Judging from the Chinese structure another candidate for the First Point of Libra could be Spica
(although today in the Virgo constellation), because this was their
first ruling star beyond the September equinox.
Spica
is obviously a word describing a point. A horn is the first
point of some animals and a spike belongs in the last part of a
cereal. Yet the Chinese had Spica rule their Horn.
The Chariot ought to have ended with
September 22 because of number 19 - and from June 24 (Tejat Posterior) up to and
including September 22 there were 91 days, a quarter of 364:
22 |
Well |
μ Gemini
(Tejat Posterior) |
Tapir |
(95.4) |
Jun 24 (175) |
175 = 165
+ 10 |
23 |
Ghost |
ρ Gemini ? |
Goat |
(112.1) |
Jul 11 (192) |
192 = 175
+ 7 |
24 |
Willow |
δ Hydrae
|
Stag |
(129.6) |
Jul 29 (210) |
210 = 192
+ 18 |
25 |
Star |
α Hydrae
(Alphard) |
Horse |
(142.3) |
Aug 10 (222) |
222 = 210
+ 12 |
26 |
Extended Net |
ε Hydrae / μ
Hydrae |
Ox |
(131.9 /
157.1) |
Jul 31 (212)
/ Aug 25 (237) |
237 = 212
+ 25 |
27 |
Wings |
α Crateris
(Alkes) |
Snake |
(165.6) |
Sep 3 (246) |
246 = 237
+ 9 |
28 |
Chariot |
γ Corvi
(Gienah) |
Worm |
(185.1) |
Sep 22 (265) |
265 = 246
+ 19 |
September
equinox |
1 |
Horn |
α Virginis
(Spica) |
Crocodile |
(202.7) |
Oct 10 (283) |
283 = 265
+ 18 |
2 |
Neck |
κ Virginis |
Dragon |
(214.8) |
Oct 22 (295) |
295 = 283
+ 12 |
3 |
Root |
α Librae
(Zuben Elgenubi) |
Badger |
(224.2) |
Oct 31 (304) |
304 = 295
+ 9 |
4 |
Room |
π Scorpii
(Vrischika) |
Hare |
(241.3) |
Nov 17 (321) |
321 = 304
+ 17 |
5 |
Heart |
σ Scorpii |
Fox |
(247.0) |
Nov 23 (327) |
327 = 321
+ 6 |
6 |
Tail |
μ Scorpii
(Denebakrab) |
Tiger |
(254.7) |
Dec 1 (335) |
335 = 327
+ 8 |
7 |
Winnowing
Basket |
γ Sagittarii
(Nash) |
Leopard |
(273.7) |
Dec 20 (354) |
354 = 335
+ 19 |
December
solstice |
8 |
South Dipper |
φ Sagittarii
(?) |
Unicorn |
(284.0) |
Dec 30 (364) |
364 = 354
+ 10 |
9 |
Ox / Herd
Boy |
β
Capricornii (Dabih) |
Buffalo |
(308.0) |
Jan 23 (388) |
388 = 364
+ 24 |
Spica ruled the Horn lunar station and
this name could
clearly have referred to an important point (horn) in time.
(283 - 265) /
365 * 26000 = ca 1300, i.e. around the year 600 A.D. Spica would
have risen with the Sun at the September equinox. At that time
Sheratan no longer could indicate the March equinox and a change
of ruling star should have been necessary.
In the C text I have assumed Spica should be at the great
vero (with a great dot in front) and 6 lunar synodic months from the
beginning of side b:
April 17
(107) |
18 |
19 |
173 |
October 10
(283) |
171 |
|
|
|
|
Cb1-1 (393) |
Cb1-2 |
Cb1-3 |
Cb8-6 (569) |
E tupu - ki roto |
o te
hau tea |
vero hia |
POLARIS,
Baten Kaitos (26.6), Metallah (26.9), Segin,
Mesarthim,
ψ Phoenicis (27.2),
SHERATAN,
φ Phoenicis (27.4) |
ι Arietis
(28.0), λ Arietis (28.2) |
Alrisha, χ
Phoenicis (29.2) |
SPICA,
Alcor (202.7) |
October 16 |
17 (290) |
18 |
April 10
(100) |
ν Centauri (208.7), μ
Centauri, υ Bootis (208.8) |
Muphrid (210.1), ζ Centauri
(210.3) |
φ Centauri (211.0), υ¹
Centauri (211.1) |
Ksora (20.1) |
This makes sense only if when turning the
tablet around from side a to side b the reading should change from nakshatra to heliacal.
