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Let us start with the pairing together of glyphs and birds by sorting them just as given, to see if that gives us any clues:

Red here means the time of the sun. If GD32 (toko te ragi) may be indicated also with a head en face, then we may see 7 + 4 = 11 such signs. If en face heads are not counted we get 7 + 2 = 9 GD32.

9 is a sum more understandable than 11, because that number could represent the number of 28-night months measured out to the 'sun' before 'moon' will rule.

Possibly we should add GD18 (niu) to the 'pillars', and by that addition reach 12 respectively 10. As the Tahitian ana were 10 in number, however, we probably should avoid this addition; because 10 is the number of pillars needed to define 9 periods.

How do we reach 10? Either by adding niu and disregarding en face heads (7 + 2 + 1) or by disregarding both niu and the 'dead pillar' Aa1-11 (7 + 1 + 2).

I do not feel inclined to disregard en face heads. They seem to be more important than the (other) toko te ragi. We have (tentatively) identified the right part of Aa1-15 with Polaris and at Aa1-10 the 'sun' seems to have reach his end, such important points must (reasonably) be counted.

Recounting we then get 7 + (1 + 2) - having disregarded Aa1-11. The 'ear-eyes' are 3 in number (1 at Aa1-10 and 2 at Aa1-15), which I guess alludes to the wives of the sun. Ears are female and eyes are male. Maybe 1 'ear-eye' marks the end of the 'sun' and 2 'ear-eyes' mark the end of the 'moon'?

We have earlier discussed manu tara and her 4 chickens (pi riuriu, kava eoeo, te verovero, ka araara). The arrangement above locates the 5 manu tara birds at the earliest possible places. Maybe that is as it should. In the middle of the night we have (Aa1-43) the 'ignition' of new light, probably symbolized by a piece of wood:

There should be a similarity in pattern between the circuits of the year and the day. The theory of correspondences ruled. Affirmation is seen e.g. in the fact that in the 9th period of the day sun is leaving:

and by the fact that there are 10 periods in the day calendar of Tahua.

Manu tara is a messenger of light. Comparison with the day and night calendar of Tahua suggests that after the ''birth' of a new 'day' (at midnight) there will still be darkness until 'dawn'. The 4 juvenile stages (before the new generation will fly) should be located in darkness. The 45 days before hatching should be added to the time of the 4 juvenile stages in order to reach the time of 'take-off'.

5 * 28 - 45 nights = 140 - 45 = 95 nights from hatching to 'take-off'?

Polaris should mark the time of egg-laying and Aa1-1--2 could represent the 45 days of brooding (although 2 * 28 = 56).

"The list ends with the name tavi. I was told that tavi is a small, lead-coloured bird that lives on the little islets (motu) off the coast. He is supposed to look like the tuvi, the gray tern, and ows his name to his call." (Barthel 2)

According to Vanaga tuvi means 'mark on fishing line to indicate a number of fathoms, made with mahute fibre'.

The colour lead suggests Saturn, the carrion bird. He should live outside the 'banana plantation'. Tuvi, the 14th bird on the list should mark the end of the 'island', i.e. possible be equated with Aa1-14 (because tuao also must have a place).

Tuao is an important bird:

"The dark brown tern with a round tail is called tuao. It belongs to a group of four birds, mentioned together in a recitation in the following order (Barthel 1960:854):

The order appears to correspond to a color scheme, which in turn may refer to the cardinal points of direction:

On the immigrant list the positions 9, 15, 7, and 6 are taken up by this tetrad. The existing irregularity (number 15) can be eleminated by putting tuao in the eighth position. The result is a reverse sequence." (Barthel 2)

Well now, this is interesting. If we can define the 4 pillars marking the cardinal directions in space we should also be able to locate them in time. But in this bewildering maze we must proceed step by step. First, therefore, I will document in a new table the correspondences to enable a 'bird's eye view':

Once again we can see that names are important and that they tend to reflect other words in a crooked way. By a little change makohe (the frigate bird) is transformed into mahaki. Is this just in my imagination? Is this just by chance? Or does it carry meaning?

We note a similar resemblance between uri and ohiro, and between mea and tua. The resemblances are not great, in fact quite easy to miss. Maybe these small resemblances are there because they are needed in the rythmic patterns of recitations?

Before following in the next step of Barthel's argumentation it must be noted that tuao (as reflected in a supposed connection with Aa1-15) should mark one of the cardinal directions and, if so, that direction should rather be 'north' (the X-area) than the 'west'.

Tavake, the tropic bird, filled the hole of Kuukuu: 'Through the meeting with Nga Tavake, the representative of the original population in the area north of Rano Kau, the number of the explorers is once again complete.' Tavake therefore also seems to be an important 'pillar'.

Motu tavake is one of the small islands mentioned in Vanaga (at the word motu).

Connecting, as Barthel does, Tavake with tua seems right, because he took the place of Kuukuu (which I guess is the sun). At the back (tua) of the sun we find Tavake.

Barthel suggests that there is something wrong in the 'immigrant list':

He wants to put tuao in the 8th position (where kena is). That would make the 4-group come close together in the order kukuru toua, makohe, tuao, and tavake. That tavake is at the end seems reasonable - a mark for the fact that sun (kuukuu) has departed. But tuao is dark brown and therefore should mark the end of the astronomical year, I think.

I am not convinced that the proposed reformation of the immigrant list is meaningful. I think they knew what they were doing. Where would kena go? It cannot - I think - go to place no. 15, because that is the place of exit, not the place of entering.

The kena bird should rather be relocated to the 1st place, where the manu tara mother is. That would reshuffle the first line above into:

The cardinal directions suggested by Barthel do not make any sense at all in this time table.