|
TRANSLATIONS
Having thus
secured the
connection
between autumn
equinox and
hua poporo,
and once again
arrived at 180
(10) + 182 (13)
+ 3 = 365, this
time by way
of Mamari, the winding
trail goes on to
Ure Honu
and the skull of
king Hotu
Matua:
|
In Manuscript
E (according to Barthel 2) there are clues. Ure Honu had
a banana plantation and when he weeded it a rat appeared which lead him to the skull of King Hotu Matua.
The rat was the kuhane of the old solar king Hotu
Matua.
Ure means
lineage and honu means turtle. Ure Honu is the
name of the successor to the 'honu' (sun
king). Ure Honu, we can understand, is the new king,
because he found the yellow skull in his plantation. He had
received it by the aid of the kuhane (the black rat), he
had the good 'will' of the old king:
"... The
king,
wearing now
a short,
stiff
archaic
mantle,
walks in a
grave and
stately
manner to
the
sanctuary of
the wolf-god
Upwaut,
the 'Opener
of the Way',
where he
anoints the
sacred
standard
and,
preceded by
this,
marches to
the palace
chapel, into
which he
disappears.
A period of
time elapses
during which
the pharaoh
is no longer
manifest.
When he
reappears he
is clothed
as in the
Narmer
palette,
wearing the
kilt with
Hathor
belt and
bull's tail
attatched.
In his right
hand he
holds the
flail
scepter and
in his left,
instead of
the usual
crook of the
Good
Shepherd, an
object
resembling a
small
scroll,
called the
Will, the
House
Document, or
Secret of
the Two
Partners,
which he
exhibits in
triumph,
proclaiming
to all in
attendance
that it was
given him by
his dead
father
Osiris,
in the
presence of
the
earth-god
Geb.
'I have
run', he
cries,
'holding the
Secret of
the Two
Partners,
the Will
that my
father has
given me
before
Geb. I
have passed
through the
land and
touched the
four sides
of it. I
traverse it
as I
desire.' ...
" (Campbell
2)
|
|
We
can identify the black rat with Upwaut, the
wolf-god, the 'Opener of the Way'. There were no
wolves on Easter Island. |
|
The story about
Ure Honu
was introduced,
in the glyph
dictionary, just
a few pages
earlier:
|
"...
Another
year
passed,
and
a
man
by
the
name
of
Ure
Honu
went
to
work
in
his
banana
plantation.
He
went
and
came
to
the
last
part,
to
the
'head'
(i.e.,
the
upper
part
of
the
banana
plantation),
to
the
end
of
the
banana
plantation.
The
sun
was
standing
just
right
for
Ure
Honu
to
clean
out
the
weeds
from
the
banana
plantation.
On
the
first
day
he
hoed
the
weeds.
That
went
on
all
day,
and
then
evening
came.
Suddenly
a
rat
came
from
the
middle
of
the
banana
plantation.
Ure
Honu
saw
it
and
ran
after
it.
But
it
disappeared
and
he
could
not
catch
it.
On
the
second
day
of
hoeing,
the
same
thing
happened
with
the
rat.
It
ran
away,
and
he
could
not
catch
it.
On
the
third
day,
he
reached
the
'head'
of
the
bananas
and
finished
the
work
in
the
plantation.
Again
the
rat
ran
away,
and
Ure
Honu
followed
it.
It
ran
and
slipped
into
the
hole
of a
stone.
He
poked
after
it,
lifted
up
the
stone,
and
saw
that
the
skull
was
(in
the
hole)
of
the
stone.
(The
rat
was)
a
spirit
of
the
skull
(he
kuhane
o te
puoko).
Ure
Honu
was
amazed
and
said,
'How
beautiful
you
are!
In
the
head
of
the
new
bananas
is a
skull,
painted
with
yellow
root
and
with
a
strip
of
barkcloth
around
it.'
Ure
Honu
stayed
for
a
while,
(then)
he
went
away
and
covered
the
roof
of
his
house
in
Vai
Matā.
It
was
a
new
house.
He
took
the
very
large
skull,
which
he
had
found
at
the
head
of
the
banana
plantation,
and
hung
it
up
in
the
new
house.
He
tied
it
up
in
the
framework
of
the
roof
(hahanga)
and
left
it
hanging
there
..."
(Manuscript
E
according
to
Barthel
2) |
In ancient Egypt
the new year was
located at the
time when the
waters in the
Nile suddenly
came down from
Upper Egypt, and
it has been
described
earlier (at
niu) in the
glyph
dictionary:
|
"...
Instead
of
that
old,
dark,
terrible
drama
of
the
king's
death,
which
had
formerly
been
played
to
the
hilt,
the
audience
now
watched
a
solemn
symbolic
mime,
the
Sed
festival,
in
which
the
king
renewed
his
pharaonic
warrant
without
submitting
to
the
personal
inconvenience
of a
literal
death.
