TRANSLATIONS

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After examples of haú in the Mamari moon calendar and in the last period of the Keiti calendar the next page (in the dictionary) refers to the Small Santiago calendar:

In the 3rd period of the Small Santiago calendar for the year a haú glyph with different feather sizes indicates different 'fire' sizes:
3
Ga3-10 Ga3-11 Ga3-12 Ga3-13 Ga3-14 Ga3-15 Ga3-16

2 + 4 = 6 big feathers at left presumably refer to how the calendar is regulated by the sun into 2 halves ('winter' and 'summer') and 4 quarters.

The following 8 feathers of lesser size is presumably the result of numerical progression (1, 2, 4, 8 ... ).

The sum of the 4 first terms in the progression is 15 (as in the 15th, Otua, moon night). 15 is 1 less than 16, the term which follows beyond 8 in the progression and which number is equal to the period number for autumn equinox:

16
Ga5-1 Ga5-2 Ga5-3

In Small Santiago Tablet there are 3 periods (16-18) devoted to autumn equinox (while there is only one, the 16th period, in the parallel calendar of London Tablet).

Close to the tip of the 'branch' (in Ga3-14) follows 3 dot-like small 'feathers'. These correspond in design and number to the 'toes' at bottom left, and also to the number of glyphs in the 16th period (while in London Tablet there are 3 glyphs in the 15th period).

The dot-like small 'feathers' (and the 'toes') look 'spooky' - they are not in touch with the 'branch'. It means they are outside the regular order of the calendar, they indicate 'extra-calendrical'. The 3 extra-calendrical periods (16-18) may equally well be regarded as belonging to the end of the 'summer year' as to the beginning of the 'winter year'.

In Ga3-15 (notice the ordinal number) there is an upwards pointed fish (ika) combined with mea ke (GD46), presumably marking 'death' (or at least 'inside'). In Ga3-10 there is confirmation by way of the vero (no moon sickles as in the ragi glyphs) and by way of the ordinal number 10.

Tamatea 4 10

Rakau

3

Kokore

3

At the top of the mea ke glyph there is a 'roof' which differs from the expected triple vertex. Presumably it is a sign congruent with the spooky 'toes' and the 'feathers' in Ga3-14. The distribution pattern is 2 + 1.

In the 6th period of Small Santiago another haú glyph, designed in a different way, presumably tells about when the 'gods' descend to the earth:

6
Ga3-22 Ga3-23 Ga3-24

16 (mostly dot-like) marks are distributed rather evenly around the outer perimeter, but they come into contact with the 'branch' at only two points. Otherwise they fly above.

The 9th and 10th marks are feather marks - not dots. They touch the ground (the 'branch'), they do not fly above (dots). Equally: the 13th, 14th and 15th marks are feathers (not dots).

The 'branch' presumably illustrates the path of the sun over the 'summer year', and at crucial times the gods assemble, come down to earth. In the 11th and 16th periods (those immediately following the 9th and 10th respectively the 13th, 14th and 15th periods) we can read how the gods have departed again:

11
Ga4-11 Ga4-12 Ga4-13
16
Ga5-1 Ga5-2 Ga5-3

Ga4-13 and Ga5-3 are the only end-of-period glyphs in the calendar where the top of the rectangular vertically oriented shape at right (henua) is open, possibly a sign of the emptíness after the gods have left.

I don't really believe it is a sign of emptiness. Instead I remember the dusk phenomenon - it is no longer possible to distinguish clearly where the border lines are. Or maybe it is a sign of dryness - the light fluid has evaporated. Though the main meaning must be 'spookiness' - the 10-period season respectively the 15-period season are no longer with us.

I decide to change the last sentence of the dictionary text into:

Ga4-13 and Ga5-3 are the only end-of-period glyphs in the calendar where the top of the rectangular vertically oriented shape at right (henua) is open, probably a sign which indicates that the 10-period season (respectively the 15-period season) has left.

There is one more important haú glyph worth mentioning, viz. Ga2-23:
0
Ga2-20 Ga2-21 Ga2-22 Ga2-23 Ga2-24 Ga2-25 Ga2-26

The number of feather marks are 4 (dots) + 2 (great) + 8 (normal) + 2 (dots) = 16. We should compare with Ga3-14:

3
Ga3-10 Ga3-11 Ga3-12 Ga3-13 Ga3-14 Ga3-15 Ga3-16

Whereas in Ga3-14--15 there is a triplet of 'spookiness' (3 at the tip of the 'branch', 3 'toes', and the sign 3 - instead of the normal 6 - at the top of the left part of Ga3-15), in Ga2-24--26 we can read the opposite - new life (new fire) formulated as triplets of fingers (thumbs not counted).

