192. Give me a fixed point and I will move the whole world, said Archimedes, which described the unlimited power of the lever. So I remember it, but memories should not be trusted. Instead, I now think Archimedes might have alluded to how the lines of the pair of 'spider webs' in the night sky were ideally absolute.
... Then three lines are drawn east and west, one across the northern section indicates the northern limit of the Sun (corresponding with the Tropic of Cancer) about the 15th and 16th days of the month Kaulua (i.e., the 21st or 22nd of June) and is called ke alanui polohiwa a Kane, the black-shining road of Kane. The line across the southern section indicates the southern limit of the Sun about the 15th or 16th days of the month Hilinama (December 22) and is called ke alanui polohiwa a Kanaloa, the black-shining road of Kanaloa. The line exactly around the middle of the sphere is called ke alanui a ke ku'uku'u, the road of the spider, and also ke alanui i ka Piko a Wakea, the way to the navel of Wakea (the Sky-father). Between these lines are the fixed stars of the various lands, na hokupaa a ka aina. (These are the stars which hang suspended in the zeniths of the Polynesian islands most of which lie within the tropics.) ... Given the place for the line at 0h all the other ecliptic hour-lines in time-space will be known - could be calculated by Archimedes:
However, the force of an ecliptic hour-line decreased with distance. Therefore the ultimate case was the pole of the sky above where all the hour-lines converged into nothing (0), were only unknown potentials:
Thus the measure 236, i.e. the day number for August 24 (→ 8 * 24 = 192 → 408 - 216), in a way had marked a place of convergence / emergence in the Golden Age of the Bull. For here the Sun would have been at his highest in the sky, at the 'black-shining road of Tane' (→ Cancer). He had no way ahead to continue on his path up towards the north.
→ 25 * 14 = 350. Therefore we can perceive why the period for Venus as Morning Star had to be counted as 236 days - Venus ruled the Sun: ... And here is the dawning and showing of the sun, moon, and stars. And Jaguar Quitze, Jaguar Night, Not Right Now, and Dark Jaguar were overjoyed when they saw the sun carrier. It came up first. It looked brilliant when it came up, since it was ahead of the sun.
After that they unwrapped their copal incense, which came from the east, and there was triumph in their hearts when they unwrapped it. They gave their heartfelt thanks with three kinds at once: Mixtam Copal is the name of the copal brought by Jaguar Quitze. Cauiztan Copal, next, is the name of the copal brought by Jaguar Night. Godly Copal, as the next one is called, was brought by Not Right Now. The three of them had their copal, and this is what they burned as they incensed the direction of the rising sun. They were crying sweetly as they shook their burning copal, the precious copal. After that they cried because they had yet to see and yet to witness the birth of the sun. And then, when the sun came up, the animals, small and great, were happy. They all came up from the rivers and canyons; they waited on all the mountain peaks. Together they looked toward the place where the sun came out. So then the puma and jaguar cried out, but the first to cry out was a bird, the parrot by name. All the animals were truly happy. The eagle, the white vulture, small birds, great birds spread their wings, and the penitents and sacrificers knelt down. They were overjoyed, together with the penitents and sacrificers of the Tams, the Ilocs. And the Rabinals, Cakchiquels, those of Bird House. And the Sweatbath House, Talk House, Quiba House, those of Yokes House. And the Mexican Sovereigns - however many tribes there may be today. There were countless peoples, but there was just one dawn for all tribes. And then the face of the earth was dried out by the sun. The sun was like a person when he revealed himself. His face was hot, so he dried out the face of the earth. Before the sun came up it was soggy, and the face of the earth was muddy before the sun came up. And when the sun had risen just a short distance he was like a person, and his heat was unbearable. Since he revealed himself only when he was born, it is only his reflection that now remains. As they put it in the ancient text, 'The visible sun is not the real one ... ' |
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