On Easter Island there were no hairy beasts, no 4-legged mammals. Excepting the rats. And Metoro seems to have identified the figure who often was at the back side of henua as kiore:
(In his Index listing subject matters in The Eighth Island Barthel has as if by mistake written Te Piringa Ahiva instead of Te Piringa Aniva.)
At Ca3-13 the Rat and Earth were joined together. Possibly there were 5 dark nights beginning when Cor Caroli culminated at midnight at the end of the 4th right ascension hour. ... This star, the 12th on Flamsteed's list of the Hounds, stands alone, marking Chara's collar; but was set apart in 1725 by Halley, when Astronomer Royal, as the distinct figure Cor Caroli, not Cor Caroli II as many have it, in honour of Charles II. This was done at the suggestion of the court physician, Sir Charles Scarborough, who said it had shone with special brilliancy on the eve of the king's return to London on the 29th of May ... On Easter Island the hens (moa) possibly may have served as 'Goats' (low sky), contrasting them with the 'Rat' (high sky). Instead of thick hair they had feathers to protect them against the fury of the elements in winter. ... 1. Hanga Te Pau, the landing site of Ira and his band of explorers, is the natural anchorage for those approaching Vinapu by sea. The remarkable stone fronts of the ahu of Vinapu are all facing the sea. The explorers landed at Hanga Te Pau during the month 'Maro', that is, June ... 2. The cult place of Vinapu is located between the fifth and sixth segment of the dream voyage of Hau Maka. These segments, named 'Te Kioe Uri' (inland from Vinapu) and 'Te Piringa Aniva' (near Hanga Pau Kura) flank Vinapu from both the west and the east. The decoded meaning of the names 'the dark rat' (i.e., the island king as the recipient of gifts) and 'the gathering place of the island population' (for the purpose of presenting the island king with gifts) links them with the month 'Maro', which is June. Thus the last month of the Easter Island year is twice connected with Vinapu. Also, June is the month of summer solstice [a mistake: south of the equator it is winter solstice], which again points to the possibility that the Vinapu complex was used for astronomical purposes. 3. On the 'second list of place names', Hanga Te Pau is called 'the middle (zenith) of the land' (he tini o te kainga). This may refer to a line bisecting the island, but it can just as easily mean the gathering of a great number (of islanders). The plaza (130 x 130 meters) would have been very well suited for this purpose. 4. The transformation of the 'second list of place names' into a lunar calendar links Hanga Te Pau and Rano Kau. A similar linkage occurs in connection with the third son of Hotu Matua between the 'pebbles of Hanga Te Pau' and his name 'Tuu Rano Kau'. There can be no doubt that Vinapu was dependent on the economic resources of the large crater ... He Maro was a month in midwinter, which means the gifts presented to the island king (Te Kioe Uri) could well have been feathers.
If the island king was fresh and bald as a newborn child, then he would have needed feathers to keep him warm. Feathers could have symbolized old age and dryness. The name He Maro for the solstice month could have described the hard and desiccated stage of the Old Year.
... 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. |