There are more reversals between period 0 and period 3. Reversal is also expressed in how the 4 spooky dot-like feathers in Ga2-23 have 'come down to earth' (are 'alive') in Ga3-14. The 2 great feathers following the 4 dots in Ga2-23 have, moreover, changed places in Ga3-14, where basically we have at first the 2 feathers meaning the 2 half-years and then the 4 feathers meaning the quarters.

Ga3-14 probably describes the new year, while in Ga2-23 we see the 4 old quarters as 'spooky', no longer present with us (more than in our memory).

4 glyphs have been added above (Ga2-20--23) at the beginning of what in the preliminary exploration of the calendar (in the niu part of the dictionary) was referred to as period 0 (coming before the regular calendar). The total number of glyphs in the calendar thereby is raised from 136 to 140 (maybe meaning 10 fortnights, or 20 weeks, or 5 * 28, or 4 * 35).

The 7-glyph sequence Ga2-20--26 has many parallel sequences in other texts, and certainly the 'period' was important. It refers to the time between the end of one year and the beginning of the next, when at first the old fire must be extinguished.

The reversals may be expressed in a table:

0
old year in the darkness a new fire is alighted
3
new year from the old year a new 'fish' is rising

The rising fish probably alludes to the waxing moon (cfr e.g. the full moon sign at its head), while it is the sun who comes back again from behind the mauga world mountain shadows. Moon is watery in character, while sun is fiery (as also some volcano mountains).

Maybe the 4 quarters are reflected in periods 0-3? The number of glyphs is 26:

0
Ga2-20 Ga2-21 Ga2-22 Ga2-23 Ga2-24 Ga2-25 Ga2-26
1
Ga2-27 Ga2-28 Ga2-29 Ga3-1 Ga3-2 Ga3-3 Ga3-4 Ga3-5
2
Ga3-6 Ga3-7 Ga3-8 Ga3-9
3
Ga3-10 Ga3-11 Ga3-12 Ga3-13 Ga3-14 Ga3-15 Ga3-16

In Ga2-22 the old 'fish' is at left (in the past). In Ga2-28 we see the 'fish' turned upside down and from its body grows a new branch with 4 feather marks. In Ga2-29 we can read the next stage in the development of the 'fish', because the unusual (non-spooky) niu obviously is the reincarnation of the upside down fish.

In Ga3-13, presumably, the 3 'spooky' limbs illustrate the same situation as in Ga2-21. In Ga3-4 'fins' hanging down at the sides may allude to the moon sickle, in which case we see the reversal of the top sign in Ga3-13, where the tu'a part is 'living' (the 3 non-spooky limbs). Upside down canoe means 'dead'.

Period 2 (with manu rere marking the high point of the year) has signs of 'fruit' (hua), a characteristic of the 2nd 'year'. Also, the season has one 'sun eye' (in Ga3-7) and one 'moon sickle' (in Ga3-6), which should be compared with double 'sun eyes' (Ga3-10 and Ga3-12) and none 'moon sickle' (Ga2-10) in the 3rd period.

But to present the new interpretation in the glyph dictionary would be to premature. Instead the page with updated calendars will look like this:

G period no. number of glyphs

1, 2, 3

8 + 4 + 7 = 19

35

19

4, 5, 6

3 + 2 + 3 = 8

27

7, 8, 9

4 + 2 + 2 = 8

35

10, 11, 12

2 + 3 + 2 = 7

35

42

13, 14, 15

4 + 3 + 5 = 12

54

16, 17, 18

3 + 6 + 7 = 16

70

19, 20, 21 5 + 8 + 5 = 18 30 88
22, 23, 24 4 + 3 + 5 = 12 100
25, 26, 27 2 + 2 + 3 = 7 30 107
28, 29, 30 3 + 3 + 4 = 10 117
31, 32, 33 6 + 4 + 3 = 13 130
34, 0 3 + 7 = 10 10 140
K period no. number of glyphs
1, 2, 3 7 + 3 + 4 = 14 28 14
4, 5, 6 3 + 2 + 3 = 8 22
7, 8, 9 2 + 2 + 2 = 6 28
10, 11, 12 2 + 3 + 2 = 7 *28 35
13, 14, 15 3 + 2 + 3 = 8 43

16

*13 *56
17 3 *29 *59
18, 19, 20 *7 + 4 + 4 = *15 *74
21, 22, 23 3 + 6 + 2 = 11 *85
24, 25, 26 2 + 3 + 3 = 8 30 *93
27, 28, 29 5 + 4 + 5 = 14 *107
30, 31 4 + 4 = 8 *115
32, 0 3 + 7 = 10 10 *125

125 = 5 * 5 * 5 probably alludes to a triplicate of 'hands'. Fingers mean fire, as the story of Maui and Mahuika tells us. Furthermore, 5 + 5 + 5 = 15.