The
rite
was
celebrated,
some
authorities
believe,
according
to a
cycle
of
thirty
years,
regardless
of
the
dating
of
the
reigns;
others
have
it,
however,
that
the
only
scheduling
factor
was
the
king's
own
desire
and
command.
Either
way,
the
real
hero
of
the
great
occasion
was
no
longer
the
timeless
Pharaoh
(capital
P),
who
puts
on
pharaohs,
like
clothes,
and
puts
them
off,
but
the
living
garment
of
flesh
and
bone,
this
particular
pharaoh
So-and-so,
who,
instead
of
giving
himself
to
the
part,
now
had
found
a
way
to
keep
the
part
to
himself.
And
this
he
did
simply
by
stepping
the
mythological
image
down
one
degree.
Instead
of
Pharaoh
changing
pharaohs,
it
was
the
pharaoh
who
changed
costumes.
The
season
of
year
for
this
royal
ballet
was
the
same
as
that
proper
to a
coronation;
the
first
five
days
of
the
first
month
of
the
'Season
of
Coming
Forth',
when
the
hillocks
and
fields,
following
the
inundation
of
the
Nile,
were
again
emerging
from
the
waters.
For
the
seasonal
cycle,
throughout
the
ancient
world,
was
the
foremost
sign
of
rebirth
following
death,
and
in
Egypt
the
chronometer
of
this
cycle
was
the
annual
flooding
of
the
Nile.
Numerous
festival
edifices
were
constructed,
incensed,
and
consecrated;
a
throne
hall
wherein
the
king
should
sit
while
approached
in
obeisance
by
the
gods
and
their
priesthoods
(who
in a
crueler
time
would
have
been
the
registrars
of
his
death);
a
large
court
for
the
presentation
of
mimes,
processions,
and
other
such
visual
events;
and
finally
a
palace-chapel
into
which
the
god-king
would
retire
for
his
changes
of
costume.
Five
days
of
illumination,
called
the
'Lighting
of
the
Flame'
(which
in
the
earlier
reading
of
this
miracle
play
would
have
followed
the
quenching
of
the
fires
on
the
dark
night
of
the
moon
when
the
king
was
ritually
slain),
preceded
the
five
days
of
the
festival
itself;
and
then
the
solemn
occasion
(ad
majorem
dei
gloriam)
commenced.
The
opening
rites
were
under
the
patronage
of
Hathor.
The
king,
wearing
the
belt
with
her
four
faces
and
the
tail
of
her
mighty
bull,
moved
in
numerious
processions,
preceded
by
his
four
standards,
from
one
temple
to
the
next,
presenting
favors
(not
offerings)
to
the
gods.
Whereafter
the
priesthoods
arrived
in
homage
before
his
throne,
bearing
the
symbols
of
their
gods.
More
processions
followed,
during
which,
the
king
moved
about
- as
Professor
Frankfort
states
in
his
account
-
'like
the
shuttle
in a
great
loom'
to
re-create
the
fabric
of
his
domain,
into
which
the
cosmic
powers
represented
by
the
gods,
no
less
than
the
people
of
the
land,
were
to
be
woven
..." |
|
Then
follows
the
picture
above
and
the
text
about
Pharaoh
and
Upwaut. |
The Nile has
been mentioned
once more, in
the beginning at
manu rere:
|
2.
At
the
top
level
- at
the
apex
of
the
pyramid
-
the
'bird'
must
be a
bird
of
prey
and
like
a
king.
In
ancient
Egypt
there
was
also
a
special
type
of
bird
to
indicate
this,
the
benu
bird
(named
phoenix
by
the
Greeks).
According
to
Wilkinson
the
benu
bird
was
a
heron
(Ardea
cinerea
-
cǐnis
=
ashes)
and
'...
standing
for
itself
on
an
isolated
rock
or
on a
little
island
in
the
middle
of
the
water
the
heron
was
an
appropriate
image
for
how
the
first
life
appeared
on
the
primary
hill
which
arose
from
the
watery
chaos
at
the
time
of
the
original
creation.'
'Similarly
to
the
sun
the
heron
rose
up
from
the
primary
waters,
and
its
Egyptian
name,
benu,
was
probably
derived
from
the
word
weben,
to
'rise'
or
'shine'.
This
magnificent
wader
was
also
associated
with
the
inundations
of
the
Nile.'
But
herons
have
straight
beaks
in
order
to
be
able
to
harpoon
frogs
and
fishes.
The
picture
above,
also
from
Wilkinson,
instead
suggests
a
slightly
bent
beak.
'As
a
symbol
for
the
sun
the
heron
was
the
sacred
bird
of
Heliopolis,
which
became
the
mythical
phoenix
of
the
Greeks.
