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TRANSLATIONS
The next and
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The typical moa
('rooster') glyph has a beak crying out at 'dawn' and an upraised
penis; both are there in order to 'wake up' - set in motion - the
day, year, etc: 
It is the work of
a moa to'a, a fully grown and mature 'cock' - a 'warrior' (to'a).
A moa
initiates - 'kicks' (rei) - the new 'season' into motion from
a state of darkness, silence and temporary 'death'. With motion life
(and light) returns and grows:
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Ca6-25 |
Ca6-26 |
Ca6-27 |
Ca6-28 |
Ca7-1 |
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tagata marama |
koia ra |
marama |
kua Rei te vae |
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Ca7-2 |
Ca7-3 |
Ca7-4 |
Ca7-5 |
Ca7-6 |
Ca7-7 |
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o te marama eono |
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I have not
translated
vae here,
but the meaning
seems to be how
the head of the
'old rooster'
generates
motion.
Metoro's
vae probably
symbolize
motion:
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Va'e,
vae,
vaega
Va'e:
Foot,
leg;
te
va'e
mata'u,
te
va'e
maúi,
right
foot,
left
foot.
Va'e
ruga,
va'e
raro,
quick
and
light,
without
detour
(lit.:
foot
up,
foot
down).
Ka-oho
koe
ki a
nua
era
va'e
ruga
va'e
raro,
ina
ekó
hipa-hipa,
hurry
straight
to
your
mother,
do
not
make
any
detours.
Va'e
pau,
misshapen
foot,
clubfoot.
Vae,
to
choose.
Vaega,
middle,
centre;
i
vaega
o,
in
the
middle
of.
Vanaga.
1.
Foot,
paw,
leg,
limb;
vae
no
roto,
drawers;
karikari
vae,
ankle.
P
Pau.:
vaevae,
foot,
leg.
Mgv.:
vaevae,
id.
Mq.:
vae,
id.
Ta.:
vaevae,
avae,
id.
2.
Pupil.
3.
To
choose,
elect,
prefer,
promote,
vote;
vavae,
to
destine,
to
choose;
vaea
(vae
2),
pupil.
Vaeahatu
(vae
1 -
ahatu):
moe
vaeahatu,
to
sleep
sprawling
with
legs
extended.
Vaega,
center,
middle,
within,
half;
o
vaega,
younger;
ki
vaega,
among,
between,
intermediate.
P
Pau.:
vaega,
the
middle.
Mgv.:
vaega,
center,
middle.
Mq.:
vaena,
vavena,
vaveha,
id.
Ta.:
vaehaa,
half.
Vaehakaroa
(vae
1 -
roa):
moe
vaehakaroa,
to
sleep
with
legs
stretched
out.
Vaehau
(vae
1 -
hau
3),
pantaloons,
trousers.
Vaeherehere
(vae
1 -
here
1),
to
attach
by
the
paw.
Vaerere
(vae
1 -
rere
1),
to
run.
Churchill.
Ta.:
1.
Timbers
of a
boat.
Ha.:
wae,
knees,
side
timbers
of a
boat.
2.
To
share
out.
Sa.:
vae,
to
divide,
to
share.
Ma.:
wawae,
to
divide.
Churchill. |
The generator of
motion (life) is
named Rei
by Metoro:
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Rei
1.
To
tread,
to
trample
on:
rei
kiraro
ki
te
va'e.
2.
(Used
figuratively)
away
with
you!
ka-rei
kiraro
koe,
e
mageo
ê,
go
away,
you
disgusting
man.
3.
To
shed
tears:
he
rei
i te
mata
vai.
4.
Crescent-shaped
breast
ornament,
necklace;
reimiro,
wooden,
crescent-shaped
breast
ornament;
rei
matapuku,
necklace
made
of
coral
or
of
mother-of-pearl;
rei
pipipipi,
necklace
made
of
shells;
rei
pureva,
necklace
made
of
stones.
5.
Clavicle.
