Journal de la Société des Océanistes 113 | Année 2001-2 Varia Rongorongo Glyphs Clarify Easter Island Rock Drawings Sergei V. Rjabchikov Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/jso/1625 DOI: 10.4000/jso.1625 ISSN: 1760-7256 Publisher Société des océanistes Printed version Date of publication: 1 December 2001 Number of pages: 215-220 ISSN: 0300-953x Electronic reference Sergei V. Rjabchikov, « Rongorongo Glyphs Clarify Easter Island Rock Drawings », Journal de la Société des Océanistes [Online], 113 | Année 2001-2, Online since 27 May 2008, connection on 30 April 2019. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/jso/1625 ; DOI : 10.4000/jso.1625 © Tous droits réservés MISCELLANÉES Rongorongo Glyphs Clarify Easter Island Rock Drawings par Sergei V. RJABCHIKOV * Many Easter Island (Rapa Nui) rock drawings sinker for net or line (Métraux, 1940 : 188, fig. (petroglyphs) can be understood taking into 13b). I have distinguished three glyphs 149 Hatu- account the readings of the rongorongo records hatu (epithets of the sun god Makemake/ of the famous « talking boards » only. This arti- Tangaroa/Tiki/Tane), glyphs 14Tiki atua ‘the cle is devoted to the study of a new portion of the deity Tiki’ in combination with two glyphs 149 Rapanui petroglyphs. In deciphering the rongo- Hatuhatu as well as glyph 47 ava (cf. Rapanui rongo glyphs I use my own classification and avaava ‘to lift’; on the other hand, this sign may translation scheme (Rjabchikov, 1987: 362-363, depict a sucker) in combination with two words fig. 1 ; 1993a : 126-127, fig. 1 ; 1993b : 23, fig. 1 ; 39-4 (pae)rati ‘the paerati fish’. It is known that 1994 : 8, fig. 6 ; 1995a : 5, figs 12 and 17 ; 1997- according to Rapanui beliefs, the god Makemake 2001). Besides, I always take into consideration was connected with the ocean and fishes (Rjab- the vocabularies and rules of alternating sounds chikov, 1999a). of the Polynesian languages. 3. A fish-in-fish motif is incised at Ava o Kiri 1. Two fishlike creatures are depicted at Ahu (Lee, 1992 : 78, fig. 4.58). Another fish-in-fish Ra’ai (Lee 1992: 90, figure 4.75). They are a fish motif is also incised at the same panel (Van and a young one. Glyph 30 ana is incised on a Hoek, 2000: 15, fig. 6). M. Van Hoek (2000 : 16) large fish. This word means ‘abundance’, cf. claims : « To the east, where the sun is ‘born’, Hawaiian ana ‘to have enough or too much’ there is the fish-in-fish motif that may be inter- (Rjabchikov, 2001). Two arcs (cf. Rapanui tapa preted as a ‘pregnant’ sea animal representing ‘side’) represented between the two fish may denote indeed ‘offspring’ (cf. Rapanui tapa ‘offs- the beginning of life, although a fish eaten by a pring’). larger fish is also a possible interpretation ». I have investigated both pictures. The first 2. G. Lee (1992 : 76, fig. 4.53) believes that ff figure (Lee, 1992 : 78, fig. 4.58) includes the fish- large fish shapes depicted at Mahatua are di i- in-fish (shark-in-shark) motif, glyph 103 under it cult to identify as to species. Really, these are two as well as glyph 41 and a fish above it. Interestin- fish, a Remora (Echeneis) and a tuna-like fish. gly, the shark inserted in the larger shark is asso- The first fish identified by a sucker is named ciated with a crescent. I suppose that the moon paerati, the second is named kahi, pei or remo- design (cf. glyph 3 hina ‘the moon’, Hina ‘the remo (cf. Randall and Cea Egan˜a, 1984 : 9 ; moon goddess’) relates to the moon goddess Métraux, 1940 : 173). Below the fish combina- Hina, as in the Hawaiian beliefs the goddess tion there is glyph 30 ana in which glyphs 39 and Hina-puku-i’a gives abundance of all the fishes 4 are inscribed. I read the word ana ‘to have (Beckwith, 1970 : 69). A sentence of the Crea- enough or too much’ as well as the word rati, i.e. tion chant can be cited as an example : « Tinga- paerati (cf. Rapanui pae ‘enough’, paepae, hae by copulating with Parararara-hiku-tea pro- paenga ‘boat’, Maori rato ‘to be served; to be duced the shark » (Métraux, 1940 : 321). The distributed’). name Tinga Hae/Hoe means ‘The paddle/ One can examine glyphs incised on a stone * Krasnodar, Russia. Journal de la Société des Océanistes, 113, année 2001-2. 