I happened to
notice how the
unique and
curious Gb2-16
could be an
image of the
'tree at
zenith':
The hero climbed
easily up '...
since the way to
the nest was
like a stairway
...'
... The Indian
took off his
clothing and
started to climb
up the cliff,
which he found
quite an easy
task, since the
way to the nest
was like a
stairway. But
the Trickster
commanded that
the peak
increase in
height. He made
the sides
completely
smooth so that
the Indian was
unable to come
back down and
remained
stranded at the
top ...
The 'berries' at
left are
striving
upwards, those
at right are
hanging down.
The number
pattern 4 + 3
(though the last
'berry' has been
'picked') agrees
with that in
Ca1-20:
At left - in
Gb2-16 - there
are 4 'feathers'
on the inside
(of the sky
roof?) shining
on the central
'stem' (earth?),
while there are
none at the
right (except,
possibly, 1 at
the bottom
outside -
meaning the new
fire?).
Though the
pattern rather
suggests 4
unripe sun
berries striving
up before
'noon', followed
by 2 ripe ones
hanging down and
a 3rd which has
fallen down. 6
is the living
sun, the 7th
will be ihe
kuukuu:
|
|
|
|
Aa1-5 |
Aa1-6 |
Aa1-7 |
Aa1-8 |
ko
te
moa |
e
noho
ana
ki
te
moa |
e
moa
te
erueru |
e
moa
te
kapakapa |
|
|
|
|
Aa1-9 |
Aa1-10 |
Aa1-11 |
Aa1-12 |
e
moa
te
herehua |
ka
hora
ka
tetea |
ihe
kuukuu
ma
te
maro |
ki
te
henua |
If the
'stairway' only
exists on the
way up, then it
must be - if we
identify Gb2-16
with the
'bird-nester'
story - the 4
inside
'feathers' which
constitutes the
'stairway'.
I think it is
worthwile to
make a detour
and inspect the
surrounding
glyphs. We
should not miss
the opportunity
to get a
foothold on the
'back side' of
Small Santiago
Tablet.
First we advance
forward in time:
7
dark half-months
(twigs) in
Ca1-20 + 2 * 6
'living sun'
half-months
could be the
meaning behind
19 ('the death
of the sun', cfr
29 for the
moon).
Winter: 7 * 26 =
182 and summer:
12 * 15 = 180.
Beyond the
'bird-nester'
autumn will
follow, i.e. the
season of the
turtle:
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ga5-4 |
Ga5-5 |
Ga5-6 |
Ga5-7 |
Ga5-8 |
Ga5-9 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ga5-10 |
Ga5-11 |
Ga5-12 |
Ga5-13 |
Ga5-14 |
Ga5-15 |
Ga5-16 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ga5-17 |
Ga5-18 |
Ga5-19 |
Ga5-20 |
Ga5-21 |
20 |
|
|
|
The
right
part
of
Ga5-10
resembles
Gb2-22. |
Ga5-22 |
Ga5-23 |
Ga5-24 |
|
|
|
|
|
Ga5-25 |
Ga5-26 |
Ga5-27 |
Ga5-28 |
Ga5-29 |
If we go
backwards (in
time from
Gb2-16) there
appears to be a
continuation in
theme all the
way back to the
beginning of the
text on side b,
indeed even
continuing from
the text at the
end of side a.
Possibly it
means there is
some kind of
calendar for the
year also at the
beginning of
side b.
Let us just take
a quick look at
some of the
glyphs:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gb1-21 |
Gb1-22 |
Gb1-23 |
Gb1-24 |
Gb1-25 |
Gb1-26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gb2-1 |
Gb2-2 |
Gb2-3 |
Gb2-4 |
Gb2-5 |
Gb2-6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gb2-7 |
Gb2-8 |
Gb2-9 |
Gb2-10 |
Gb2-11 |
Gb2-12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gb2-13 |
Gb2-14 |
Gb2-15 |
Gb2-16 |
Gb2-17 |
Gb2-18 |
The strange and
symmetric Gb2-14
probably
illustrates
summer solstice.
