TRANSLATIONS

next page previous page up home
 

It may seem as if I have put out my chin when writing: 'Rei miro glyphs always appear when change is due, never at other times.' I could even have written 'at cardinal points', however, without risking anything. Because if I should find an example which seems to break the rule, I will without questions use the rei miro glyph as a proof that there is a cardinal point there. Now to henua ora. I have rewritten:

The preliminary remarks and imaginations lead us to the idea that henua ora in some way is connected with the mysteries of life, growth, ageing and death.

In the Keiti calendar of the year henua ora appears in the 10th period and also in the 1st period:

10
Eb3-32 Eb3-33 Eb3-34 Eb3-35 Eb3-36 Eb3-37 Eb3-38 Eb4-1

Nowhere else in the calendar do we see GD14. Neither can we find GD14 glyphs in the calendars of the week (planets) nor in the 'calendar' of the day.
I have eliminated a parenthesis: '... In the Keiti calendar of the year henua ora appears in the 10th period (i.e. in the 6th of the 12 half-months long summer) and ...'

There is no reason to raise unnecessary question marks: Why in the 6th? Furthermore, why should I count from spring equinox and not follow the calendar structure? Neither 6 (counted from spring equinox) nor 4 (counted according to the calendar) has any explanatory value, it is probably number 10 which governs.

Next page which I have changed a little in:

1st period
Eb1-37 Eb1-38 Eb1-39 Eb1-40 Eb1-41 Eb1-42 Eb2-1
20 glyphs arranged in the pattern 7+6+7
Eb2-2 Eb2-3 Eb2-4 Eb2-5 Eb2-6 Eb2-7
Eb2-8 Eb2-9 Eb2-10 Eb2-11 Eb2-12 Eb2-13 Eb2-14

Eb1-40 is located at the end of the year. We can compare with how in the 24th period Eb5-32 and Eb6-4 appear at the beginning of the year:

24th period
Eb5-29 Eb5-30 Eb5-31 Eb5-32 Eb5-33 Eb5-34 Eb5-35
26 glyphs arranged in the pattern 7+6+7+6
Eb6-1 Eb6-2 Eb6-3 Eb6-4 Eb6-5 Eb6-6
Eb6-7 Eb6-8 Eb6-9 Eb6-10 Eb6-11 Eb6-12 Eb6-13
Eb6-14 Eb6-15 Eb6-16 Eb6-17 Eb6-18 Eb6-19
Here I have erased the appellation 'the classical' pattern (in 7+6+7 respectively 7+6+7+6). I have no foundation for suggesting that these patterns are 'classical', they might have been created at the very end of the rongorongo period.

Redmarked Eb2-1 has been changed to blue. However relevant for understanding the text it is premature to suggest any meaning here at this stage. Earlier the text in the middle was: 'Eb1-40 is located at the end of the year (or rather: of the two 12 half-months long 'years'; cfr Eb2-1). We should compare with how in the 24th period Eb5-32 and Eb6-4 represent the beginning of the year ...' I have redmarked the changes.

Small steps forward are also steps forward. Why are there two henua ora in the 10th period? In the dictionary I tried to answer this question by dividing the 24 periods in the E calendar into tertials, and then to suggest the two henua ora in period 10 to be the 'end stations' of two of these tertials. These pages (with a few updated details) describe the idea:

The 3 henua ora glyphs in E, if they are used as markers, suggest a division of the year into three parts with 8 * ½ = 4 months in each (tertials):
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24

The glyphs in period 1 and 10 suggest that the single henua ora in period 1 may connect  to the preceding season (marked black above), while the two henua ora in period 10 possibly connect to the end of the season marked green. The season marked red - also with 8 half-months - is without any henua ora glyph.
While rei miro glyphs in the Keiti calendar mark the 4 cardinal points by referring to the beginning of respective season, henua ora glyphs serve a similar function by referring to the end of respective season:
Period no. Colour scheme:
1 - Eb1-40 ←  Red = summer half of solar year, black = winter half of solar year.
5 Eb3-4 -
7 Eb3-20 -
10 - Eb3-34, Eb3-37 Black = 1st third of henua ora year, green = 2nd third of henua ora year. →
18 Eb5-7 -
24 Eb5-32, Eb6-4 -

Period 24 ties together the end of the 2nd half of the year with the beginning of the 1st half of next year by having Eb5-32 and Eb6-4 in the 24th period (although they refer to the beginning of the coming year).

