TRANSLATIONS

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Survival of the fittest. The text of Tahua is as rich as a coral reef; all creatures live together there.

The methods I am using when searching for the meaning of the text necessarily, though, presupposes that there will be one surviving interpretation. In our civilized world that is an inbuilt pattern which must be fulfilled or we will not understand.

To find the 'true' meaning (the one surviving interpretation) it is necessary (also) to look upon every glyph, every sequence of glyphs, every structure etc thoroughly as not to miss anything.

Take for example Aa1-90:

I have pointed at Aa2-21 as a possible full image:

But at the same time we cannot be blind for the resemblance with Aa1-54 (and similar glyphs):

In Aa1-90 parts are missing, that we must see and understand as a sign. There are 3 parts missing (at the top, in the middle and at bottom). This triplicity of 'not seen' probably means three times darkness and we remember the 3 glyphs Aa1-13--15:

Aa1-13 and the left part of Aa1-15 reappeared later as Aa1-75 and Aa1-54:

...
Aa1-54 Aa1-75

Why have they changed their order? Is the explanation that Aa1-49--54 should be extracted and thought of as belonging to side b? Maybe Aa1-90 is the equivalent of the left (meaning darkness) part of Aa1-15?

If so, then we should search for a glyph similar to Aa1-14 between Aa1-75 and Aa1-90. But such a glyph I cannot find. Not all ideas survive.

An idea still living is the structure 42 as appearing in the dark season after winter solstice:

Aa2-35 Aa2-43 Aa2-48 Aa2-52 Aa2-58 Aa2-67 Aa2-77 Aa3-11 Aa3-38
1st 3rd 2nd 3rd 3rd 3rd
14 13 15

A test for 'proof' naturally is to search for GD41 (hau tea) in lines a2-a3, such glyphs shouldn't be there.

There is one hau tea at Aa1-28 (after noon):

Otherwise I cannot find any sign of hau tea from the beginning of line a1 and up to Aa2-67. After Aa2-67 they are allowed to appear:

Aa2-74 Aa3-15 Aa3-32 Aa4-14
Aa3-43 Aa3-46 Aa4-54 Aa4-70
Aa5-5 Aa5-19 Aa5-63 Aa6-2

I have black-marked those hau tea which are located inside the dark season according to the hatch-marked henua above. In the '3rd 3rd' they begin to appear. Maybe the extraordinary Aa2-67:

marks the end of the time when darkness dominates.

After that point light reappears:

Aa2-68 Aa2-69 Aa2-70 Aa2-71 Aa2-72 Aa2-73 Aa2-74 Aa2-75
Aa2-76 Aa2-77 Aa2-78 Aa2-79 Aa2-80

The birds also reappear:

Aa2-81 Aa2-82 Aa2-83 Aa2-84 Aa2-85
Aa3-1 Aa3-2 Aa3-3 Aa3-4 Aa3-5
Aa3-6 Aa3-7 Aa3-8 Aa3-9 Aa3-10
Aa3-11 Aa3-12 Aa3-13 Aa3-14 Aa3-15

But not until Aa3-16 do things start to change for real (both Aa2-74 and Aa3-15 have their 'roofs' closed):

Aa3-16 Aa3-17 Aa3-18 Aa3-19 Aa3-20
Aa3-21 Aa3-22 Aa3-23 Aa3-24 Aa3-25
Aa3-26 Aa3-27 Aa3-28 Aa3-29 Aa3-30
Aa3-31 Aa3-32 Aa3-33 Aa3-34 Aa3-35

Hands held high possibly are greeting the sun. Aa3-32 is (together with Aa4-14) larger than normal.

Aa3-36 Aa3-37 Aa3-38 Aa3-39 Aa3-40 Aa3-41 Aa3-42 Aa3-43 Aa3-44

Aa3-38 (the last dark henua) has the top 'hatch-mark' sloping upwards. Aa3-44 is similar to Aa1-3--4:

Probably Aa3-44 therefore marks spring equinox.

Aa3-45 Aa3-46 Aa3-47 Aa3-48 Aa3-49
Aa3-50 Aa3-51 Aa3-52 Aa3-53 Aa3-54
Aa3-55 Aa3-56 Aa3-57 Aa3-58 Aa3-59
Aa3-60 Aa3-61 Aa3-62 Aa3-63 Aa3-64

After that the hand gestures include 'eating' (i.e. growing) and an arm is raised with a little sun symbol as thumb (Aa3-64), presumably pushing up the sky.

I have persuaded at least myself that side a of Tahua indeed describes the year.