIX
(Grape Gatherer)
= ε Virginis (196.8) |
13h (197.8)
ξ¹
Centauri (197.1), ξ² Centauri (197.9) |
APAMI-ATSA
(Child of Waters)
= θ
Virginis, ψ Hydrae (198.5),
DIADEM
= α Com. Ber. (198.9) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ca1-9 |
Ca1-10 |
Ca1-11 |
Ca1-12 |
Ca1-13 |
Ca1-14 |
Ca1-15 |
|
te manu te henua |
te Rei |
kua
hakagana |
te
henua |
honu |
te
henua |
|
ξ Phoenicis
(9.0), ρ Tucanae (9.1),
DENEB KAITOS = β
Ceti, η Phoenicis (9.4),
AL NITHĀM
(String of Pearls)
= φ¹ Ceti (9.6) |
ACHIRD
(Woman with Luminous Rays)
= η Cassiopeiae (10.7) |
Legs-15
(Wolf) ν
Andromedae (11.0), φ² Ceti (11.1), ρ Phoenicis (11.2),
η ANDROMEDAE (11.4) |
CIH (Whip)
= γ Cassiopeiae, λ
Tucanae (12.4), φ³ Ceti (12.6), μ Andromedae (12.8) |
φ4 Ceti (13.2) |
no star listed (14) |
1h (15.2)
β Phoenicis (15.1), υ
Phoenicis, ι Tucanae (15.6), η Ceti, ζ Phoenicis (15.7) |
|
AL DAFĪRAH
(Tuft)
= β Com. Ber. (199.4) |
σ Virginis
(200.4) |
γ Hydrae
(201.0), ι Centauri (201.4) |
Al Simāk-12
/
Chitra-14 /
Horn-1 (Crocodile) /
Sa-Sha-Shirū-20
(Virgin's Girdle) /
ANA-ROTO-3
(Middle
pillar)
MIZAR
(Girdle)
= ζ Ursae
Majoris (202.4),
SPICA
= α Virginis,
ALCOR
= 80 Ursae Majoris (202.7)
SADALMELIK (α
Aquarii)
|
71 VIRGINIS
(203.6) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ca1-16 |
Ca1-17 |
Ca1-18 |
Ca1-19 |
Ca1-20 |
| koia ka
hua |
koia ki
te henua |
kiore
kikiu - te henua |
te
maitaki - te kihikihi |
hakaraoa - te henua |
|
Al Batn Al Hūt-26 /
Revati-28 / 1-iku
MIRACH
(Girdle) = β
Andromedae,
KEUN MAN MUN
(Camp's South Gate) =
φ Andromedae (16.0),
ANUNITUM
= τ Piscium (16.5),
REVATI
(Abundant) = ζ Piscium (16.9)
REGULUS (α
Leonis)
|
ν Phoenicis (17.4), κ
Tucanae (17.6) |
no star listed (18) |
ADHIL
(Garment's Trail) = ξ
Andromedae (19.3), θ Ceti (19.7) |
KSORA (Knee)
= δ Cassiopeiae
(20.1), ω Andromedae (20.6), γ Phoenicis (20.8) |
| no
star listed (204) |
HEZE
= ζ Virginis (205.0),
Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
= M83 Hydrae (205.7) |
ε
Centauri (206.3), κ Oct. (206.4) |
no
star listed (207) |
τ
Bootis (208.2),
BENETNASH (Leader of
the Daughters of the Bier) = η Ursae
Majoris (208.5), ν Centauri (208.7), μ Centauri, υ Bootis (208.8) |
no
star listed (209) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Ca1-21 |
Ca1-22 |
Ca1-23 |
Ca1-24 |
Ca1-25 |
Ca1-26 |
| tagata huki |
manu rere |
- |
- |
kiore ki te huaga |
kua moe ki te tai. |
| δ
Phoenicis (21.5) |
υ
Andromedae (22.9) |
ACHERNAR (End of the River)
=
α Eridani (23.3), χ Andromedae (23.6), τ Andromedae (23.9) |
ALSEIPH (Scimitar)
= φ Persei (24.5), τ Ceti (24.7) |
no star
listed (25) |
ANA-NIA-10 (Pillar-to-fish-by)
χ Ceti (26.1),
POLARIS
= α Ursae Minoris,
BATEN KAITOS (Belly of the Fish) = ζ
Ceti (26.6), METALLAH
= α Trianguli (26.9) |
The distance from Polaris at Ca1-26 to Polaris at
the end of side a will be 392 - 26 = 366, which can be explained by
the fact that the year is too long to be put in parallel with
only 365 glyphs.
The empty hand probably meant 'nothing
remains' and at the beginning of the year (at the end of
line Ca1) the head without a body probably implied the opposite - 'nothing
as yet counted' (but plenty ahead).
... The practice of turning down the
fingers, contrary to our practice, deserves notice, as
perhaps explaining why sometimes savages are reported to
be unable to count above four. The European holds up one
finger, which he counts, the native counts those that
are down and says 'four'. Two fingers held up, the
native counting those that are down, calls 'three'; and
so on until the white man, holding up five fingers,
gives the native none turned down to count. The native
is nunplussed, and the enquirer reports that savages can
not count above four ...
...
Up to the present
time, fertility spells for fowls have played an important
role. Especially effective were the so-called 'chicken
skulls' (puoko moa) - that is, the skulls of dead
chiefs, often marked by incisions, that were considered a
source of mana. Their task is explained as follows:
'The skulls of the chiefs are for the chicken, so that
thousands may be born' (te puoko ariki mo te moa, mo topa
o te piere) ... As long as the source of mana is kept in
the house, the hens are impregnated (he rei te moa i te
uha), they lay eggs (he ne'ine'i te uha i te mamari),
and the chicks are hatched (he topa te maanga). After
a period of time, the beneficial skull has to be removed,
because otherwise the hens become exhausted from laying eggs
...
The 10th and last star pillar in the Tahitian
list was Ana-nia (Polaris, the Pillar Above) and a
line drawn betweeen Polaris and Baten Kaitos (ζ
Ceti, the Belly of the Fish) defined the last day
before Sheratan (β Arietis),
a star which in Roman times would have risen together with
Mesarthim (γ) as a Sign
for where 'Land' would once again rise up from the 'Sea'. Thus
Polaris was the Pillar-to-Fish-by - the place to 'fish up'
the new
land.
|
