|
TRANSLATIONS
I have been
rereading from
the beginning of
the glyph
dictionary to
see if new
insights ought
to change
anything. Apart
from a few
corrections of
minor importance
it all went well
until I reached
vai:
The summary
page:
|
Summary:
The
sun
is
symbolized
by
GD16
glyphs.
The
label
vai
for
GD16
has
been
chosen
because
Metoro
pointed
to
the
sun
as
the
source
of
the
important
rain.
Although
also
other
glyph
types
was
referred
to
as
vai
by
Metoro,
the
more
rounded
versions
of
GD16,
as
for
instance
in
the
calendars
for
the
year
in E
and
G,
definitely
appears
to
be
connected
with
water.
Other
versions
of
GD16
are
not
so
rounded,
and
the
idea
probably
then
is
not
water
but
the
canoe
of
the
sun.
In
rei
miro
(GD13)
the
sun
canoe
is
seen
as
from
afar
(sideways),
in
GD16
it
appears
as
seen
close
by. |
Isn't it the
fertile summer
which is
symbolized by
the vai
glyphs? The fact
that vai
appears in
Sunday is no
good
counter-argument,
because Sunday
may in turn
symbolize the
middle part of
summer.
Another
counter-argument
is how vai
is used in the
names of first
two
post-autumn-equinox
months, Vaitu
nui and
Vaitu poru:
| In Barthel 2 a summary is given over the months on Easter Island (according to the structure of a modern calendar). I have adapted the table somewhat. Red means the 6 months when sun is 'present': |
|
1st quarter |
2nd quarter |
3rd quarter |
4th quarter |
|
He Anakena (July) |
Tagaroa uri (October) |
Tua haro (January) |
Vaitu nui (April) |
|
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. |
|
Hora iti (August) |
Ko Ruti (November) |
Tehetu'upú (February) |
Vaitu poru (May) |
|
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). |
|
Hora nui (September) |
Ko Koró (December) |
Tarahao (March) |
He Maro (June) |
|
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). |
|
The spelling of the names of the months are according to Vanaga. |
|
The word poru
maybe is
po-ru, the
'night' when you
shiver from
cold:
|
Po
1.
Night;
to
get
dark,
to
fall
(of
night):
he-po,
it
is
getting
dark.
Formerly
used,
with
or
without
raá,
in
the
meaning
of a
whole
day:
po
tahi,
one
day;
katahi
te
kauatu
marima
po,
fifteen
days;
po
tahi
raá,
first
day
of
the
week;
po
rua
raá,
po
toru
raá,
second,
third
day,
etc.
2.
Alone
or
as
po
nui,
used
to
express
the
idea
of
good
luck,
happiness.
He-avai-atu
au
to'ou
po,
I
wish
you
good
luck
(when
taking
leave
of
someone).
Very
common
was
this
parting
formula:
aná
po
noho
ki a
koe!
good
luck
to
you!
Po-á,
morning;
i
te
po-á,
in
the
morning;
i
te
po-era-á,
very
early
in
the
morning.
Po-ará,
quickly,
rapidly,
swiftly:
he-iri
po-ará,
go
up
quick;
he-ta'o
itau
umu
era
po-ará,
he
cooked
it
quickly.
Po-e-mahina,
formerly
used
of
sleep-walkers
(haha
a po).
Vanaga.
1.
Darkness,
night,
late;
po
haha,
dark
night,
gloom.
P
Tu.
po-tagotago,
darkness.
Mgv.,
Mq.,
Ta.:
po,
darkness,
night.
2.
Calendar
day;
po e
rua,
Tuesday;
po o
te
tagata,
life.
P
Pau.,
Mgv.,
Mq.,
Ta.:
po,
calendar
day.
Churchill. |
|
Ru
A
chill,
to
shiver,
to
shudder,
to
quake;
manava
ru,
groan.
Ruru,
fever,
chill,
to
shiver,
to
shake,
to
tremble,
to
quiver,
to
vibrate,
commotion,
to
apprehend,
moved,
to
agitate,
to
strike
the
water,
to
print;
manava
ruru,
alarm;
rima
ruru,
to
shake
hands.
P
Pau.:
ruru,
to
shake,
to
tremble.
Mgv.:
ru,
to
shiver
with
cold,
to
shake
with
fever,
to
tremble.
Mq.:
ú,
to
tremble,
to
quiver.
Ta.:
ruru,
to
tremble.
Churchill.
Ruru,
to
tremble,
an
earthquake.
Sa.:
lūlū,
lue,
to
shake.
To.:
luelue,
to
roll;
lulu,
to
shake.
Fu.:
lulū,
to
tremble,
to
shake,
to
agitate.
Niuē:
luelue,
to
shake;
lūlū,
to
shake,
to
be
shaken.
Nuguria:
ruhe,
motion
of
the
hands
in
dancing;
luhe
henua,
an
earthquake.
Uvea,
Ha.:
lu,
lulu,
lululu,
to
shake,
to
tremble,
to
flap.
