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TRANSLATIONS
The oval in some of the vai glyphs suggests a pouch of water. On the other hand the form can suggest a fruit of some kind. The form can also be a neutral oval or an elongated canoe form:
If we compare with S the simple classification just invented is hard to apply:
Three main types are still possible to distinguish, however:
The distribution is not random. There must be differences in meanings connected with the three types. According to A the double oval occurs only on the 'sunny' side. The numbers (6 respectively 8) suggest an interpretation of double oval as 'sun' and single oval as 'moon'. In S there is no kind of confirmation by way of the numbers and S may be too badly damaged to make this kind of quantative analysis possible. What is the subject matter on side a if neither type I nor type II occurs? The curious Sb8-16 is presumably worth a closer look:
Sb8-16 is the result of 'copulation' between Sb8-14 (tamaiti) and Sb8-15 (vai). Not surprisingly the result (the baby inside Sb8-16) is a copy of his father. Type II vai must be female and 'moon' is not a bad guess. Also type III must be female because Sb8-14 obviously is male. The canoe vai (type III) is female also because canoes are female (cfr Vakaī). Much important information is unquestionably documented in these 20 glyphs. The fused birds (Sb8-3) occur also in the 4th period of the G and K calendars:
Furthermore, they occur in a parallel text of B and E too:
Ha7-129 is very similar to Ga3-18:
In R the fused birds occur twice. The first place gives a parallel with Tahua:
Hatchmarked henua in Aa6-57 resembles hatchmarked henua in Ha7-130--131 (with parallels), it is a time of darkness. In Ka4-10 the hatchmarks are only two (as in the Kuukuu glyph Aa1-11) . In S hatchmarks are not visible. In Ea4-25 mauga is another expression for darkness. In Ra3-108 a hatchmarked henua is documented and in Tahua another hatchmarked henua is in parallel:
In Aa6-79 the fish is descending. Ra3-107 and Aa6-77--78 probably correspond to Sb8-16 (and likewise Ra3-110 and Aa6-81 to Sb8-17). Sb8-4 carries much force because it is a rare glyph type. Obviously Sb8-4 connects to Ra3-103 and Aa6-55. Sb8-2 has a kind of limb left of the rei. Bb11-13 presumably has a corresponding similar expression. A pair of haati glyphs in Ra3-101--102 probably correspond to Bb11-16 and Bb11-18 (respectively to Ea4-29 and Ea4-31). Neither in the cited texts of S nor of H/P/Q do they occur. Aa6-53--54 are paralles to Ra3-101--102 and in all six haati glyphs the 'knee' is pointing forward, i.e. presumably events are taking place in the 2nd half of the year, between summer and winter solstice. The other fused bird glyph in R occurs on side b. I copy 28 glyphs:
3 rei and 3 full moon glyphs appear. Rb2-4 has shorter 'flames' than the other two rei glyphs. Rb1-104 (with 3 + 2) has a more lively follower in Rb2-6 (with 2 + 3). Presumably the dark right part in Rb1-104 signifies vero. At last we should look also on another place in Tahua with fused birds. I copy a long passage:
In Ab2-64 a vero glyph type is held high. Metoro saw vero in Ab2-62, which we can understand since 'mother earth shaking her breasts' (hura) occurs at solstice:
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