Without
doubt
through
its
association
with
the
descending
and
rising
sun
the
heron
was
comprehended
as
lord
over
the
royal
jubilee
of
rejuvenation,
which
was
staged
for
a
pharao
who
had
reigned
in
thirty
years.' |
We now can
identify the
'heron' with
Raven (in Haida
Gwaii):
|
Hereabouts
was
all
saltwater,
they
say. |
|
He
was
flying
all
around,
the
Raven
was, |
|
looking
for
land
that
he
could
stand
on. |
|
After
a
time,
at
the
toe
of
the
Islands,
there
was
one
rock
awash. |
|
He
flew
there
to
sit
... |
The Raven is the
trickster god
and therefore
equivalent with
Maui (who
was born in the
5th season at
solstice). The
trickster
personality must
be due to the
disorderly
(outside the
regular
calendar) time
between the
years (or
rather:
'years').
In the famous
sculpture The
Spirit of Haida
Gwaii it is
Raven who sits
at the stern and
manœuvres:
The picture is
from Wikipedia.
The sculpture
exists in two
forms, a black
and a green
variant:
"The Spirit of
Haida Gwaii is
intended to
represent the
aboriginal
heritage of the
Haida Gwaii
region in
Canada's Queen
Charlotte
Islands. In
green-coloured
bronze on the
Vancouver
version and
black-coloured
on the
Washington
version, it
shows a
traditional
Haida cedar
dugout canoe
which totals six
metres in
length.
The canoe
carries the
following
passengers: the
Raven, the
traditional
trickster of
Haida mythology,
holding the
steering oar;
the Mouse Woman,
crouched under
Raven's tail;
the Grizzly
Bear, sitting at
the bow and
staring toward
Raven; the Bear
mother,
Grizzly's human
wife; their
cubs, Good Bear
(ears pointed
forward) and Bad
Bear (ears
pointed back);
Beaver, Raven's
uncle; Dogfish
Woman; the
Eagle; the Frog;
the Wolf, claws
imbedded in
Beaver's back
and teeth in
Eagle's wing; a
small human
paddler in Haida
garb known as
the Ancient
Reluctant
Conscript; and,
at the
sculpture's
focal point, the
human Shaman (or
Kilstlaai
in Haida), who
wears the Haida
cloak and woven
spruce root hat
and holds a tall
staff carved
with the
Seabear, Raven
and Killer
whale.
Consistent with
Haida tradition,
the significance
of the
passengers is
highly symbolic.
The variety and
interdependence
of the canoe's
occupants
represents the
natural
environment on
which the
ancient Haida
relied for their
very survival:
the passengers
are diverse, and
not always in
harmony, yet
they must depend
on one another
to live. The
fact that the
cunning
trickster,
Raven, holds the
steering oar is
likely symbolic
of nature's
unpredictability
..." (Wikipedia)
The one at the
stern who steers
is, we have
learnt, the weak
one (and I think
about
politicians -
all mouth and no
action). The
stronger ones
move the canoe
forward. 4 such
paddlers would
agree with the 4
arms raising the
sky roof:
The Raven is
black, a colour
in harmony with
the darkest time
of the year.
Yet, I remember:
|
...
In
Robert
Graves'
quest
for
understanding
he
arrives
at
identifying
the
lapwing
with
A:
Day
of
the
Winter
Solstice
- A
-
aidhircleóg,
lapwing;
alad,
piebald.
Why
is
the
Lapwing
at
the
head
of
the
vowels?
Not
hard
to
answer.
It
is a
reminder
that
the
secrets
of
the
Beth-Luis-Nion
[the
ABC
of
the
pre-latin
Ogham
alphabet]
must
be
hidden
by
deception
and
equivocation,
as
the
lapwing
hides
her
eggs.
And
Piebald
is
the
colour
of
this
mid-winter
season
when
wise
men
keep
to
their
chimney-corners,
which
are
black
with
soot
inside
and
outside
white
with
snow;
and
of
the
Goddess
of
Life-in-Death
and
Death-in-Life,
whose
prophetic
bird
is
the
piebald
magpie
... |
The magpie is
black and white
(suggesting both
halves of the
year), though in
the sunshine she
has all the
colours:
(Wikipedia)
I
write 'she',
because the
piebald bird
suggests
Taraga
rather than
Maui.
Pica pica,
her latin name,
'points' at
tara.
|
Tara
1.
Thorn:
tara
miro.
2.
Spur:
tara
moa.
3.
Corner;
te
tara
o te
hare,
corner
of
house;
tara
o te
ahu,
corner
of
ahu.
Vanaga.
(1.
Dollar;
moni
tara,
id.)
2.
Thorn,
spike,
horn;
taratara,
prickly,
rough,
full
of
rocks.