Fotuna:
no-ruruia,
to
shake.
Ma.:
ru,
ruru,
to
shake,
an
earthquake.
Ta.,
Rarotonga,
Rapanui,
Pau.:
ruru,
to
shake,
to
tremble.
Mgv.:
ru,
to
tremble;
ruru,
to
shake.
Mq.:
uu,
to
shake
the
head
in
negation;
uuuu,
to
shake
up.
Uvea:
ue i,
to
shake;
ueue,
to
move.
Rapanui:
ueue,
to
shake.
Churchill
2. |
Ru
(Hawaiian lu,
lulu,
lululu) is
also used when a bird
flaps his wings:
 |
|
Ab1-42 |
|
eaha
te
manu
kara
roturotu
ki
te
vai |
| Rotu To throng, to flock, to crowd, used of people gathering in great numbers for a feast, for mourning, for working, etc. he-rotu, he-tatagi, the mourners are flocking together; he-rotu i te umu, they are crowding around the earth oven; he-rotu, he aga, they come to work in throngs. Roturotu, to clap hand, to applaud. Vanaga.
Roturotu: 1. To clap, to wink. PS Pau.: rotu, to strike the water. Mgv: rotu, to beat the sea in order to frighten fish into a net, to beat a drum. Mq.: ótu, to drive fish into the seine. Ta.: rotu, to strike. Sa.: lotu, to make a hollow sound in the water with the hand. 2. To take to pieces. Churchill. |
Like bees
crowding
together (rotu)
in cold weather
to keep their
warmth, all the
people of the
island gather in
the dark:
... The cult
place of
Vinapu is
located between
the fifth and
sixth segment of
the dream voyage
of Hau Maka.
These segments,
named 'Te
Kioe Uri'
(inland from
Vinapu) and
'Te Piringa
Aniva' (near
Hanga Pau
Kura) flank
Vinapu
from both the
west and the
east. The
decoded meaning
of the names
'the dark rat'
(i.e., the
island king as
the recipient of
gifts) and 'the
gathering place
of the island
population' (for
the purpose of
presenting the
island king with
gifts) links
them with the
month 'Maro'
which is June
...
Beyond
Vai poru
we have
He Maro.
Beyond the dark
season when
people gather (Te
Piringa Aniva)
bird feathers
tied to a stick
(maro)
are used to
symbolize the
wished for new
fire (sun):
|
Maro
Maro:
A
sort
of
small
banner
or
pennant
of
bird
feathers
tied
to a
stick.
Maroa:
1.
To
stand
up,
to
stand.
2.
Fathom
(measure).
See
kumi.
Vanaga.
Maro:
1.
June.
2.
Dish-cloth
T P
Mgv.:
maro,
a
small
girdle
or
breech
clout.
Ta.:
maro,
girdle.
Maroa:
1. A
fathom;
maroa
hahaga,
to
measure.
Mq.:
maó,
a
fathom.
2.
Upright,
stand
up,
get
up,
stop,
halt.
Mq.:
maó,
to
get
up,
to
stand
up.
Churchill. |
At honu in the
glyph dictionary
I have
summarized the
situation:
... The modern
calendar of
Easter Island
has two autumn
months Vaitu
nui (April)
and Vaitu
poru (May).
Equally, there
are two early
spring months
with similar
names: Hora
iti (August)
and Hora nui
(September).
Probably there
once were
only 10 months
and 12 names was
introduced by
splitting up the
old months
Vaitu and
Hora.
The sense in
Vaitu, I
guess, is
'water' (vai)
at the backside
(tu'a).
The old name may
have been
Vaitu’a,
'(the) water at
the backside (of
the) year'. The
front (ra'e)
side will then
be the Hora
side, the time
when sun is
advancing
upwards ...
It would be
strange if a
glyph type which
Metoro
called vai
was used for
summer.
If it is the sun
which is
symbolized by
the glyph type
vai, then
- we must
remember - sun
is not a single
concept (as we
in the civilized
world tend to imagine)
but a group of
roles (habits),
the meanings of
which evaporate if
they are
compressed
together into a
single abstract
concept. For an
eskimo 'snow' is
meaningless, he
needs a more
precise
description.
The 'costume'
(habit)
exhibited in
Ga5-7 (at autumn
equinox) has
only 3 moon
signs:
|
17 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ga5-4 |
Ga5-5 |
Ga5-6 |
Ga5-7 |
Ga5-8 |
Ga5-9 |
Likewise, in the
Keiti
calendar one moon
sign is missing
in the two
instances where
vai
occurs:
|
In
the
Keiti
calendar
for
the
year
GD16
appears
in
the
6th
and
the
15th
periods:
|
This is the
point at
which my
rereading in
the glyph
dictionary
came to a
stop.
In Eb3-7--8
I could not
see the
arrival of
summer (the
sun season).
These two
glyphs
(located
around
spring
equinox)
could very
well mark
the end of
the 'moon'
(winter)
season, but
not the end
of the
vai =
sun season.