Gb2-13 and
Gb2-15, located
symmetrically
around,
have a common
shape alluding
to vaha kai
(GD75) with and
'undulation' at
the top, as seen
for instance in
Qa7-116:
At the top of
the 'tree' we
should find the
'nest':
"... The central
pole of the
ceremonial lodge
[of the Arapaho
Sun-Dance
Ritual], which
is also, of
course, the
tallest, is
attributed to
the sun's wife:
a digging stick,
placed
horizontally at
the top,
represents the
one the heroine
placed across
the hole in the
celestial vault
to hold the rope
she used to
climb back down
to earth ...
But ... at a
lower level,
there is also a
forked stick
stuck into the
ground - a kind
of miniature
central pole
since both are
forked - which
bears the effigy
or remains of a
small bird, the
symbol of a
different return
to the earth,
i.e., the
bird-nester's
descent. The
Arapaho are
aware, then, of
a structural
homology between
the two myths
..." (The Naked
Man)
Riding on the
back of geese,
or climbing a
rope, the two
main roads back
to earth from
the sky. The
forked stick is
a miniature (I
think) of the
forked tree in
which the
sun-bird takes a
rest, meeting
with his wife,
the moon.
Gb2-14 may
illustrate the
union, two eyes
and a variant of
ragi with
sun and a moon
sickle as a
single unit.
At the same time
the forked stick
symbolizes the
'death' of the
sun. We should
remember what
happens beyond
noon, and I
think it will
here be useful
to
'recapitulate'
(once again
cut the head
off and return
to the origin):
|
|
Aa1-26 |
Aa1-27 |
This
is
the
6th
period
and
noon
has
passed.
The
sun
has
started
his
voyage
down
towards
the
western
horizon
and
darkness,
illustrated
by
the
Y-sign
on
top
(future).
Afternoon
is a
reversal
of
morning.
The
right
part
of
Aa1-26
shows
this
turn
around
and
the
same
message
is
seen
in
the
orientation
of
tapa
mea.
The
sun
in
Aa1-26
has
another
appearance
than
before
noon,
it
is
no
longer
compressed:
Moreover,
before
noon
his
left
'shoulder'
(upper
right
'flame'
seen
from
us)
is
like
a
finger
pointing
right
(seen
from
us).
Now,
beginning
with
the
right
part
of
the
noon
glyph
(5)
this
'flame'
is
bent
upwards.
And
also
the
left
'flame'
is
similarly
bent.
The
meaning
ought
to
be
that
sun
now
is
high
in
the
sky.
The
mid
upper
'flame'
is
converted
into
the
shape
of
Y.
This
is a
sign
similar
to
the
double
mid-flame
in
the
first
period
(1).
The
similarity
in
form
implies
similarity
in
meaning.
Therefore
we
should
understand
it
to
mean
'darkness'.
This
sun,
at a
quick
glance,
looks
like
an
inverted
'fish-sun':
The
meaning
of
'fish-sun'
is
that
sun
is
moving
quickly
(quick
as a
fish),
i.e.
he
is
full
of
life.
If
we
invert
this
type
of
glyph
and
change
the
tail
of
the
fish
we
reach
a
sun
with
Y at
the
top.
This,
then
should
mean
a
sun
having
no
more
life,
no
longer
growing.
'...
ín
the
second
half
of
life,
when,
as
Dr.
Jung
has
so
frequently
stated,
'man's
values
and
even
his
body
tend
to
undergo
a
reversal
into
opposite'.
Old
men
become
womanish,
old
women
mannish,
the
fear
of
life
becomes
a
fear
of
death.
And
so
now
it
is
the
dry
branches,
not
the
green,
of
the
universal
tree
around
which
the
heavens
spin that
must
be
grasped
and
painfully
climbed.'
(Campbell)
As
regards
Aa1-27
we
should
notice
that
this
reversed
tapa
mea
is
exactly
as
the
reversed
tapa
mea
in
the
1st
period:
|
|
Aa1-17 |
Aa1-27 |
1 |
6 |
And
these
two
reversed
signs
differ
not
only
in
orientation
from
the
normal
(in
Tahua)
tapa
mea.