"Before the events that are related in this story Mahuika alone possessed the gift of fire, and all fire in the world was got from her. After Maui had tricked her, fire was kept in the wood of certain trees, from which men were able to release it.

HOW MAUI PLAYED WITH FIRE 

In one of his mischievous moods Maui one day felt like putting out all the fires in the world. He knew that fire could be obtained only from his ancestress Mahuika, goddess of fire, and he wanted to see what would happen if he extinguished everybody's fire. During the night, he got up and went through the village putting out all the fires that were smouldering in the cooking houses of each family.

Early next morning he called out to his pononga, or servants: 'I'm hungry! I'm hungry! Cook some food for me, quickly.' One of the servants hurried to obey him, and found the fire out. He ran to the next house for a light, and went from house to house throgh the village. All the fires were out. Soon the whole village was up and talking about it and discussing what to do.

When Maui's mother heard what had happened she called some of the servants to her and ordered them to go to her great ancestress Mahuika. 'Tell her that fire has been lost on earth,' she said, 'and ask her to give some to the world again.'

But the servants stood there trembling. Although they had not set eyes on Mahuika, they had heard about her and the place where she lived, and had no wish to visit it. No punishment that might await them in the village would persuade them. The old people, the sacred chiefs, repeatedly commanded them to go, and they refused.

'Very well,' said Maui, who had been waiting this, 'I will go. I will fetch down fire for the world, if you show me the way.'

'If you will go then,' said his mother, 'you have only to follow that wide path in front of you there. Keep on, and you will reach the home of an ancestress of yours. You will not be able to mistake the place. All fire come from there. If she asks you who you are, you had better call out your name at once, so that she may konw you are a descendant of hers. But be careful, Maui, and don't try playing any of your tricks on her. Your father and I have heard about your deeds, and we know you are fond of deceiving and injuring people. If you happen to be thinking of playing some tricks on your ancestress Mahuika, take my advice and do nothing of the sort.'

'No, no,' said Maui. 'I only want to bring back fire for the village. I shall come back as soon as I can get it.'

And so he left the village by the path that his mother had shown him, and after journeying, he reached the abode of the goddess of fire. What he saw there filled him with wonder, and for a long time he stood unable to speak. At length he spoke to Mahuika: 'Old ancestress, would you rise up and tell me where your fire is kept? All the fires in our village have gone out, and I have come to beg some from you.'

The old lady rose up to her full height. 'Aue!' she cried. 'Who can this mortal be?' And Maui answered: 'It is I'. 'Where are you from?' Mahuika asked him. 'I have come,' Maui said.

'You do not belong to this country,' said the old woman. 'Your appearance is not like that of the people of this place. Do you come from the north-east?' He answered, 'No.' 'Do you come from the south-east?' 'No.'

'Are you from the south?' 'No.' 'Are you from the west, then?' 'No.' 'Do you come from whence the wind comes that blows upon me?' And Maui said, 'I do.'

'Oh then,' she cried, 'you are my grandchild!' She stepped forward and put her face close up to his and asked him: 'What do you want here?' 'I am come to beg some fire of you. All the fires in our village have gone out.' 'Welcome! Welcome, then!' cried the old woman, 'Here is fire for you.' And she pulled out the nail of koiti, her little finger, and gave it to him. As she drew it out, fire flowed from it. 

Maui marvelled at this, and took the nail, and left her. But he had only gone a short distance when he mischievously put it out. He went back to her and said: 'The light you gave me has gone out. Would you give me another?' So she pulled out the nail of manawa, her third finger, and it became a flame, and she gave it to him.

Maui left her, and this nail also he put out when he had gone a little distance. He wetted his hand, to show Mahuika he had fallen into a stream. Then she gave him the nail of mapere, her middle finger, and he did the same again, and Mahuika believed him each time.

In this way she gave him the nail of koroa, her forefinger, and then of koro matua, her thumb. And each one of them Maui put out, and returned for more. He wanted to see what would happen if he took from Mahuika the last of her fire, and he now had not a thought for the fire they needed in the village.