3.
To
announce,
to
proclaim,
to
promulgate,
to
call,
to
slander;
tatara,
to
make
a
genealogy.
Churchill |
The mystery of
colour (where
does it come
from?) certainly
is a subject of
myths.
"The Haida word
ghuhlghahl
corresponds well
to the Chinese
word qīng
and the Navajo
dootl'izh,
but not only to
any single word
in English. It
covers most of
the range which
English divides
with narrower
terms like blue,
bluegreen,
blueblack,
purple and
turquoise.
It is the colour
of the sunlit,
living world:
including the
blues and
indigoes of the
sky, the greens
and blues of the
sea, the summer
colours of
mountains, the
breathing greens
of needles,
shoots and
leaves, and the
iridescent
plumage of
several species
of birds.
It is also, like
qīng
and
dootl'izh,
the name of a
range of mineral
hues. It is
clearly distinct
from white
(which is
ghaada
in Haida) and
red (which is
sghiit),
but it impinges
on yellow, brown
and black. The
Haida word for
black,
hlghahl,
is also the word
for color in
general and
appears to be
the root from
which
ghuhlghahl
is derived ..."
(Sharp as a
Knife)
In the
Rapanui
language
ghuhlghahl
corresponds to
uri:
|
Uri
1.
Dark;
black-and-blue.
2.
Green;
ki
oti
te
toga,
he-uri
te
maúku
o te
kaiga,
te
kumara,
te
taro,
te
tahi
hoki
me'e,
once
winter
is
over,
the
grasses
grow
green,
and
the
sweet
potatoes,
and
the
taro,
and
the
other
plants.
Uriuri,
black;
very
dark.
Vanaga.
Uriuri,
black,
brown,
gray,
dark,
green,
blue,
violet
(hurihuri).
Hakahurihuri,
dark,
obscurity,
to
darken.
P
Pau.:
uriuri,
black.
Mgv.:
uriuri,
black,
very
dark,
color
of
the
deep
sea,
any
vivid
color.
Mq.:
uiui,
black,
brown.
Ta.:
uri,
black.
Churchill. |
Tangaroa uri
is the 1st month
of summer.
The most
detailed lesson
in the language
of Haida Gwaii
which Robert
Bringhurst
delivers (in
Sharp as a
Knife) is based
on the colour of
Raven. He must
have considered
it important:
|
Gyaan
han
lla
lla
suudas,
llagi
lla
xhastliyaay
dluu, |
Then
·
thus
·
him
· he
·
talking-action
·
him-to
· he
·
grasping-handling-the
·
when, |
As
he
handed
them
these,
he
said
to
him, |
|
"Dii
haw
dang
iiji. |
"Me
·
here
·
you
·
are. |
"You
are
me. |
|
Waa
ising
dang
iiji." |
That
·
there
·
too
·
you
·
are." |
You
are
that,
too." |
| |
|
|
|
Taj
xwaaghiit
laalghaay
gutgha
kunxhaawsi
un-guut |
Rear-of-house
·
toward-being
·
screens-the
·
together
·
corner-forming-did
·
top-along |
On
top
of
the
screens
forming
a
point
in
the
rear
of
the
house, |
|
giina
ghuhlghahl
stlabdala
ganhlghahldaayasi |
creature
·
blue
·
slim-being-many
·
jointly-moving-acting-did |
sleek
blue
beings
were
preening
themselves. |
|
lla
suudaasi. |
he ·
talking-acting-did. |
Those
are
the
things
of
which
he
was
speaking. |
"Not until much
later in the
poem ... will we
learn that these
sleek blue (and
by inference
blackish) beings
are definitely
ravens. But why
call ravens
slender and
bluegreen when
they appear to
many people as
well-fed,
muscular and
iridescent
black? This
question has
good answers in
the world of
natural history,
and equally good
answers in the
world of myth.
Skaay has both
feet in both
worlds, not one
foot in each.
It is worth
remembering
first of all
that blackness
and iridescence
are precisely
the qualitites
of the two
objects being
given to the
Raven - and the
sleek blue
beings enter the
narrative when
Voicehandler is
actually in
the process
of handing him
these things.
Skaay overlays
the images.
Iridescence and
blackness - two
qualities
embodied in the
raven - are
qualities the
Raven is about
to embody in the
world. Slimness
and
bluegreenness,
as it happens,
are basic
properties of
the Haida world
too ...
In the early
months of life,
the feathers of
ravens,
Corvus corax,
are dull and
brownish black.
At first molt,
four to six
months after
they are born,
they acquire the
new plumage that
looks iridescent
black to casual
orbservers but
proves on close
inspection to be
rich gunmetal
blue. A raven
that is slim and
blue is a
yearling ..."
(Sharp as a
Knife)
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