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458. Once again. When the Chinese with their wooden clappers announced the arrival of the solstice we have no doubt they knew what they were doing. But the dates given need to be translated:

... In China, every year about the beginning of April, certain officials called Sz'hüen used of old to go about the country armed with wooden clappers. Their business was to summon the people and command them to put out every fire. This was the beginning of the season called Han-shih-tsieh, or 'eating of cold food'. For three days all household fires remained extinct as a preparation for the solemn renewal of the fire, which took place on the fifth or sixth day after the winter solstice [Sic!] ...

The beginning of April cannot be a date in our own current Sun calendar. Supposing we instead should adopt the view of the Mayas, then we could count 70 right ascension days back in time-space from the solstice in June 21 (172) at ξ Orionis (*92.5) to day 102 (21 June) at ξ Orionis (*22.5). Because when the Sun was at June 21 then the Full Moon was half a year away at the winter solstice, at μ Sagittarii (Polis, the Foal, *275.9).

CLOSE TO THE SUN:
15 March (144 - 70) 16 (300 / 4) 17 (66 + 10)
0h (445 - 80 = *365) MARCH 22 (*1) 23 (82)
no glyph
Ga1-1 (= 65 - 64) Ga1-2

HYADUM II = δ¹ Tauri (64.2) 

Net-19 (Crow)

AIN (Eye) = ε Tauri, θ¹ Tauri, θ² Tauri (65.7)

no star listed (66)
May 24 25 (145 = 290 / 2) 26 (*66)
'April 27 28 (118 = 4 * 29½) 29 (*39)
"April 13 14 (104 = 8 * 13) 15 (*25)
CLOSE TO THE SUN: 20
18 March 19 (78) 20 21 (150 - 70)
MARCH 24 JULIAN EQUINOX 26 (*5) 27
Ga1-3 Ga1-4 Ga1-5 Ga1-6
no star listed (67)

Rohini-4 (The Red One) / Pidnu-sha-Shame-4 (Furrow of Heaven) / ANA-MURI-2 (Rear pillar - at the foot of which was the place for tattooing)

ALDEBARAN = α Tauri (68.2), THEEMIN = υ² Eridani (68.5)
no star listed (69) no star listed (70)
May 27 28 (148) 29 30 (*70)
°May 23 24 (144) 25 (*65) 26
'April 30 'May 1 (121) 2 (*42) 3
16 (471) "April 17 (107) 18 (*28) 19
CLOSE TO THE SUN:
11 April (101) 12 13 14 (*24) 15
APRIL 17 (107) 18 19 20 (*30) 21
Ga1-27 Ga1-28 (Ga1-23 + 5) Ga1-29 Ga1-30 Ga2-1

6h (91.3)

ν Orionis (91.4), θ Columbae (91.5), π Columbae (91.6)

*50 = *91.4 - *41.4

ξ Orionis (92.5)

Al Han'ah-4 (Brand) / Maru-sha-pu-u-mash-mashu-7 (Front of the Mouth of the Twins)

TEJAT PRIOR = η Gemini (93.4), γ Monocerotis (93.5), κ Aurigae (93.6), κ Columbae (93.8)

*52 = *93.4 - *41.4

 

 FURUD = ζ Canis Majoris (94.9)

Well-22 (Tapir) / Arkū-sha-pu-u-mash-mashu-8 (Back of the Mouth of the Twins)

δ Columbae (95.2), TEJAT POSTERIOR = μ Gemini, MIRZAM (The Roarer) = β Canis Majoris (95.4), CANOPUS (Canopy) = α Carinae (95.6), ε Monocerotis (95.7), ψ1 Aurigae (95.9)

*54 = *95.4 - *41.4

... The Pythagoreans make Phaeton fall into Eridanus, burning part of its water, and glowing still at the time when the Argonauts passed by. Ovid stated that since the fall the Nile hides its sources. Rigveda 9.73.3 says that the Great Varuna has hidden the ocean. The Mahabharata tells in its own style why the 'heavenly Ganga' had to be brought down. At the end of the Golden Age (Krita Yuga) a class of Asura who had fought against the 'gods' hid themselves in the ocean where the gods could not reach them, and planned to overthrow the government. So the gods implored Agastya (Canopus, alpha Carinae = Eridu) for help. The great Rishi did as he was bidden, drank up the water of the ocean, and thus laid bare the enemies, who were then slain by the gods. But now, there was no ocean anymore! Implored by the gods to fill the sea again, the Holy One replied: 'That water in sooth hath been digested by me. Some other expedient, therefore, must be thought of by you, if ye desire to make endeavour to fill the ocean ...

June 20 SOLSTICE 22 (*93) 23 (174) ST JOHN'S DAY
°June 16 17 (168 → 2 * 84) 18 19 20 (*91)
'May 24 (144) 25 26 27 28 (*68)
"May 10 (130) 11 12 13 14 (*54)
CLOSE TO THE FULL MOON:
11 Oct (284) 12 13 14 15 (*208)
OCT 17 (290) 18 19 20 21 (*214)
ZHŌNGSHĀN = ο Herculis (274.0), π Pavonis (274.6)

ι Pavonis (275.1), POLIS (Foal) = μ Sagittarii (275.9)

MENKAR (α Ceti)
η Sagittarii (276.9) Purva Ashadha-20 (Winnowing Basket)
KAUS MEDIUS = δ Sagittarii, κ Lyrae (277.5), TUNG HAE (Heavenly Eastern Sea) = η Serpentis (277.7), SHAOU PIH (Minor Minister) = φ Draconis (277.8), KWEI SHE = χ Draconis (277.9) φ Oct. (278.1), KAUS AUSTRALIS = ε Sagittarii (278.3), ξ Pavonis (278.4), AL  ATHFAR (The Talons of the Falling Eagle) = μ Lyrae (278.6)