This went on until Mahuika had pulled out all the nails of her other hand, and then she began on her toes, until Maui had been given all the nails of her hands and all those of her feet except for one big toe.

Then at last the old woman decided that Maui must be playing some trick on her. She drew out the one nail that remained, the nail of her big toe, and fire flowed from it. But instead of handing it to Maui, she dashed it to the ground, and the whole place caught fire. 'There, you have it all now!' she cried. And Maui was already running for his life, with the fire at his heels pursuing him.

Looking round, he saw that the whole land would soon be aflame. So he changed himself into a karearea, a hawk, and tried to soar above the flames. But the fire pursued him there and scorched his feathers, which accounts for the colour of that bird. Seeing a lake, he plunged down into it, but found that it was almost boiling. All the forests then caught fire, the land everywhere was alight, and Maui came very near to death.

Then he called on his ancestor Tawhiri matea and all his offspring, to send down rain. 'Let water be given to quench this fire!' he cried, and spoke the appropriate chants. Great clouds appeared, and Tawhiri sent down first the small rain, and then the lasting rain, and everything was drenched, and the flames went out.

Even Mahuika herself almost perished before she could reach her place of shelter, and her shrieks were as loud as those of Maui when he was scorched. The waters rose all around her, and in this way Mahuika was deprived of her former power.

But fire was saved for the world. When the waters reached her tikitiki, or the topknot of her head, the last seeds of fire fled from it to the rata , the hinau, the kahikatea, the rimu, and certain other trees. These trees would not admit them, and so they went to the mahoe, the totara, the patete, the pukatea, and the kaikomako, where they were cherished. These are the trees from whose dry wood fire can be obtained by friction. The others are of no use for this purpose.

When Maui returned to the village his parents saw his burns and knew what had happened. They said to him: 'We warned you before you went there not to play any of your tricks on Mahuika, and yet you paid no attention. It serves you right that you were nearly burned to death.'

But Maui stood with his hands on his hips and took it lightly. 'Oh! what do I care?' he said. 'Do you think I'm going to be different because of this? Certainly not! I'm going to go on being the same. For ever!'

His father answered in a quiet voice: 'Yes, you may please yourself, whether you die or live. If you would only listen to me you would save your life, but if you will not, it will be the worse for you, and that is all I can say.'

After this, Maui went off looking for companions to join him in new adventures.

He did not bring any fire back for the village. From that day forward it was obtained by rubbing a stick of kaikomako, or one of the other trees, in a grove made in another piece of wood."

(Maori Myths)

If we pay attention to finger names and finger order we can document:

koiti little finger ('the little one')
manawa 'third finger' (ring finger)
mapere middle finger
koroa forefinger ('the long one')
koro matua thumb

Counting with help of the fingers, you obviously start not with the little finger but with the forefinger - otherwise the 'third finger' cannot be the ring finger.

Manava means sensitive, as in ku-ká-á te manava:

Manava

Abdomen, belly, (fig.) affection, sensitivity, feelings; manava more, grief; manava mate, infatuated, in love (with something); ku-ká-á te manava, flared up, infuriated, irate; he-kava te manava, offended, to turn sour, embittered (see also hatu (manava hatu). Vanaga.

Hatu

1. Clod of earth; cultivated land; arable land (oone hatu). 2. Compact mass of other substances: hatu matá, piece of obsidian. 3. Figuratively: manava hatu, said of persons who, in adversity, stay composed and in control of their behaviour and feelings. 4. To advise, to command. He hatu i te vanaga rivariva ki te kio o poki ki ruga ki te opata, they gave the refugees the good advice not to climb the precipice; he hatu i te vanaga rakerake, to give bad advice. 5. To collude, to unite for a purpose, to concur. Mo hatu o te tia o te nua, to agree on the price of a nua cape. 6. Result, favourable outcome of an enterprise. He ká i te umu mo te hatu o te aga, to light the earth oven for the successful outcome of an enterprise. Vanaga.

1. Haatu, hahatu, mahatu. To fold, to double, to plait, to braid; noho hatu, to sit crosslegged; hoe hatu, clasp knife; hatuhatu, to deform. 2.. To recommend. Churchill. 

Why not 'read' manavai as manava-î - full of sensitivity:

Manavai

Hollow where rainwater accumulates; anciently, small, round gardens, preferably situated in low shady spots, where the mahute tree was grown. Vanaga.

