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TRANSLATIONS
The link 'period 29' leads to:
In Kb4-14 henua is cut obliquely at the bottom and we can compare with Kb1-3 where henua is cut obliquely at the top end:
The tapering ends may mean the disappearance of the half-years in these periods (29 respectively 12). The 12th period would be the end of the 1st half-year, but the end of the 2nd half-year is not at 24 (as in the E calendar). The top end of henua refers to the high sky in midsummer, I suppose, and the bottom end refers to the low sun in winter. We remember the hand-with-thumb held towards zenith (as if pushing the sky up) in the 8th period:
I am currently rereading Makemson and feet seem to refer to the horizon (i.e. earth): "Myths of gods dwelling in the sky above the primeval sea and the creation of earth from a stone dropped into the water are dramatically related by the American Indians. The following example from the Pawnees is told by Alexander: In the beginning Tirawa, chief of the Tirawahut, the great Circle of the Heavens, and his wife Atira, Sky-vault, called a council of all the celestial beings in order to lay out the pattern of the sky. Sakuru, Sun, was stationed in the east where he was to bestow light and warmth. Pah, Moon, was placed in the west to illumine the night. Bright Star, evening luminary, was set in the west to be the mother of all things. Great Star, star of dawn, was a valiant warrior. His duty was to stand in the east and drive people toward the west where the Sun descends to the shades and the time-honored egress from earth to the netherworld is situated. Star-that-does-not-move was stationed at the north to be star chief of the skies. In the south was set Spirit-star which could be seen only at a certain time of year. Four other stars were appointed to stand at the northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest to hold the heavens up, there to remain as long as the heavens endure. 'You shall touch the sky with your hands and your feet shall touch the earth.' Tirawa commanded them ..." "496. Poutu-te-rangi, Pillar-of-the-sky; an important Maori star ruling February-March in one calendar and giving its name to the tenth month, March-April, in another, thus becoming the patron of the sweet potato harvest. The Ngati-awa termed this star 'the leader or conductor of the year', indicating the small regard paid to the eleventh and twelfth months. Best and Stowell indentify Poutu-te-rangi with Altair in Aquila, and possibly with the whole constellation. Williams found the name to be applied to Antares. This is significant as showing the former connection with the Tahitians with whom Antares was Ana-mua, Entrance-pillar of the dome of the sky, while Altair was not included among the ten star pillars. It is therefore strange to find Altair elevated to so high a position in parts of New Zealand. Antares, on the other hand, was a most important star, serving to mark the change from winter so summer or vice versa in New Zealand, the Marquesas, and the Gilbert Islands. In Tuamotuan cosmogony, Pou-o-te-rangi is the great central pillar of the heavens, but does not appear in lists of stars. A sage of the Tuhoe tribe explained the use of Poutu-te-rangi as a name for Rehua, Antares, in the following statement: 'When his feet alight on earth (i.e., the star is on the horizon) he is Poutu-te-rangi; but when only one foot has so alighted, he is still Rehua.'" When Tane in New Zealand used his feet to push the sky up, I guess it was due to the fact that immigrants from the north had a constellation Tane, which was standing on his feet north of the equator pushing the sky up with his hands. In the new location, with Tane standing on his head, it must be his feet which were pushing the southern sky up. The rongorongo text lines curiously begin at the bottom end, flowing rightwards, then turning up and flowing backwards with glyphs standing upside down. Maybe the beginning at the bottom end suggests a flip-around of an ancient text system beginning at the top end? On Easter Island the beginning in the south (toga) at Vinapu and in winter would be reenacted each year by raising the sky dome in spring (east, the domain of the shark). This movement would be to the right, with spring equinox corresponding to the Poike peninsula. Then there is a turnaround (just as in the tail of mago in Ka4-14). The movement goes north and towards the sands of Anakena, and if the face all the time is turned landwards (uta) the travel still is to the right (the male direction of the sun). For an observer staying behind at Vinapu, though, the movement will now be seen as going to the left (the female direction), and in a way the head has been turned upside down. The statues (moai) have their faces turned landwards. Only a couple in the west have their faces turned to the west (towards Hiva):
The other side, tai, which cannot see the face of the sun is like the back side of the Gateway of the Sun. The symmetry on the front side can be explained as due to the symmetry around the equator. Earlier I wrote: ... The 'path of the sun' in the Gateway of the Sun is 'false' in a way. There is no difference between the right and left sides ... and that is obviously wrong. The time from spring equinox to autumn equinox is not the same as the time from autumn equinox to spring equinox. Why have they made right and left sides alike? I believe the answer is not only because of a wish for symmetry. I think it goes deeper than that. You cannot in a grand picture of the Sun show the time when he doesn't rule, when he is absent (from us). Therefore only the time from spring equinox to autumn equinox is relevant. (Similar to the way in which in the calendar of the day in Q only the time until noon is relevant.) So the right side is just a mirror-image of the left ... 'After noon the real sun is not there.' The mirror-image must however be there in order to show the 'circular path' of the sun ... A grand picture of the sun will show him for the whole year - but the left side will be his appearance on the other side of the equator when we cannot see him. Looking north, on Easter Island, we can see the sun during the day, in the night he is not there. But, we know, during the night he is shining on the opposite side of the earth. He is always shining towards the earth. When we see him arrive in the east he is like a shark coming from up the sea to walk on our land. Land (uta) is higher than the sea. "The American Indians also relate stories of the emergence of their progenitors from the Underworld and the subsequent elevation of the sky. Among the Zunis it was the Earth-mother who, foreboding evil to come, repulsed the Sky-father and sank into the embrace of the all-pervading waters. She withheld her progeny for a long period, so that her first children were forced to traverse the 'fourfold womb of the world' before emerging into full day. Likewise in a Marquesan myth Papa-uka [Papa-uta], World-above, pressed hard on Papa-ao, World-below, and from their union were born Atea, Tane, and other gods. Long they lived in their gloomy subterranean cavern in horror of great darkness, longing for the region of light from which they were excluded. Finally they resolved to find a way out of the dark body of the Earth-mother. Atea stamped his foot mightily and the rock walls were split open affording a passage out into the world of light." (Makemson)
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