Similarly, Eb1-40 is located in the 1st period although referring back to the end of the preceding year.
While one could say that sun is 'absent' in winter and have that as a kind of definition, we perceive the opposite pattern in henua ora - we cannot see her in 2nd third of the year (when sun is very much present). The last sign of her is in the 10th period where she appears twice:
10
Eb3-32 Eb3-33 Eb3-34
Eb3-35 Eb3-36 Eb3-37
Eb3-38 Eb4-1

She is missing in the last of the three lines above. That line corresponds to her 3rd (and last) four-month season (i.e. summer). Which means that her year is beginning at about the time (autumn) when sun goes to hibernate far away in the north (as seen from Easter Island).

I must revise these pages totally. There is no evidence for tertials, instead it is important to notice that there are two locations for henua ora, winter solstice and summer solstice:

The henua ora glyphs in E refer to the solstices, the places where sun takes a rest:
1 2 3 4 5 (spring equinox) 6
7 8 9 10 (summer solstice) 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 (autumn equinox)
19 20 21 22 23 24 (winter solstice)

Solstices and equinoxes are located at points which do not coincide with the points where the major calendar periods change. In our own calendar, for example, new year arrives later than winter solstice, spring equinox before the 1st of April, summer solstice before the 1st of July and autumn equinox before the 1st of October.
While rei miro glyphs in the Keiti calendar mark the 4 cardinal points by referring to the beginning of respective season, henua ora glyphs serve a similar function by referring to the end of respective season:
Period no. key events
1 - Eb1-40 new year
5 Eb3-4 - spring equinox
7 Eb3-20 - start of the 2nd calendar quarter
10 - Eb3-34, Eb3-37 summer solstice
18 Eb5-7 - autumn equinox
24 Eb5-32, Eb6-4 - winter solstice

Period 24 ties together the end of the 2nd half of the year with the beginning of the 1st half of next year by having Eb5-32 and Eb6-4 in the 24th period (although they refer to the beginning of the coming year).

Similarly, Eb1-40 is located in the 1st period although referring back to the end of the preceding year.
The triple formation of the glyphs in period 10 suggest that the time from new year to summer solstice is divided in three parts:
10
Eb3-32 Eb3-33 Eb3-34
Eb3-35 Eb3-36 Eb3-37
Eb3-38 Eb4-1

180 days / 3 = 60 days in each part.
At new year rei miro and henua ora unite by being present together. Otherwise they are separate.

Furthermore, while rei miro appear as marks at (or close to) the beginning of seasons, henua ora appear at (or close to) the end of seasons. The last mentioned proposition is supported by the appearance in Aruku Kurenga (B) of a single henua ora at the very end of the text on side b:

Bb12-37 Bb12-38 Bb12-39
Bb12-40 Bb12-41 Bb12-42
Bb12-43 Bb12-44 Bb12-45
We must, though, have more evidence. I therefore introduce another calendar of the year, this time to be read in Small Santiago Tablet (G):
Ga7-5 Ga7-6 Ga7-7 Ga7-8 Ga7-9 Ga7-10

Above is the very last period of its kind in the calendar. In Ga7-7 we recognize henua ora with 'feather marks' (8 at left and 8 at right). The creator has not located the glyph in the 1st period (as in Keiti) but in the last. He has not twisted the ends together.

The number of periods in the G-calendar is not 24 but 31 + 1 = 32. Therefore 8 + 8 'feather marks' in Ga7-7 could indicate 2 periods per 'feather'.

If there are 2 periods per 'feather', then we recognize the pattern with half-month periods as seen in the 24 periods of the Keiti calendar.
To summarize: While rei miro signifies a 'canoe' which is turning around, in order to begin a new straight course, henua ora is at the opposite end of the 'travel'.

The turning around of the 'canoe' is a shaky operation which takes place before the next phase of the travel can begin. Therefore we find rei miro immediately before the new straight course (= season in the calendar).

At the final end of the 'travel', at the 'full stop', henua ora is located. There is no more movement and the 'canoe' is in its harbour. The canoe is 'sleeping'.

We therefore find henua ora immediately after the last straight course (= season in the calendar).