1. Brain. 2. Valley, ravine, river, torrent, brook; manavai miro, orchard, Mq.: manavai, valley, brook. Ta.: anavai, river, brook. It scarcely appears that these fully coordinate. In Tahiti anavai has a clear etymology, ana meaning the bed of a stream. In Rapanui and in the Marquesas mana most readily associates with maga, as water in a forked bed. Churchill.

As to mapere, I guess there may be an allusion to the Hawaiian fire goddess Pele. Mapere = ma Pele. Possibly the five fingers are distributed in 2 (koro matua and koroa) with which to grasp and 3 (with which to light the 'fire'). Maybe, 'on the other hand', the little finger is not worthy of attention and instead we have a double function in koroa:

koro matua thumb grasping
koroa forefinger ('the long one') counting
mapere middle finger
manawa 'third finger' (ring finger)

The names Maui and Mahuika are somewhat similar. And the name of Maui should convey to Mahuika that he was related to her: '... If she asks you who you are, you had better call out your name at once, so that she may konw you are a descendant of her ...'

Possibly Mahuika is a wordplay ma-hui-ika ('the reviver of the fish'?). In the Maori and Moriori moon calendars  the last night in the 'central season' is Oika:

 

MAORI

MORIORI

HAWAIIAN

TAHITIAN

MARQUESAN

RAROTONGAN

1

Whiro

O Mutu

Hilo

Hiro hiti

Tu nui

Iro

2

Tirea

O Whiro

Hoaka

Hoata

Tu hawa

Oata

3

Hoata

Otere

Ku kahi

Hami ami mua

Hoata

Amiama

4

One

Ohewata

Ku lua

Hami ami roto

Mahea ma tahi

Amiama aka oti

5

Okou

Oua

Ku kolu

Hami ami muri

Mahea ma waena

Tamatea

6

Tamatea kai ariki

Okoro

Ku pau

Oreore mua

Koekoe tahi

Tamatea aka oti

7

Tamatea ananga

Tamate tutahi

Ole ku kahi

Oreore muri

Koekoe waena

Korekore

8

Tamatea aio

Tamate turna

Ole ku lua

Tamatea

Poipoi haa pao

Korekore aka oti

9

Tamatea whakapau

Tamate nui

Ole ku kolu

Huna

Huna

O Vari

10

Huna

Tamate hokopŕ

Ole ku pau

Ari

Ai

Una

11

Ari roa

Ohua

Huna

Maharu

Huka

Maaru

12

Mawharu

Owaru

Mohalu

Hua

Mehau

Ua

13

Maurea

Hua

Hua

Maitu

Hua

E atua (or Maitu)

14

Atua whakahaehae

Mawharu

Akua

Hotu

Atua

O Tu

15

Turu

Outua

Hoko

Mara`i

Hutu nui

Marangi

16

Rakau nui

Ohotu

Mahealani

Turutea

Hutu manae

Oturu

17

Rakau matohi

Maure

Kulu

Raau mua

Tuu

Rakau

18

Takirau

Oturu

Laau ku kahi

Raau roto

Aniwa

Rakau roto

19

Oika

Rakau nui

Laau ku lua

Raau muri

Ms tahi

Rakau aka oti

20

Korekore

Rakau motohe

Laau pau

Oreore mua

Kaau

Korekore

21

Korekore turua

Takirau

Ole ku kahi

Oreore roto

Kaekae tahi

Korekore roto

22

Korekore piri ki Tangaroa

Oika

Ole ku lua

Oreore muri

Waena

Korekore aka oti

23

Tangaroa a mua

Korekore tutahi

Ole pau

Taaroa mua

Haa pao

Tangaroa

24

Tangaroa a roto

Korekore turua

Kaloa ku kahi

Taaroa roto

Hanao tahi

Tangaroa roto

25

Tangaroa kiokio

Korekore whakapau

Kaloa ku lua

Taaroa muri

Wawena

Tangaroa aka oti

26

O Tane

Tangarň a mua

Kaloa pau

Tane

Haa paa

O Tane

27

O Rongo nui

Tangarň a roto

Kane

Roo nui

Puhiwa

Rongo nui

28

Mauri

Tangarň kikio

Lono

Roo maori

Tane

Mauri

29

O Mutu

O Tane

Mauli

Mutu

Ona nui

O Mutu

30

Mutuwhenua

O Rongo nui

Muku

Teriere

Ona mate

Otire o Avaiki (or Otireo)

31

 

O Rongo mori

 

 

 

 

Maybe Ca7-29 is Oika:

Mahuika could be another name for te Nuahine ká umu a ragi kotekote.