The
upper
group
of
three
marks
are
oriented
more
upwards
than
usual
and
the
one
in
the
middle
is
longer,
not
shorter
as
in
tapa
mea
oriented
in
the
normal
direction:
|
|
|
|
Aa1-19 |
Aa1-21 |
Aa1-23 |
Aa1-25 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
We
also
can
see
that
the
reversed
tapa
mea
are
slimmer.
Altogether
(reversal
of
the
orientation
of
the
glyph,
reversal
of
the
length
of
the
mark
in
the
middle
of
the
top
three,
slimmer
'body',
more
upwards
oriented
marks
in
the
top
half
of
the
glyph)
signifies
'darkness'.
At a
cardinal
point
there
is
no
order,
i.e.
no
'light'.
...
Chi
Khang
Tzu
asked
Master
Khung
[Confucius]
about
the
art
of
ruling.
The
Master
said,
'Ruling
(cheng,
government)
is
straightening
(chêng,
rectifying).
If
you
lead
a
straight
way,
who
will
dare
go
by a
crooked
one?'
(Needham
2)
Order
must
be
banned
at a
cardinal
point,
because
at
such
a
point
there
must
be
change,
a
disintegration
of
what
has
ruled
up
to
that
point,
a
new
world
of
events
and
habits
is
due.
The
world
of
morning
is
over
and
the
world
of
after
noon
has
arrived,
filled
with
events
of a
different
kind
than
the
events
of
morning.
After
the
cardinal
point
it
will
be
clear
what
to
do,
i.e.
vision
returns.
Light
arrives
again.
The
acient
Egyptians
observed
the
stars
and
the
circumpolar
stars
they
regarded
as
qualitatively
different
from
the
ordinary
stars
which
arrived
at
the
eastern
horizon
and
later
disappeard
behind
the
western
horizon.
The
circumpolar
stars
had
a
circular
motion,
whereas
the
ordinary
ones
went
straight
across
the
sky.
'The
inscriptions
relating
to
one
of
the
very
earliest
of
the
illustrations
refers
to
Horus,
'the
great
god,
the
light
of
the
heavens,
the
lord
of
Edfû,
the
bright
ray
which
appears
on
the
horizon'.
The
myth,
therefore,
I
take
it,
simply
means
that
the
rising
sun
destroys
the
circumpolar
stars.
These
stars
are
represented
in
the
earliest
forms
of
the
myth
either
by
the
crocodile
or
the
hippopotamus;
of
course
they
disappeared
(or
were
killed)
at
sunrise.
Horus,
the
bright
ray
on
the
horizon,
is
victorious
by
destroying
the
crocodile
and
the
hippopotamus,
which
represent
the
powers
of
darkness.'
(Lockyer)
Let
us
now
return
to
Aa1-26.
We
can
observe
that
hakaturou
(Metoro's
name
for
the
right
part
of
the
glyph)
is
not
only
relevant
but
also
quite
to
the
point:
To come down, to go down, to descend; ka-turu-age koe ki tai, go down to the sea now; turuga, coming down, descent. Vanaga.
1. To fall in drops, to flow, to leak, to descend, a drop; turu ki tai, to take refuge at sea; hakaturu, to cause to descend, to lower, to take soundings; hakaturuturu, to heave and pitch. 2. To stay, to prop. 3. To come, to arrive, to overcome; tehe e turu, through and through; hakarava hakaturu, quadrangular. Churchill. |
The
quadrangular
earth
has
one
corner
at
noon,
a
prop
is
located
there.
From
that
there
is
descending,
the
new
rule.
The
bent
toko
te
rangi
(GD32)
we
should
name
hakaturu.
This
hakaturu
glyph
(right
part
of
Aa1-26),
however,
has
more
signs
on
it
than
what
follows
from
the
bending
(GD36).
First
we
notice
that
the
end
point
is
cut
off,
not
tapering
off
as
in
e.g.
the
parallel
glyph
(Pa5-52)
in
the
Large
St
Petersburg
text:
And
then
the
'head'
part
is
connected
to
the
sun
by a
strange
sign:
Possibly
what
is
depicted
is a
toki
(GD79),
an
adze.
