8. Thus ends the story of how Ure Honu
'inheritied' the skull of the Sun King Hotu Matua. It has to do with the
path of Sun. After the 'skull' (Sun) has been 'buried' it must come up
again, because time is cyclical.
During the night it is 'buried', but in the morning
('spring') it comes up again. The spirit (kuhane) of Hotu
Matua used Ure Honu in order to come up again.
The new house which he had built at this time (of
the year) is a
sign which helps us to understand where it all happened:
Ure Honu stayed
for a while, (then) he went away and covered
the roof of his house in Vai Matā. It was a new house. He
took the very large skull, which he had found at the head of the
banana plantation, and hung it up in the new house. He tied it up in
the framework of the roof (hahanga) and left it hanging
there.
New houses should be constructed in the month Ko Ruti (and it
is also the time for cleaning of the banana plantations). The new
houses are
then being occupied in the following month Ko Koró and this
motivates festivities:
Ure sat out and caught eels, lobsters, and morays. He procured a
great number (? he ika) of chickens, yams, and bananas and
piled them up (hakatakataka) for the banquet to celebrate the
new house.
In The Eighth Land Barthel has coordinated
the months with activities:
|
1
He Anakena |
4
Tagaroa uri |
7
Tua haro |
10
Vaitu nui |
|
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. |
|
2
Hora iti |
5
Ko Ruti |
8
Tehetu'upú |
11
Vaitu potu |
|
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). |
|
3
Hora nui |
6
Ko Koró |
9
Tarahao |
12
He Maro |
|
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). |
I have coloured the first and last months black
because of he, and because they are located around winter
solstice. Red colours 6 months of summer and blue indicates 4
months of 'Moon'.