Clearly there is a tendency for niu to come in plural and to be associated with haga., e.g. in the 1st period of the year in Small Santiago / London (with parallels in other texts). I believe we here - in 1a - also are at the time of new year.

The similarity between niu and toa tauuru (G47) and between niu and ariki (GD63) are intriguing. I believe that the crossed 'legs' and 'arms' in ariki indicate the same thing as the crossed members in niu, i.e. the four cardinal points.

It is reasonable that at the beginning of a calendar for the year (either solar or mapping the Pleiades) we have a presentation of the four pillars upholding the night sky. Polynesians (and certainly other peoples in the Pacific rim too) start by presenting the people who will be characters in a story soon to be told.

The Y in toa tauuru could mean the two lesser pillars in a double-hour of the night.