This
adze
has
cut
off
the
crooked
path
(as
indicated
by
the
cut
off
end
of
hakaturu).
The
adze
should
signify
the
rule
(of
straightness
and
light
and
order).
Stone
adzes
are
very
old
implements,
and
so
are
the
ideas
connected
with
quadrangular
earth.
The
following
(from
ancient
Malta)
is
illuminating:
'Then
I
become
aware
of
...
a
presence
- a
faint,
ghostly
glimmering,
like
moonglow,
that
has
appeared
on
the
solstice
stone.
I
don't
know
how
long
it
lasts,
a
second
or
two
only
I
would
guess,
but
while
it
is
there
it
seems
less
like
a
projection
-
which
I
know
it
to
be -
than
something
immanent
within
the
stone
itself.
And
it
seems
to
function
as a
herald
for
it
fades
almost
as
soon
as
it
has
appeared
and
in
its
place
the
full
effect
snaps
on -
instantaneously.
It
wasn't
there,
and
then
it's
there.
As
Chris
had
described,
the
effect
does
curiously
resemble
a
poleaxe,
or a
flag
on a
pole,
and
consists
of a
'shaft',
narrow
at
the
base
but
widening
a
little
towards
the
top,
running
up
the
left
hand
side
of
the
solstice
stone,
surmounted
by a
right-facing
'head'
or
'flag'.
An
instant
later
an
almond-shaped
spot
of
light,
like
an
eye,
appears
a
few
centimeters
to
the
right
of
the
'flag'
and
the
effect
is
complete.
Weirdly
- I
do
not
claim
it
has
any
significance
-
this
flag-on-a-pole
symbol
is
the
ancient
Egyptian
hieroglyph
neter,
meaning
'god',
or
'a
god'
-
and
not
to
be
understood
at
all
in
the
Judaeo-Christian
usage
of
that
word
but
rather
as a
reference
to
one
of
the
supernatural
powers
or
principles
that
guide
and
balance
the
universe.
Manifested
here,
in
this
strange
Stone
Age
temple,
it
glows,
as
though
lit
by
inner
fire.'
(Hancock
2)
There
is a
Chinese
/
Japanese
character
meaning
'reform':
At
left
there
is a
snake
and
at
right
a
hand
holding
a
cane
or
stick.
You
must
kill
the
snake
(old
rules
and
habits)
as a
first
step
towards
making
reforms.
This
character
originally
meant
'drive
off
serpents'
(a
symbol
of
undesirable
things),
and
thus
'clear
an
area'
and
hence
by
extension
'reform'
...
(Henshall) |
Of course, it
may be
coincidences.
Yet, it is
interesting to
find turu
= to fall in
drops, to
descend, to take
refuge at sea,
quadrangular
etc.
The crocodile
(representing
circumpolar
stars in old
Egypt), reminds
me about how the
burnt man became
a cayman and
disappeared into
the water:
...
The other
versions ...
relate how a man
becomes furious
with fire which
has burnt his
nephew. He
orders his
sister to
prepare an oven.
'But where is
the meat?' she
asks.
The man replies,
'With me', and
he lies down on
the burning
stones, which
roast him.
Whereupon, he
gets up, walks
to the river and
(having changed
into a cayman
...) disappears
into the water.
A
long time
afterwards, he
comes back safe
and sound,
bearing no trace
whatever of the
ordeal he has
endured. He
relates how he
has lived in the
land of the fish
and, as a proof,
shows all the
small fish which
have been caught
in his long
hair. They are,
in fact, women,
who a long time
previously gave
up their human
form ...
Let us conclude
this part with a
rope story:
"... the pygmies
of the mountains
of New Guinea
say that the
first man came
down from the
sky by means of
a rope, and
discovered on
earth all the
animals, which
he proceded to
cook in an earth
oven.
He then noticed
that the rope
had been cut.
His wife, whom
he had left
behind in the
sky, heard his
lamentations,
and threw fire
and edible
plants down to
him. Among the
plants were four
cucumbers which
turned into
women, whom he
then married;
they planted his
garden, and bore
him two
daughters and
two sons, who
were the
ancestors of
humanity ..."
(The Naked Man)