User:Bigdan201/rongorongo2

De Laat[edit]

De Laat (2009) transliterates and translates in full the text of three tablets (E or Keiti, B or Aruku Kurenga and A or Tahua, respectively); all three are proposed to consist of nothing but extended dialogue. Horley (2010) is a critical review.

De Laat proposes that rongorongo is a predominantly syllabic writing system capable of accurately recording the Rapanui language.^[1] According to De Laat, the script consists of 50–60 basic glyphs, which fuse together and form ligatures as in earlier proposals. 35 of these are identified with specific syllables, largely completing a 45-unit CV syllabary in which vowel length, /h/, and glottal stop are not distinguished. Compared to Barthel and Pozdniakov, the accompanying syllabary substantially reduces the number of basic glyphs, in the first place because of the classification of a number of signs as being variants of the same glyph and secondly because a substantial number of signs are identified as fused glyphs, i.e., as composites of two or more basic glyphs.

Words

The majority of the syllabic and disyllabic glyphs are morphemes representing verbs, nouns, adverbs, adjectives or grammatical particles. Other words are created by fusing together two or more basic glyphs. These compounds are realized by either pasting together two adjacent glyphs, putting them on top of each other, or by incorporating one glyph into another. The fusion process is greatly facilitated by the fact that basic glyphs can have different appearances, that they can be reduced in size or that only parts of them need to be used. Duplication is handled by iteration of glyphs, or by hatching/cross-hatching, as in or .

According to De Laat, the phonetic value of a number of syllables is clearly derived from the name of the represented object - for example ta from taha ("frigate bird"), ka from ika ("fish"), ma from mango ("shark"), ina from mahina ("moon") and tu from hetuu ("star").^[2]

Texts

In Words out of Wood, De Laat offers hypothetical translations of three tablets, consisting of extended dialogue concerning a disturbing event. In the Keiti tablet, a man named Taea is accused of murdering his wife by her relatives, and is found to have covered up his wrongdoing by using body-paint to hide the scratches on his body.^[3] The Aruku Kurenga inscription tells of a man who resurrects his fellow tribesmen after they are killed by a cave-in, only for them to complain about their artificially revived bodies. The Tahua tablet describes a confrontation with a man who has a magical 'evil eye', who is identified with a sorcerer or spirit known as Apanga, and is eventually defeated by the islanders.^[4]^[5] More recently, De Laat has offered a substantially revised interpretation: that the rongorongo tablets describe a 'coming of age' or initiation ritual, in which young Rapa Nui were confined in caves and fed a restrictive diet.^[6]

Dietrich[edit]

The Dietrich hypothesis interprets rongorongo not as a script, but as a notational system for astronomical, calendrical, and navigational data. This hypothesis rests on an analysis of rongorongo and its graphical qualities, alongside an understanding of Polynesian history, language, and culture. His work has been appraised for its insights and advances in understanding of rongorongo, and for its refutation of the (previously dominant) script interpretation. However, his submissions are also criticized for their literary digressions and flowery language.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]

Graphical Design[edit]

Dietrich’s analysis found that rongorongo glyphs are governed by rules concerning combination, partial elimination, emphasis, iteration, economy, orientation, and aesthetic design.

The glyphs are divided into three categories: independent, compound, and dependent (glyphs that only appear in combination with others). He sees other groupings as being arbitrary, as well as detrimental to the proper understanding of rongorongo. Contrary to other scholars who do not place importance on compound glyphs, Dietrich sees compounding as a major aspect of the system. In fact, Dietrich describes rongorongo as a network in which the characters are interwoven together through various combinations. He speculates that it was his background in graphic design that allowed him to perceive this pattern, while other researchers relied too heavily on linguistics and epigraphy.

To combine glyphs, rongorongo employs consistent rules. First, the ‘defining feature’ of a glyph is identified, and the rest is discarded. Then, this ‘defining feature’ is grafted onto a ‘main body’ glyph which retains most of its original shape (except for the addition of the ‘defining feature’). This is done in such a way that aesthetic unity is maintained. Typically, either one or two ‘defining features’ may be grafted onto a single ‘main body’.

To combine more than three glyphs, multiple ‘main bodies’ may be linked together, each with ‘defining features’ grafted on. For example, the longest compound known in the corpus uses four ‘main bodies’ to combine a total of ten glyphs into a single unit.

Using this method of compounding, Dietrich found that approximately 120 'basic' characters can be used for over 1,500 combinations. He also found that the vast majority of the corpus consists of compounds. There are various reasons for this design, such as economy, aesthetics, encryption, and elegance.

