TRANSLATIONS

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The results do confirm, I think, that the creator of the Tahua text intended to convey at positions 168, 177, and 192 the same type of messages as those at the same positions in G and K.

Which does not mean that we should dismiss the idea that two glyphs are needed for one day in the Tahua text. The rongorongo texts are masterpieces of art and the same messages probably are repeated in different 'keys' in various locations.

Let us therefore put down in a little table the message we have been discussing for a rather long time now:

168 spring sun has arrived at the end of the main land 9
177 Nga Kope Ririva, the 3 standing rocks for manu tara eggs 15
192 the 1st half of the cycle ends 24

The three different 'keys' in K, G, respectively A, apparently are water, land, respectively sky. The double-tailed creatures at 169 are fish, man, respectively bird:

water
Kb4-15 Kb4-16 (169) Kb4-17 Kb4-18
land
Ga6-27 Ga6-28 (169) Ga6-29
sky
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

In A the season ending could be a season of waning moon. Waxing moon is rising in the west and will soon be high in the sky. At 175 (= 7 * 25 = 5 * 35) the bird is lifting high a curious wing with 3 bent feathers at the top (probably signifying waxing moon).

We have earlier discussed the meaning of Aa2-85 where Metoro said ka takata:

... taka, takataka ... circle; to form circles, to gather, to get together (of people) ...

... haga takataka, to disjoin ...

... miro takataka, bush ...

... Ure sat out and caught eels, lobsters, and morays. He procured a great number (? he ika) of chickens, yams, and bananas and piled them up (hakatakataka) for the banquet to celebrate the new house ...

... Mq.: taka, to gird. Ta.: taa, circular piece which connects the frame of a house ...

... kata, katakata , to laugh; laughter ... kata, to laugh, to smile; kakata: tae kakata, dourness. P Pau., Mgv.: ata, to laugh, to be happy, joyful. Mq.: kata, to laugh, to joke. Ta.: ata, to laugh, to smile ...

... Aa1-49--90 covers 42 glyphs and then we have the double 42 in line a2. The extra glyph in line a2 certainly, then, must be the last glyph in the line, viz. Aa2-85:

The triple 'feathers' are here standing at the top of the outstreched (and broken?) 'wing'. Notice that there are 4 'feathers' in Aa2-85 - the 4th is 'inside' the 'knee' of the 'wing' ...

... This [Aa3-1] is the only place where Metoro used the word ahu in his readings ...

Taka

Taka, takataka. Circle; to form circles, to gather, to get together (of people). Vanaga.

1. A dredge. P Mgv.: akataka, to fish all day or all night with the line, to throw the fishing line here and there. This can only apply to some sort of net used in fishing. We find in Samoa ta'ā a small fishing line, Tonga taka the short line attached to fish hooks, Futuna taka-taka a fishing party of women in the reef pools (net), Maori takā the thread by which the fishhook is fastened to the line, Hawaii kaa in the same sense, Marquesas takako a badly spun thread, Mangareva takara a thread for fastening the bait on the hook. 2. Ruddy. 3. Wheel, arch; takataka, ball, spherical, round, circle, oval, to roll in a circle, wheel, circular piece of wood, around; miro takataka, bush; haga takataka, to disjoin; hakatakataka, to round, to concentrate. P Pau.: fakatakataka, to whirl around. Mq.: taka, to gird. Ta.: taa, circular piece which connects the frame of a house. Churchill.

Takai, a curl, to tie; takaikai, to lace up; takaitakai, to coil. P Pau.: takai, a ball, to tie. Mgv.: takai, a circle, ring, hoop, to go around a thing. Mq.: takai, to voyage around. Ta.: taai, to make into a ball, to attach. Churchill.

Vari

1. Menstruation, period (also: tiko). 2. To tack, to veer (nautical); ku-vari-mai-á te miro, the boat arrives, have veered [around Rano Kau]. Vanaga.

About, circumference, to turn in a circle; hakavari, pliant, to bend, square; varivari, about, to go around; vavari, a garland; varikapau, circumference, to surround, a compass, to admire; hiriga varikapau, to go in a ring; pa varikapau, to close in; varitakataka (vari-taka 3) to surround. Churchill.

In G the calendar continues beyond period 29 and we are therefore still moving on land (although it seems to be dark):

30
Ga7-1 Ga7-2 Ga7-3 Ga7-4
171 172 173 174
31
Ga7-5 Ga7-6 Ga7-7 Ga7-8 Ga7-9 Ga7-10
175 176 177 178 179 180