TRANSLATIONS

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The last page from 'Excursion':

 
As our next step we can include a beautiful double Rei (Pa3-4), the primary viri glyph (Pb9-21) and a gnomon-like Pb10-1 which is connected by 29 glyphs to the primary viri:
 
896 = 28 * 32 11 17 115
Pa3-3 Pa3-4 Pb9-21 Pb9-33 Pb10-1
115 116 1013 1025 1043
116 = 4 * 29 29 116 = 4 * 29

We have now wiped away 16 * 26 and 19 * 26 to make room for new facts. Redmarked numbers are 116 + 29 + 116 = 9 * 29 = 261, which we recognize as an important viri measurement from the text of G:

261 = 9 * 29
Gb1-6 Ga1-26

261 + 896 = 1157, one glyph has not been counted. It is te pito (Pb9-33).

896 = 28 * 32 are those glyphs which lie between the double Rei in Pa3-4 and the first of the 3 viri (Pb9-21). 28 alludes to the number of nights in a month when moon is illuminated by the rays from the sun. 896 glyphs are used for describing the light part of the year, while 261 glyphs are used for the dark part.

The dark part of the year can alternatively be described as 19 * 39:

493 247 = 13 * 19 415
Pa10-1 Pb9-33 Pa3-3
531 1025 115
494 = 26 * 19 0 416 = 16 * 26

19 * 39 + 16 * 26 = 741 + 416 = 1157, once again Pb9-33 is not counted. Both expressions (9 * 29 and 19 * 39) are using 9 to indicate darkness. Turning 9 upside down we will have 6, the sign of light (as in 16 * 26 = 416).

Evidence point at the rongorongo writers being acquainted with a numerical system based on ten (9 digits + zero), which does not mean they borrowed the system from the civilizations in the west. It was the predecessors of the Maya Indians who 'invented' zero long before it was known in India or Europe.

There is some resemblance between the double Rei (Pa3-4) and the viri glyph type, but I do not think they are opposites - our experience from G shows that.

Maybe the design of the double Rei is influenced by viri. Counting in ordinary manner there are 897 = 3 * 299 glyphs from Pa3-4 to Pb9-21. Maybe this indicates 3 seasons in the light. We should take a look at the glyphs with ordinal numbers 299 and 598 counted from the double Rei:

298 296
a3-3 Pa3-4 Pa7-40 Pa7-41 Pa7-42
115 116 415 416 417
- 0 299 300 301
297
Pb4-15 Pb4-16 Pb9-21 Pb9-22 Pb9-23
714 716 1013 1014 1015
598 599 897 898 899

Certainly the glyphs indicate some kind of coordination. For instance between manu rere in positions 598 and 898 (300 glyphs apart). Rei in Pa7-41 is 300 glyphs beyond the double Rei. The measure is not 299 but 300, it seems. The 3 hanau (Pa7-42, Pb4-16 and Pb9-23) surely belong together.

It is the pare glyph type which is the opposite of viri. Pare is a figure with 'eyes', viri is a figure without 'eyes'. When sorting glyphs I included for instance Sa1-219 in the pare group:

The top has two mata, one in each direction. The idea introduced at the beginning of the viri part in the glyph dictionary about viri showing 'empty eye-sockets' is quite reasonable. Metoro said vaha at Ab7-26:

Ab7-24 Ab7-25 Ab7-26
i tona henua kua mau ia - i tona hue i te vaha

Vaha means 'hollow':

Vaha

Hollow; opening; space between the fingers (vaha rima); door cracks (vaha papare). Vahavaha, to fight, to wrangle, to argue with abusive words. Vanaga.

1. Space, before T; vaha takitua, perineum. PS Mgv.: vaha, a space, an open place. Mq.: vaha, separated, not joined. Ta.: vaha, an opening. Sa.: vasa, space, interval. To.: vaha, vahaa, id. Fu.: vasa, vāsaà, id. Niuē: vahā. 2. Muscle, tendon; vahavaha, id. Vahahora (vaha 1 - hora 2), spring. Vahatoga (vaha 1 - toga 1), autumn. 3. Ta.: vahavaha, to disdain, to dislike. Ha.: wahawaha, to hate, to dislike.  Churchill.

Vahahora (spring) could be the correct reading of Ka2-5 ('death' implies 'rebirth') and vahatoga (autumn) could be the reading of Kb1-14:

end of the 1st half year
Pb9-21 Pb9-23 Kb1-14
end of the 2nd half year
Pb9-24 Pb9-26 Kb4-6
end of the whole year
Pb9-29 Pb9-32 Pb9-33 Ka2-5

But we must not forget Pa7-42 and Pb4-16 - cfr above - which probably are to be coordinated with hanau in Pb9-23 and Pb9-26.

Pb9-21 would then be thicker than the other two because vahatoga implies a real vacancy where the head of the sun used to be. Maybe the beginning of August (Hora iti) was new year time according to the rongorongo writers, and maybe the beginning of February was vahatoga.

The agricultural year began in Hora iti and in Tehetu'upú 'some sweet potatoes' were planted 'where there are a lot of stones' - a new generation of 'sweet potatoes' is needed, the old ones have gone:

1st quarter

2nd quarter

3rd quarter

4th quarter

He Anakena (July)

Tagaroa uri (October)

Tua haro (January)

Vaitu nui (April)

Same as the previous month.

Cleaning up of the fields. Fishing is no longer taboo. Festival of thanksgiving (hakakio) and presents of fowl.

Fishing. Because of the strong sun very little planting is done.

Planting of sweet potatoes.

Hora iti (August)

Ko Ruti (November)

Tehetu'upú (February)

Vaitu poru (May)

Planting of plants growing above the ground (i.e., bananas, sugarcane, and all types of trees). Good time to fish for eel along the shore.

Cleaning of the banana plantations, but only in the morning since the sun becomes too hot later in the day. Problems with drought. Good month for fishing and the construction of houses (because of the long days).

Like the previous month. Some sweet potatoes are planted where there are a lot of stones (pu).

Beginning of the cold season. No more planting. Fishing is taboo, except for some fishing along the beach. Harvesting of paper mulberry trees (mahute). Making of tapa capes (nua).

Hora nui (September)

Ko Koró (December)

Tarahao (March)

He Maro (June)

Planting of plants growing below the ground (i.e., sweet potatoes, yams, and taro). A fine spring month.

Because of the increasing heat, work ceases in the fields. Time for fishing, recreation, and festivities. The new houses are occupied (reason for the festivities). Like the previous month, a good time for surfing (ngaru) on the beach of Hangaroa O Tai.

Sweet potatoes are planted in the morning; fishing is done in the afternoon.

Because of the cold weather, nothing grows (tupu meme), and there is hardly any work done in the fields. Hens grow an abundance of feathers, which are used for the festivities. The time of the great festivities begins, also for the father-in-law (te ngongoro mo te hungavai). There is much singing (riu).

I am writing this (as if by chance) in the evening of December 31.