Îka
reirei,
vanquished
enemy,
who
is
kicked
(rei).
Vanaga.
T.
1.
Neck.
2.
Figure-head.
Rei
mua
=
Figure-head
in
the
bow.
Rei
muri
=
Figure-head
in
the
stern.
Henry.
Mother
of
pearl;
rei
kauaha,
fin.
Mgv.:
rei,
whale's
tooth.
Mq.:
éi,
id.
This
is
probably
associable
with
the
general
Polynesian
rei,
which
means
the
tooth
of
the
cachalot,
an
object
held
in
such
esteem
that
in
Viti
one
tooth
(tambua)
was
the
ransom
of a
man's
life,
the
ransom
of a
soul
on
the
spirit
path
that
led
through
the
perils
of
Na
Kauvandra
to
the
last
abode
in
Mbulotu.
The
word
is
undoubtedly
descriptive,
generic
as
to
some
character
which
Polynesian
perception
sees
shared
by
whale
ivory
and
nacre.
Rei
kauaha
is
not
this
rei;
in
the
Maori
whakarei
designates
the
carved
work
at
bow
and
stern
of
the
canoe
and
Tahiti
has
the
same
use
but
without
particularizing
the
carving:
assuming
a
sense
descriptive
of
something
which
projects
in a
relatively
thin
and
flat
form
from
the
main
body,
and
this
describes
these
canoe
ornaments,
it
will
be
seen
that
it
might
be
applied
to
the
fins
of
fishes,
which
in
these
waters
are
frequently
ornamental
in
hue
and
shape.
The
latter
sense
is
confined
to
the
Tongafiti
migration.
Reirei,
to
trample
down,
to
knead,
to
pound.
Churchill.
Pau.:
Rei-hopehopega,
nape.
Churchill.
Mg.
Reiga,
Spirit
leaping-place.
Oral
Traditions. |
| REINGA
'At Mangaia the spirits of those who ignobly died 'on a pillow' wandered about disconsolately over the rocks near the margin of the sea until the day appointed by their leader comes (once a year).
Many months might elapse ere the projected departures of the ghost took place. This weary interval was spent in dances and revisiting their former homes, where the living dwell affectionately remembered by the dead. At night fall they would wander amongst the trees and plantations nearest to these dwellings, sometimes venturing to peep inside. As a rule these ghosts were well disposed towards their own living relatives; but often became vindictive if a pet child was ill-treated by a stepmother or other relatives etc.'
'Eventually the spirits would depart from known reinga, spirit leaping-places. Such leaping-places also existed on other islands. Even after this departure some spirit intrusions from the underworld were possible.' (Oral Traditions) |
| '...there are many little heaps of stones here and there on the bank along the Sea Coast, two or three of the uppermost stones of these piles are generally white, perhaps always so when the pile is compleat: it can hardly be doubted but these piles of stones have some meaning tho' we do not know it.' Beaglehole states that these piles of stones are temporary burial places. |
Maybe the
complex glyph
Ca7-1 describes
how the spirit
of the old month
is leaving to
make room for
the new month?
The spirit must
wait until the
day 'appointed
by the leader'
(once a month).
I cannot enter
into a
description of
this at moa.
It must wait. I
think the right
place is at
pure, which
glyph type
probably has to
do with the
spirits waiting
for their
pilgrimage to
heaven.
The whispering
spirits are
contrasted with
the loudly
speaking live
people:
... The people (mahingo)
listened as he
spoke. The king
called out to
his guardian
spirits (akuaku),
Kuihi and
Kuaha, in
a loud voice:
'Let the voice
of the rooster
of Ariana
crow softly. The
stem with many
roots (i.e., the
king) is
entering!' The
king fell down,
and Hotu A
Matua died.
Then all the
people began to
lament with loud
voices ...
The rooster of
Ariana
crowed softly -
it was a moa
of Hiva.
When the moa
of Hiva
is crowing it
means a new
spirit is being
born in the
spirit world.
Death here is
birth in Hiva.
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