TRANSLATIONS

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When waxing darkness has reached its limit at winter solstice it will leave through a door marked 'exit', and waning darkness (= waxing light) necessarily arrives at the same time. When the top is reached it must go down.

It would be strange if waning darkness entered through another door than the one marked 'exit'. The researches of Fornander are worth citing:

 

"E, adv. and ppr. Haw., from, away, off, by, through, means of; also, adverbially, something other, something strange, new; adj. contrary, opposed, adverse, other, foreign.

Sam.: e, ppr. by, of; ese, other different, strange.

Ta., e, ppr. by, through, from; adv. away, off; adj. different, strange, distant; ee, strange.

N. Zeal., ke, strange, different.

Malg., eze, of, by.

Greek, έκ, έξ, from out of, from, by, of; έκει, in that place, opp. to ένθαδε, in some other place than that of the speaker, thither; έκας, afar off.

Lat., e, ex, out of, from.

Liddell and Scott (Gr.-Engl. Dict., s. v.) say: 'The root of έτ-ερος is said to be the same as Sanskr. ant-aras, Goth. auth-ar, Germ. and-er, Lat. alt-er, aut, French aut-rui, our eith-er, oth-er, itara = alius, also in Sanskrit.'

Whatever the root of ant-aras, auth-ar, alter, it seems to me that έκας shows nearer kindred to the Polynesian e, ke, ee, ese, eze, than to forms so developed as ant-ar, ant-ara, &c." (Fornander)

Something different () must arrive (come out, ex) and of course the newborn situation feels strange ().

Antares is the 'other' side of Aries, anciently the sign of spring. On Easter Island, though, it is Aries who is on the other side of Antares (Ana-mua, the Entrance Pillar):

1

Ana-mua, entrance pillar

Antares, α Scorpii

-26° 19'  16h 26

2

Ana-muri, rear pillar (at the foot of which was the place for tattooing)

Aldebaran, α Tauri

16° 25'  04h 33

3

Ana-roto, middle pillar

Spica, α Virginis

-10° 54'  13h 23

4

Ana-tipu, upper-side-pillar (where the guards stood)

Dubhe, α Ursae Majoris

62° 01'  11h 01

5

Ana-heu-heu-po, the pillar where debates were held

Alphard, α Hydrae

-08° 26'  09h 25

6

Ana-tahua-taata-metua-te-tupu-mavae, a pillar to stand by

Arcturus, α Bootis

19° 27'  14h 13

7

Ana-tahua-vahine-o-toa-te-manava, pillar for elocution

Procyon, α Canis Minoris

05° 21'  07h 37

8

Ana-varu, pillar to sit by

Betelgeuse, α Orionis

07° 24'  05h 52

9

Ana-iva, pillar of exit

Phaed, γ Ursae Majoris

53° 58'  11h 51

10

Ana-nia, pillar-to-fish-by

North Star, α Ursae Minoris

89° 02'  01h 49

The exit pillar is not Aldebaran, but Phaed (number 9). But Ana-iva means the 9th pillar, not the exit pillar.

The distance in degrees of 'latitude' between Ana-mua and Ana-muri is 26 + 16 = 42, which should have been important. Especially as Ana-roto lies 16 degrees from Ana-mua and 26 degreees from Ana-muri.

Ana-muri is a star (pillar) which is connected with Ana-mua (Antares). At the foot of Aldebaran was the place for tattooing, certainly meaning that Ana-muri stands at the place where darkness comes.

It is interesting to find that the ancient Gemini (Punarvasu) once had their feet at the place where light comes:

Aldebaran would at that time have announced spring equinox.