216 SOCIÉTÉ DES OCÉANISTES hoarseness kills’, it is an epithet of the moon sign is a rectangle divided into four parts (one goddess Hina (Rjabchikov, 1998-1999). The lengthwise rectangle and three cross ones). Since name Para-rarara-hiku-tea signifies ‘The shine/ in some instances glyph 44 taha denotes the the heat-the white tail’ 1. name of the tribe union Te Kena of the ruling Glyph 103 reads pe that compares with Tahi- tribe Miru (Rjabchikov, 1997a : 31), the strange tian pe ‘ripe’ and Rapanui hakapee no kai hoao rectangle may be an emblem of the tribe Miru ‘abundance’. Glyph 41 ere presented in several (cf. the lengthwise rectangle) on which territory Rapanui rock designs and rongorongo records the tribes Raa ‘The sun’, Hamea (Ha Mea, i.e. A (Rjabchikov, 1995b ; 1999b ; 2000a ; 2001) cor- Mea) ‘The red colour’ and Marama ‘The cres- responds to Mangarevan akaere ‘to recite genea- cent (or the light)’ lived (cf. the three cross rec- tangles). One can say with a fair degree of confi- logies; to show descent’, Maori rere ‘to be born’, dence that glyphs 64 mea ‘red’ and 39 ra’a ‘the reretahi ‘one child born at a birth’ and Old Rapa- sun’ are designations of the tribes Raa and nui (h)ere ‘child; descendant’. Hamea in this context. The fish depicted near the So the script signs of the first motif have frigate bird may reflect the fact that the highest- allowed to choose the following interpretation : ranking clan Miru was ‘sea’ people (Gell, 1993 : the fish-in-fish denotes the « pregnant »fish 271). only. The two masks (cf. glyph 60 mata ‘face; eyes’) The second figure (Van Hoek, 2000 : 15, fig. 6) denote the sun deity Makemake/ includes the fish-in-fish motif oriented east-west Tangaroa/Tiki/Tane (Rjabchikov, 1996 : 142; as well as glyph 30 ana crossing both fishes. The 1997b). One of the masks is united with the ribs word ana means either ‘abundance’ or ‘shine; (cf. Rapanui kavakava ‘rib’) and with glyph 4 east, the sun’ 2. It is well to bear in mind that the atua ‘deity’, cf. the name of the deity Kava Aro fish is the god Tangaroa’s symbol in the Maori ‘The Ribs — the Face/Day/Light’ 3 (Rjabchikov, mythology (Buck, 1966 : 439). 1998a : 66). Glyph 149 Hatuhatu ‘The creator’ is The tail of a tuna fish is depicted at Pu Haka- presented near this fragment ; cf. Rapanui place nini Mako’i (Lee, 1992 : 78, fig. 4.57). Glyph 30 name Te Mata o Hotu (Barthel 1962: 106) ‘The ana is presented near this tail. Again, both inter- face of the creator’. pretations —‘abundance’ or ‘shine; east, the The name Kava Aro is written down on the sun’—are possible. Tahua tablet (Ab 4), see fig. 1 : 4 32 138 26 50 115... atua/ua Kava maa hi taka ‘the deity/ 4. The tail of a tuna fish is depicted at Hanga dwelling ‘The Ribs — the Shine/the Sun’ ...’ 4 . Oteo (Lee, 1992 : 78, fig. 4.56). Glyph 149 Hatu Interestingly, according to the Easter Islanders, ‘The creator’ is incised on this tail. I think that it this deity together with the deity Kava Tua lived is a symbol of the sun god (Makemake, Tanga- in the regions of Maunga Parehe or Ra’ai roa, Tane, Tiki te Hatu). (Englert, 1974 : 137 ; Heyerdahl, 1976 : 117). 5. A frigate bird, two faces as well as some Both place names are associated with a fire and other petroglyphs are incised at a cave on the islet the sun 5. Motu Nui (Lee, 1992 : 73, fig. 4.49). G. Lee 6. As has been shown earlier (Rjabchikov, (2000 : 112, fig. 6) interprets a part of this rock 2000a), signs carved on a hollow stone called the picture: « This frigate bird is in a cave shelter at Trumpet of Hiro are connected with the perso- Motu Nui. It seems to have a fish near its mouth nages of the Rapanui legend « Hiva Kara Rere, and a komari below the right wing ». One can try the god of the rain ». According to this story, to realise the whole plot. In fact, the vulva form Tare and Tive — the children of the god Tiki — komari (cf. glyph 64 mea ‘red’) and the fish (cf. could clash the winds. A priest asked the sun glyph 12 ika ‘fish’) are depicted near the frigate deity Tiki to hide his face; the priest also asked bird (cf. glyph 44 taha ‘frigate bird’). The fish is the rain deity Hiva Kara Rere to drive the clouds. united with glyph 39 ra’a ‘the sun’; a unique The parallel plot is presented in the Samoan petroglyph is presented below the left wing. This mythology (cf. Polinsky, 1986 : 314. : the winds 1. Cf. Rapanui para ‘to heat’, Maori para ‘to shine clearly’, Rapanui rararara ‘to get warm; to become warm’, rara ‘side’, Maori rara ‘rib’ 2. Cf. Rapanui anaana ‘shine; to shine; shining’. 3. Cf. Rapanui aro ‘front; forehead; face’, Maori ao ‘day’, aro ‘to face, to turn towards’, aroaro ‘front’, Tahitian ao ‘day; light’, aro ‘front; face’, Samoan alo ‘front’, ao ‘head; day’.