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TRANSLATIONS
Synchronism: "To beguile the time while thus windbound, Lonoikamakahiki and Kaikilani frequently amused themselves with a game of 'Konane', resembling the game of draughts, played on a checkered board with white and black squares. Guile means 'insidious cunning' (English Etymology). It was Time they played against, I think. Rogo-ika-ma-tahiti and Tai-ki-rangi possibly are their names spelled more recognizable. The Time is new year, I believe, because Rogo appears (like a 'fish', ika). Tahiti was used in a similar way as Hiva was used on Easter Island, the land beyond the horizon where the spirits (and foreigners) 'lived'. And the sea (tai) in (ki) the sky (ragi) lies 'around' midwinter. Although the myth so far indicates an amusement, not two opposing players (with Kaikilani impersonating Time), the checkered white and black board is no place for amusement, it is a serious game board. We should remember how in ancient Egypt Thoth played draughts with the Moon (not with Ra who had cursed Isis) and how Thoth won 5 consecutive 'times' located beyond the sun god's 360, wherewith to allow Isis to give birth to 5 gods. There is a 'crack in time' at new year. One day while thus occupied, seated in the open air, the faint sound as of some one hailing from the top of the overhanging Pali of 'Puupaneenee' reached the players. 'Seated in the open air' suggests how Plutarch told us Ra used Shu (the god between heaven and earth) to 'brutally separate' Nut and Geb. Pali is pari, but Puu-pa-neenee is more difficult. Neenee could be Hawaiian for nekeneke (walking without legs, like the stone statues on Easter Island).
Again the hail was repeated, and distinct and clear these words came down on the astounded ears of Lono: - 'E, Kaikilani alii wahine o Puna - E, E aa mai ana ia oe koś ipo; o ke ku a Kalaulipali, o Uli, o Heakekoa!' ('Ho, Kaikilani! your lover Heakekoa, the son of Kalaulipali and Uli, is longing for you.) We remember the reason why Ra made Shu separate heaven and earth: ... Nut, whom the Greeks sometimes identified with Rhea, was goddess of the sky, but it was debatable if in historical times she was the object of a genuine cult. She was Geb's twin sister and, it was said, married him secretly and against the will of Ra ... In Polynesia the daytime sky was male and earth female, otherwise the resemblance is close - with earth and sky being torn apart by Tane, the sun god. By her confusion and her attempts to divert the attention of Lono, Kaikilani confirmed him in his suspicions; and enraged at the infidelity of his wife, as well as at the audacity of the lover thus publicly to affront him, he snatched up the Konane board and struck Kaikilani so violent a blow on the head that she fell senseless and bleeding on the broad flagstones where they had been sitting ..." (Fornander) What alerted me in this story was the checkered board, a sure mythic mark for new year, for instance used by Snorri: ... The earth rises up from the sea again, and is green and beautiful and things grow without sowing. Vidar and Vali are alive, for neither the sea nor the flames of Surt have hurt them and they dwell on the Eddyfield, where once stood Asgard. There come also the sons of Thor, Modi and Magni, and bring along his hammer. There come also Balder and Hoder from the other world. All sit down and converse together. They rehearse their runes and talk of events of old days. Then they find in the grass the golden tablets that the Aesir once played with ... I can add another one from Hamlet's Mill: "A young Egyptian called Setna (or Seton Chamwese) wanted to steal the magic book of Thot from the corpse of Nefer-ka Ptah, one of the great Egyptian gods, who was often portrayed as a mummy. Ptah, however, was awake and asked him: 'Are you able to take this book away with the help of a knowing scribe, or do you want to overcome me at checkerboards? Will you play Fifty-Two?' Setna agreed, and the board with its 'dogs' (pieces) being brought up, Nefer-ka Ptah won a game, spoke a formula, laid the checkerboard upon Setna's head and made him sink into the ground up to his hips. On the third time, he made him sink up to his ears; then Setna cried aloud for his brother, who saved him." The flat board of checkers was used on his head and Setna sank into the ground. The game of Fifty-Two surely must mean the time is 52 * 7 = 364. The flat time of sun has been reached (also pointed out by telling about the flagstones Lono and Kaikilani were sitting on). And Lono (like Ptah the old, mummy-like, year god) used the board on the head of the incriminated (pali) one. I read this in Fornander yesterday evening and thought I recognized the glyphs:
Back to back suggests a quarrel. In the Mamari moon calendar the light player is at left and the dark at right (we can conclude from their numbers):
The time is 'new year' for the month. And another variant of 'new year' appears earlier, where the numbers identify a sun cycle to be ending.
18 + 19 = 37 and 5 * 37 = 185 = (presumably) the number of days in winter. The 'crack in time' (pau) is like the tearing apart of heaven and earth, the myths say. Beyond comes Te Pito, from which a new time-space will grow. I have not translated Konane, the game resembling Fifty-Two. Possibly -ne is neke and Kona equal to Toga. |