*237 = *278.4 - *41.4

 

Dec 20 SOLSTICE 22 23 (357) CHRISTMAS EVE
°Dec 16 17 18 19 (*273 → Sept 30) 20 (354 = 12 * 29½)
'Nov 23 (327) 24 25 26 (*250) 27
"Nov 9 10 (314 → π) 11 12 (*236 = 8 * 29½) 13

There were 3 days with only cold food served early in April, because the kitchen fires had been extinguished, and there were 5-6 days after the solstice until the solemn renewal of fire. The glyphs suggest these 3 dark days coincided with 11 - 13 April, for there is no sign of darkness just before day 101:

6 April (*16) 7 8 9 10 (100)
APRIL 12 13 14 (104) 15 16 (*26)
Ga1-22 Ga1-23 Ga1-24 Ga1-25 Ga1-26
CLOSE TO THE FULL MOON:
6 Oct 7 (280) 8 9 10
OCT 12 (285) 13 14 15 16 (*209)
MULIPHEN (Oaths) = γ Ophiuchi (269.0), BASANISMUS = G Scorpii (269.5), PHERKARD (Dim One of the Two Calves) = δ Ursae Minoris (269.9) PTOLEMY CLUSTER = M7 Scorpii (270.5), GRUMIUM (Lower Jaw) = ξ Draconis (270.9) RUKBALGETHI GENUBI (Bending Claw) = θ Herculis (271.1), ξ Herculis (271.5), ETAMIN (Head) = γ Draconis, ν Herculis (271.7), ν Ophiuchi (271.8)

Cat's Eye = NGC6543 Draconis (272.2), ζ Serpentis (272.4), τ Ophiuchi (272.9)

*231.0 = *272.4 - *41.4

Winnowing Basket-7 (Leopard)

18h (273.4)

NASH (Point) = γ Sagittarii (273.7), θ Arae (273.8)

... As has already been mentioned, the Delphians worshipped Dionysus once a year as the new-born child, Liknites, 'the Child in the Harvest Basket', which was a shovel-shaped basket of rush and osier used as a harvest basket, a cradle, a manger, and a winnowing-fan for tossing the grain up into the air against the wind, to separate it from the chaff. The worship of the Divine Child was established in Minoan Crete, its most famous early home in Europe. In 1903, on the site of the temple of Dictaean Zeues - the Zeus who was yearly born in Rhea's cave at Dicte near Cnossos, where Pythagoras spent 'thrice nine hallowed days' [27] of his initiation - was found a Greek hymn which seems to preserve the original Minoan formula in which the gypsum-powdered, sword-dancing Curetes, or tutors, saluted the Child at his birthday feast. In it he is hailed as 'the Cronian one' who comes yearly to Dicte mounted on a sow and escorted by a spirit-throng, and begged for peace and plenty as a reward for their joyful leaps ...

Dec 15 16 (350) 17 18 19 (*273 → Sept 30)
°Dec 11 (*265) 12 (346) LUCIA 14 15
'Nov 18 19 20 (324) 21 22 (*246)
"Nov 4 5 6 (310) 7 8 (*232)

In other words, it was remembered (or had been deduced) that the stars in the Winnowing Basket had moved 70 right ascension days (10 weeks) ahead in the Sun year and that the Cradle of the newborn Sun stretched for 5 days after Nash (γ Sagittarii) had been at the Full Moon to heliacal Canopus (who drank up all the waters).

... That the Sun-gods Dionysus, Apollo and Mithras were all also reputedly born at the Winter solstice is well known, and the Christian Church first fixed the Nativity feast of Jesus Christ at the same season, in the year AD 273 (= 3 * 91). St. Chrysostom, a century later, said that the intention was that 'while the heathen were busied with their profane rites the Christians might perform their holy ones without disturbance', but justified the date as suitable for one who was 'the Sun of Righteousness' ...

On Hawaii the month Welo (Vero, spear point, as in Nash) was 'about April', but their current King had to avoid being killed in December:

... A vestige of the practice of putting the king to death at the end of a year's reign appears to have survived in the festival called Macahity, which used to be celebrated in Hawaii during the last month of the year. About a hundred years ago a Russian voyager described the custom as follows: 'The taboo Macahity is not unlike to our festival of Christmas. It continues a whole month, during which the people amuse themselves with dances, plays, and sham-fights of every kind. The king must open this festival wherever he is. On this occasion his majesty dresses himself in his richest cloak and helmet, and is paddled in a canoe along the shore, followed sometimes by many of his subjects. He embarks early, and must finish his excursion at sunrise. The strongest and most expert of the warriors is chosen to receive him on his landing. The warrior watches the canoe along the beach; and as soon as the king lands, and has thrown off his cloak, he darts his spear at him, from a distance of about thirty paces, and the king must either catch the spear in his hand, or suffer from it: there is no jesting in the business. Having caught it, he carries it under his arm, with the sharp end downwards, into the temple or heavoo. On his entrance, the assembled multitude begin their sham-fights, and immediately the air is obscured by clouds of spears, made for the occasion with blunted ends. Hamamea (the king) has been frequently advised to abolish this ridiculous ceremony, in which he risks his life every year; but to no effect. His answer always is, that he is as able to catch a spear as any one on the island is to throw it at him. During the Macahity, all punishments are remitted throughout the country; and no person can leave the place in which he commences these holidays, let the affair be ever so important ...