3. So far I have made plausible the connection of string games with night, and the Inuit peoples have provided vital evidence. Next I would like to point to a strange net at the end of Sun's nighttime journey:
At left the Sun boat is rising and at right it is descending, floating on the water high above. The great god Shu lies on the ground and all the feather marks on his body illustrate 'air'. Above the body of the night goddess Nut there is water and below her there is air. The boat of the Moon is symmetric with the same form in front as in the back:
On the other hand, the 2 different hulls of the Sun boats are neither of them symmetrically drawn. The form of the hull 'before midnight' has a kind of 'lopped off' front end, while the hull of early morning has a pointed end. And it this pointed prow which goes right into the net held high. The symbolism seems to be sexual. The prow is the front member of a male, and the female net should be its goal. In order to create morning for real the prow of dawn Sun has to penetrate the dark barrier in front. |
