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TRANSLATIONS
We have not yet really explained 42. The 7th flame of the sun and the 3 * 14 nights on each side of winter solstice is not enough. The solution possibly has been lying all the time in front of us: "In the Society Islands the seasons were based only on the Pleiades as seen in the following statement translated by Henry from native annals: There are two kingly (arii) periods observed by the Tahitians: they are Matarii-i-nia, Pleiades above (the eastern horizon after sunset) and Matarii-i-raro, Pleiades below. About November 20, when the Pleiades first sparkle on the eastern horizon towards the constellation or Orion's Belt in the twilight of the evening in the month Te Ma (the Clearing), they are the forerunners of the season of plenty. Matarii-i-nia is then the season, until these little stars descend below the western horizon in the twilight of the evening in the month Au-unuunu, Suspension, about May 20. That ends the season of plenty, te tau ahune. Matarii-i-raro is the season beginning in the month Au-unuunu in May, when those fetu rii, little stars, disappear below the western horizon in the twilight of the evening [rather: when they appear on the eastern horizon in early morning], until they sparkle again above the eastern horizon in the evening twilight of the month Te Ma, November. This is the season of scarcity, te tau o te oe." (Makemson) From November 20 to January 1 there are ca 40 days and once there were 42 days from the appearance of the Pleiades on the eastern horizon in the early evening until winter solstice. The Pleiades are moving closer and closer to the solstice. Once they rose at autumn equinox and then inaugurated the dark half of the year. Depending on what calendar was used the measurement could of course have been made from the appearance of the Pleiades in the early evening until the end of the established year. That could explain why there were 21 + 21 = 42 (and not 84) judges in ancient Egypt. To measure from the appearance of the Pleiades in early morning and forward to some other point in time is out of the question. They should announce a time of darkness (and fertility, 'plenty'). But south of the equator, of course, early morning observations must be the correct procedure. We cannot ignore the sign of middle in Aa1-66:
90 - 66 = 24 and the double 6 also shouts 'sun' at us. Twice 24 = 48 and we arrive (once again) at the last glyph of the night, Aa1-48:
90 - 48 = 42. The hand gesture is somewhat similar to that in Aa1-86 and in Ab8-83 (the next but last glyph on side b):
There are 200π + 36 glyphs on side b, yet 36 appear also on side a if we count from the beginning up to and including Aa1-36 which is the last glyph in the calendar of daylight. 90 - 36 = 54 and Aa1-54 tells us about the end:
'Light closed' as opposed to the hand held high - telling (presumably) of coming 'dawn'. 90 = 36 (Aa1-1--36) + 18 (Aa1-37--54) + 36 (Aa1-55--90):
My intention to present in a table the division of line a1 into 36 + 18 + 36 glyphs failed. Considering what I perceive as the meaning in the glyphs it became impossible to sum up to 18: The calendar of the night consists of 12 glyphs and does not easily extend forward 6 glyphs more. Though it could be done by arguing that Aa1-13--15 (the X-area) is an extension of the solar year (Aa1-1--12), and that Aa1-43--48 therefore equally well might be read as an extension of the night (Aa1-37--48). The 'finished' leg is seen both in Aa1-15 and Aa1-54. I have shown the last glyphs of each sequence in the column at right. Those 6 glyphs which stand out require further consideration:
Consulting the parallel texts we find that in P (the only reliable text because the H text is damaged and in Q the sequence does not appear) there is a long sequence with 10 glyphs containing both the X-area and the parallel to Aa1-49--54:
Presumably the creator of Tahua strived to expand the number of glyphs in line a1 (the longest line of side a) to reach 90. One example of this probably is Aa1-49--51 which in P could be expressed by a single glyph. Pa5-73 can be read as 3 * 14 = 42. The 6 glyphs Aa1-49--54 perhaps should be read as 3 * 14 + 3 = 45? The start of the calendar (after the introductory 48 glyphs) is here - at Aa1-49 - I think. 45 is 1/8 * 360. The primary reading must though be 6 (not 45). In Pa5-73--76 we can read 6 too, by regarding Pa5-73 as 3. But then, of course, we should read 3 in Pa5-75 also and arrive at 8. If we regard Aa1-49--54 as an important separate sequence (which though is secured only backwards as Aa1-48 obviously marks the end of the preceding sequence - the night - whereas the break in the forward direction still is uncertain), then an interesting consequence appears:
670 - 6 = 664 i.e. equal to the number of glyphs on side b. It is curious that 42 extra glyphs (a number which alludes to the dark season) should appear on side a and suddenly we escape from that problem. We eliminate the problem by thinking of Aa1-49--52 as belonging to side b (thereby increasing 36 to 42 on that side). Moreover, 664 is a number which easily can be read as 364 + 300. I have earlier suggested that 314 was an idea which originated from the problem of presenting both solar and lunar calendars on the same tablet (one sort of calendar on one side and the other kind on the opposite side). Here we can see both twice 314 and 364. Another consequence of extracting Aa1-49--54 from its surrondings is that the number pattern of line a1 becomes 36 + 12 + 36 = 84 = 6 * 14.
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