A given star may be represented by multiple glyphs, possibly for encryption or aesthetics. There are also variant glyph forms which contain minor alterations or additions. Dietrich posited that these variants represent the movement, position, and significance of astronomical bodies. A variant form might state whether a star is rising, culminating or setting; or whether it is used for navigation or for calendrical/time-keeping purposes. In particular, doubling of a feature may refer to the culmination of an astronomical body in the sky. See: Gallery (bottom row, center) for an example.

Meaning[edit]

Dietrich's analysis found that the structure of rongorongo is inconsistent with that of a writing system (there are too many single glyphs for an alphabet or syllabary, among other issues). Seeking alternatives, he posited that it is a notation system, designed to codify information other than a human language. As to its content, astronomy was deemed a likely candidate, due to its significance in Polynesian lore and its practical value for navigating the Pacific without modern aids.

Thus, to ascertain the meaning of the glyphs, Dietrich matched traditional Polynesian names for stars & astronomical bodies with the pictorial representations of rongorongo. This method revealed a high degree of consistency, suggesting that most if not all of the glyphs represent astronomical and navigational concepts. Dietrich argues that other researchers have been misled by the literal resemblances of the glyphs, not realizing that they are abstract symbols for the stars (cf. western astronomical symbols). This fits a pattern consistent among many cultures, in which constellations are identified with people, animals, objects, and mythological beings.

For example, the star Betelgeuse is known as Ana-varu in Tahitian, which means “pillar to sit by”. From there, the glyph resembling a seated figure by a pillar is identified with Betelgeuse. Likewise, the Rapa Nui name for Pleiades is matariki, meaning "small eyes", which is matched with the corresponding glyph (turned vertically in the typical style). In general, comparing Polynesian astronomical terms with rongorongo results in striking linkages, as illustrated below:

Betelgeuse / Ana-varu / Pillar to sit by
Ursa Major / Manu-kaki-oa / Bird with long neck
Pleiades / Matariki / Small eyes
Algol / Ma-tohi / Split
Sirius / A'a / Burning bright
Antares / Rehua / Bird with two wings, one broken
Venus / Naholoholo / Swift running one
Milky Way / Ia / Fish
Milky Way / Mango-roa / Long shark
Arcturus / Ana-tahua-taata-metua-te-tupu-mavae / Pillar to stand by

Significantly, the celestial notation hypothesis is consistent with the Mamari tablet, which contains many lunar signs. There are other supporting references as well, such as Phillipi's 1875 account of the Santiago Staff:

when asked the explanations from the natives about the aforementioned staff, were pointed at the sky and at the hieroglyphs that [the staff] had with such reverence that makes me more inclined to believe that these hieroglyphs recall something sacred. (from Palaeographic analysis of the Santiago Staff)

Aside from the staff being tapu, this could be interpreted in a literal sense as supporting Dietrich's hypothesis.

Origins[edit]

It is often assumed that rongorongo is exclusively a product of Rapa Nui, without external influences. However, there is evidence to suggest that it was a product of pan-Polynesian cultural interaction: this includes the legend of Hotu Matu'a (who is said to have brought rongorongo tablets from overseas), artistic similarities between rongorongo and other Polynesian works such as petroglyphs, the identification of Polaris among the glyphs (which is only visible from the northern hemisphere), and the representation of a Maori style war-club (see: Gallery, bottom right). The fact that matching vocabulary and astronomical content is drawn from throughout Polynesia, far afield from Easter Island, is consistent with this hypothesis. The historicity of pan-Polynesian interaction is supported by widespread linguistic and cultural commonalities (such as mana, tapu, etc.), and the 'Golden Age' of Polynesian navigation. It is also unlikely that rongorongo was a late innovation; this is contradicted by the dysfunctional state of Rapa Nui society in the 19th century, the scripts' craftsmanship and originality, and the existence of a glyph representing the Easter Island palm tree, which went extinct in the 1600s.

Navigation[edit]

Dietrich further developed the hypothesis by identifying navigational concepts, such as cardinal directions and guiding star markers. He also offers tentative readings consistent with known astronomy, as well as a sub-grouping of wind-related glyphs (see: Gallery, second from top-left).

Inverse Boustrophedon

The orientation of rongorongo (as the ox plows, with every other line flipped upside-down) may be related to astronomy, given that constellations appear inverted between the hemispheres. An example of this is given in the gallery (third from top-left). However, aesthetic style and ergonomics may be just as significant, since inverse boustrophedon avoids line-returns.

Gallery[edit]

Here are additional illustrations that did not fit above. These include the single and dependent groupings, the tentative sub-grouping of wind-related glyphs, and a demonstration of reverse boustrophedon.