|
2. A
dead chief
could be 'deposited' in part of a canoe: "There is no need to go
into detail regarding the further creeds and customs [in addition to
the belief in Kane / Tane] in which various Maori-Polynesian
tribes follow the pattern of their Northwest Coast neighbors, such
as nose rubbing as a salute, topknots as masculine coiffure,
feathers of big birds as hair decoration, head flattening, body
tattooing, finger severance, fire walking, armor for combat, the
tongue as a symbol of defiance, and weapons carved as stylized heads
with an outstretched tongue as the blade, the ignorance of stringed
musical instruments which had their main world center between India
and Indonesia, and a Maori repetition of the Northwest Coast
rattles, percussion instruments, and the wooden flute or flageolet
carved as a grotesque human face with sound issuing from its
wideopen mouth, the system of taboo, the dread of burial in the
ground and preference in both areas of placing the dead on wooden
platforms raised on poles, the dried-up remains or skeletons wrapped
in bark blankets and deposited in a sitting position with knees
below chin in caves, trees, or (also in both areas) in part of a
canoe." (Heyerdahl 2)
Moon is the celestial 'person' closest to the earth,
governing the tides and exhibiting the pattern of a woman. The
menstrual cycle is correlated with the phases of the moon, and it is
woman who gives birth, not man. Man instead takes lives, he is a
warrior.
A dead chief in a 'dead canoe' could illustrate the conjunction
of a dead man with a dead woman. And there could be a further transformation of meaning
- from a
'broken' chief inside a broken canoe - to the concept of a domain for the dead.
As such it may possibly have been used in the calendar texts of rongorongo.
The 'dead chief' in question is a natural continuation in
thought leading from the great chief standing tall in tagata. |
There is a possibility that
Tahua has noted the natures of 168, 177, and 192 at glyphs occupying the
corresponding locations (i.e. counted from Aa1-1 and with one glyph per
day). We must not overlook this possibility, therefore we will take a look:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Aa2-76 |
Aa2-77 |
Aa2-78 |
Aa2-79 |
Aa2-80 |
|
166 |
167 |
168 |
169 |
170 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Aa2-81 |
Aa2-82 |
Aa2-83 |
Aa2-84 |
Aa2-85 |
|
171 |
172 |
173 |
174 |
175 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Aa3-1 |
Aa3-2 |
Aa3-3 |
Aa3-4 |
Aa3-5 |
|
176 |
177 |
178 |
179 |
180 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Aa3-16 |
Aa3-17 |
Aa3-18 |
Aa3-19 |
|
191 |
192 |
193 |
194 |
Aa3-17 is a moa which cries
out, probably announcing the arrival of a new 'day'. 24 nights with moon
ruling (from 168) end here, which should mean sun is now returning. Manu
rere in Aa3-18 is lifting up a new rising fish.
Aa2-78 is a Rei glyph,
which is suitable for a new season beginning. The appendage at the top is a
sign of the moon - from 168 moon will rule. At left in Aa2-79 a waning
moon could illustrate how it is in the past - i.e. the present time is
waxing moon.
24 possibly was a
measure for the length of waxing moon, an alternative used instead of 16 in
some circumstances.
Aa3-2 is a vae glyph, a
glyph type indicating a season going away (and maro agrees in meaning).
Furthermore, 3 * 2 = 6 and 6 * 29.5 = 177. The central glyph which is in
focus is the rona in Aa3-3 (flanked by identical manu rere and vae
glyphs), and 3 * 3 = 9, a bad number telling about the demise of somebody.
If the location is Nga Kope Ririva, it must be the sun of the 1st
half year who is turning down.
176 + 177 + ... +
179 + 180 = 5 * (173 + 178 ) = 5 * 351 = 1755 = 9 * 195.
195 = 13 * 15 and a
number we have seen recently, viz. at Ca7-27:
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ca7-21 |
Ca7-22 |
Ca7-23 |
Ca7-24 |
|
189 |
190 |
191 |
192 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ca7-25 |
Ca7-26 |
Ca7-27 |
Ca7-28 |
Ca7-29 |
|
193 |
194 |
195 |
196 |
197 |
7 * 27 =
189 may be a reference to Ca7-21, and if so, then we can understand
this glyph to show waxing moon at right and at left (the back side)
a little (still not ripe) waning moon, drawn as a different entity
from waxing moon.
In Aa2-84 a
double-tailed manu rere does suggest ika hiku - the end of one
season is joined to the end of another season. But not down in the water but
high in the air. 2 * 84 = 168, and that is close to the position of ika
hiku in K:
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Kb4-15 |
Kb4-16
(169) |
Kb4-17 |
Kb4-18 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Ga6-27 |
Ga6-28 (169) |
Ga6-29 |
At 169 in G we can
now see a certain similarity with ika hiku - the absence of 'eyes'
and the curious arms may have been intended to create an impression of an
ika hiku on earth (neither in the sky nor down in the water).
The double maro
strings in Ga6-27 could allude to double tails.