On the other
hand, in
Eb4-26 the
6-feather
maro and
location
around
autumn
equinox
presumably
means the
end of
summer.
In both
instances
the maro
strings
follow after
vai.
Maybe
this is no
coincidence
but an
allusion to
how He
Maro
follows
Vaitu nui
and Vaitu
poru.
Both Ga5-7
and Eb3-7
have ordinal
number 7,
indicating
moon, while
26 in Eb4-26
is a number
beyond 24
(half-months
in a year).
3 in the
type of
vai with
only 3 moon
signs also
suggests
moon. We
remember the
Mamari
triad of
'seasons'
with 4 * 7 =
28 (moa)
and 26 (tu'a):
|
waxing
(moa) |
full
moon
(hua) |
waning
(tu'a) |
|
period
1 |
8 |
period
4 |
8 |
period
6 |
7 |
|
period
2 |
11 |
full
moon |
period
7 |
11 |
|
period
3 |
9 |
period
5 |
10 |
period
8 |
8 |
|
sum |
28 |
sun |
18 |
sum |
26 |
An idea:
Suppose the
odd glyph
number items
indicate
(which I
have
suggested
earlier)
that we have
to add
numbers to
reach even
numbers,
then the
even numbers
would make
it possible
to divide by
2:
|
waxing
(moa) |
full
moon
(hua) |
waning
(tu'a) |
|
period
1 |
8 |
period
4 |
8 |
period
6-7 |
18 |
|
period
2-3 |
20 |
period
5 |
10 |
period
8 |
8 |
|
sum |
28 |
sun |
18 |
sum |
26 |
|
waxing
(moa) |
full
moon
(hua) |
waning
(tu'a) |
|
period
1 |
4 |
period
4 |
4 |
period
6-7 |
9 |
|
period
2-3 |
10 |
period
5 |
5 |
period
8 |
4 |
|
sum |
14 |
sun |
9 |
sum |
13 |
We get 6
(implying
sun) = 2 + 2
+ 2 enlarged
periods in a
symmetric
and
beautiful
pattern. The
fortnight is
connected
with moa,
number 9
with death
(of the sun)
and 13 with
end (of the
year).
Earlier I
have
suggested
that 2
glyphs are
needed for
one day in
Tahua.
Here 2
glyphs could
also
represent
two halves,
sun (day)
first
followed by
moon
(night), or
- maybe -
the other
way around
because the
calendar
here
primarily is
a moon
calendar.
Every period
starts with
moon, it
seems, with
a variant of
this type of
glyph:
Sun is
present also
during
moa and
tu'a,
but he is
not shining
with full
strength, it
seems, maybe
only with
¾ power. In
Tahua
the
curious
Aa2-37 has
'¾ power'
(counted by
the number
of moon
signs):
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ba10-3 |
Ba10-4 |
Ba10-5 |
Ba10-6 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ca2-4 |
Ca2-5 |
Ca2-6 |
|
|
|
|
Pa8-34 |
Pa8-35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Qa9-2 |
Qa9-3 |
Qa9-4 |
Qa9-5 |
Pa8-33 and and Qa9-3 are rather normal vai glyphs, while Qa8-47, Ca2-5 (right part), Pa8-35 (left part) and Ba10-4 (right part) hardly are recognizable. Together they affirm, however, that the idea is vai. Seeing one of these glyphs alone it would be hazardous to state that they are examples of vai. In Aa2-37 a similarly abnormal vai presumably corresponds to the four above ... |
Aa2-37 seems
to initiate
the moa
season.
Later on all
4 powers are
switched on:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Aa2-37 |
Aa2-54 |
Aa6-65 |
Aa6-75 |
Aa6-76 |
Aa8-4 |
|
91 |
216 |
4 |
65 + 75 + 76
= 216 = 8 *
27 = (2*2*2)
* (3*3*3) =
6*6*6.
Adding 54 we
reach 10 *
27 = 270.
Maybe 91
refers to
the 1st
quarter of
the year and
270 to 9
'sun'
months? 91 +
270 + 4 =
365.
Is it the
dark new
moon which
'inhabits'
the center
of Aa2-37
(10 + 27)?
If women
greet with
joy the
first
appearance
of new moon
after her
life has
been
restored by
a swim in
the sun's
sweet living
water, then
at new year
we should
expect the
men to
behave in a
similar
(though
contrary?)
manner.
Anyhow, I
have
convinced
myself anew
that the
vai
glyph type
is connected
with the
sun. I
cannot
change 'The
sun is
symbolized
by GD16
glyphs' into
'The summer
is
symbolized
by GD16
glyphs'.
The
following
sentence
also should
remain as it
stands:
The
label
vai
for
GD16
has
been
chosen
because
Metoro
pointed
to the sun
as the
source of
the
important
rain.
Women must
restore
their beauty
by taking a
bath in
sweet water,
not in the
salty water
of the sea.
Rainwater is
marvellous
for washing
hair.
|