When the Sun was north of the equator the nakshatra reading
would south of the equator be natural and when the Sun had
passed the equator the reading ought to have been heliacal.
Polaris (high up)
was rising heliacally together with Sheratan (First Point of
Aries) in April 17 and in October 10 Spica (First Point of
Libra) was rising heliacally together with Alcor (also high up):
April 17 |
October 10 |
Polaris &
Sheratan |
Spica &
Alcor |
177 = 6 *
29½ |
With the First Point of Aries and the First Point
of Libra separated by 175 nights it would have been possible to work with a
year twice as long and then to add 4 extra nights in order to
reach 12 * 29½ = 354.
Wikipedia was therefore hardly correct in stating that the
First Point of Libra was 180º from
the First Point of Aries. But in Wikipedia can only be found
simple facts.
(202.7 - 27.4) / 365¼ * 360º = ca 173º.
From Spica there ought then to be another 177 days (glyphs) to the
end of side b, but such
is not the case:
October 10
(283) |
168 |
March 28 |
29 (88) |
30 |
|
|
|
|
Cb8-6 (569) |
Cb14-17 |
Cb14-18 |
Cb14-19
(740) |
vero
hia |
e noi
koe te manu - kokoti hia te
henua |
tagata
hakaitiiti |
i te
henua |
Spica, Alcor
(202.7) |
no
star listed |
Delta
(8.4) |
Schedir
(8.6),
μ
Phoenicis (8.9), ξ Phoenicis (9.0), ρ Tucanae (9.1),
Deneb Kaitos, η Phoenicis (9.4) |
April 10
(100) |
September 26 |
27 |
28 (271) |
Ksora (20.1) |
Gacrux
(188.7), γ Muscae (189.0), Avis Satyra (189.3), Asterion
(189.5) |
Kraz
(189.7), α Muscae (190.2), τ Centauri (190.5) |
χ Virginis
(190.7), ρ Virginis (191.4),
Porrima
(191.5) |
Perhaps the explanation was that 283 (October
10) + 171 = 454 = 100 + 12 * 29½:
1 |
Horn |
α
Virginis (Spica) |
Crocodile |
(202.7) |
Oct 10
(283) |
283 =
265
+ 18 |
2 |
Neck |
κ
Virginis |
Dragon |
(214.8) |
Oct 22
(295) |
295 =
283
+ 12 |
3 |
Root |
α Librae
(Zuben Elgenubi) |
Badger |
(224.2) |
Oct 31
(304) |
304 =
295
+ 9 |
4 |
Room |
π
Scorpii (Vrischika) |
Hare |
(241.3) |
Nov 17
(321) |
321 =
304
+ 17 |
5 |
Heart |
σ
Scorpii |
Fox |
(247.0) |
Nov 23
(327) |
327 =
321
+ 6 |
6 |
Tail |
μ
Scorpii (Denebakrab) |
Tiger |
(254.7) |
Dec 1
(335) |
335 =
327
+ 8 |
7 |
Winnowing Basket |
γ
Sagittarii (Nash) |
Leopard |
(273.7) |
Dec 20
(354) |
354 =
335
+
19 |
December
solstice |
8 |
South
Dipper |
φ
Sagittarii (?) |
Unicorn |
(284.0) |
Dec 30
(364) |
364 =
354
+ 10 |
9 |
Ox /
Herd Boy |
β
Capricornii (Dabih) |
Buffalo |
(308.0) |
Jan 23
(388) |
388 =
364
+ 24 |
10 |
Girl |
ε
Aquarii (Albali) |
Bat |
(314.8) |
Jan 30
(395) |
395 =
388
+ 7 |
11 |
Emptiness |
β
Aquarii (Sadalsud) |
Rat |
(325.9) |
Feb 10
(406) |
406 =
395
+ 11 |
12 |
Rooftop |
α
Aquarii (Sadalmelik) |
Swallow |
(334.6) |
Feb 19
(415) |
415 =
406
+ 9 |
13 |
House |
α Pegasi
(Markab) |
Pig |
(349.5) |
Mar 6
(430) |
430 =
415
+ 15 |
March
equinox |
Counting from March 6 (when Markab Pegasi rose with the Sun)
and 454 - 430 = 24 days ahead leads us to March 30 - day 90
counted from January 1 or day 91 from December 31.
In the G text glyph 454 is another kind of
vero connected with May 5 (5-5 and Gregorian day
125 = 5 * 5 * 5). This was where in rongorongo times the 'nose' of the Sea Beast
- who presumably had no horns -
rose with the Sun: