TRANSLATIONS
The success with hau tea (GD41) should make us try also with ihe tau (GD45), because that sign probably indicates its opposite - no light, the domain of the dead. From my definition of GD45 we can fetch this set of ordered variants:
3 of the variants belong on side a, 2 on side b. Whatever the exact meaning may be of these variants, we should notice that Ab5-3 and the parallel Aa4-66 cannot be classified as belonging to any of the 5 variants in the set above:
Aa4-66 does resemble variant 3, but is not bulging out enough, whereas the left part of Ab5-3 is bulging out more than variant 5. The 'foot' resembles the 'foot' in variant 4. To train our eyes and to define the variants we should list some of the signs (red):
As next step we should try to correlate with the structure of the year as defined by hau tea and the 'parallel' sequence of glyphs Aa-1--12:
Judging from whether there is an opening at top left (in hau tea) or not, I have marked with red respectively black. I have used blue to mark the transition periods: 6 red, 4 black and 2 blue. The ihe tau in Aa1-11 and Aa1-12 do not belong to any of the five variants above. Aa1-11 seems abnormal, but Aa1-12 is somewhat similar to the left part of Ab5-3:
There is a little opening at left bottom in Aa1-12, but in Ab5-3 there is a little opening at right bottom. Possibly the openings indicate a 'break of the season', koti. After Aa1-12 a new year starts (with Aa1-1) and after Ab5-3 maybe a new 'moon' will begin. Though more probable it is the waxing moon which 'dies'. The first 4 of the 6 red-marked 'months' (the glyphs associated with Aa4-43, Aa4-46, Aa4-54 and Aa4-70) do not include any of the five variants of ihe tau, which is reasonable because of the total dominance of light (life) over darkness (death) during that season. This fact does not mean, however, that ihe tau glyphs are absent from spring equinox to midsummer (or rather: among the glyphs from Aa4-43 to Aa4-70). According to the glyph catalogue:
Aa4-48, Aa4-51 and Aa4-66 seem to constitute a 3-member group resembling variant 3, though they are thinner:
Maybe Aa4-65--66 therefore tells us that spring is leaving because sun now stands high:
Aa4-65 indicates 'leaving' by the sign of the sleepy head, GD 54 (moe). It is the head of the sun which is 'sleepy', while the bottom part of the glyph belongs to GD11 (manu rere), the bird standing on top. There are contrary signs: both 'noon' and 'descent in the west'. Because of 'noon' (midsummer - the standing 'bird') inclining its head toward west (soon night will arrive) spring is no longer with us (tomb stone). I guess that events flow toward right, therefore the sleepy noon bird should be mentioned first (when reading the text). Agent first, result afterwards.
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