autumn haiku (Tom Thomson, 1877-1917, Autumn’s Garland, 1915) – aureate leaves = feuilles dorées

autumn haiku (Tom Thomson, 1877-1917, Autumn’s Garland, 1915) -  aureate leaves = feuilles dorées

aureate leaves
sweeping a rock face,
autumn’s garland



feuilles dorées
sur une paroi rocheuse,
guirelande d’automne

Richard Vallance 

This is the first of many haiku I shall be composing based on the magnificent paintings of the most famous of the illustrious Canadian Group of Seven painters of the early twentieth century, Tom Thomson (1877-1917). Tom Thomson disappeared on Canoe Lake on July 8, 1917. He was presumed drowned.

Cet haiku est le tout premier de plusieurs que je vais écrire, qui sont tous basés sur les peintures magnifiques du peintre Tom Thomson ( 1877 – 1917 ), le plus renommé de tous le peintres illustres du Groupe des Sept canadien au début du vingtième siècle. Tom Thomson a disparu au Lac Canoe le 8 juillet, 1917. Il est présumé mort. 

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summer haiku d’été – golden boy = garçon doré

golden boy,
his parrots cherish him
more than even I...



garçon doré,
ses perroquets l’adorent
encore plus que moi ...

Richard Vallance

Linear B Tablet Pylos TA 716, bridle chains and swords

Linear B Tablet Pylos TA 716, bridle chains and swords:

This tablet speaks for itself.

 

Linear A haiku, violets parallel to violets for Kaniami, from her father, in Linear A, archaic Greek, English and French

Linear A haiku, violets parallel to violets for Kaniami, from her father, in Linear A, archaic Greek, English and French:

As can clearly be seen from the original inscription on this exquisitely crafted golden pin from the A.Y. Nikolaos Museum, Crete, the text of the haiku closely follows the original:

 

Haiku in Minoan Linear A: violets in fine craftsmanship from her father

Haiku in Minoan Linear A: violets in fine craftsmanship from her father:

 

Linear A fragment PH 7 (Phaistos) which is definitely a religious incantation

Linear A fragment PH 7 (Phaistos) which is definitely a religious incantation:

Linear A fragment PH 7 (Phaistos), entirely inscribed in Mycenaean-derived New Minoan, is definitely a religious incantation. It is fascinating to note that the incantation is highly reminiscent of the Christian mass or communion, call it what you will. The priestess pours water, udiriki (instr. sing.), from a cup, dipaja (gen. sing.) and offers jatimane or the blessed bread of healing to her suppliants, while the whole ceremony, apparently conducted in a small shrine, is illumined by a firebrand. What a lovely, intimate picture of a scared religious ceremony this draws!

Exquisite golden pin Zf 1 (Ayios Nikolaos Museum) fully deciphered in New Minoan

Exquisite golden pin Zf 1 (Ayios Nikolaos Museum) fully deciphered in New Minoan: 





This inscription, which appears to be entirely in Mycenaean derived New Minoan, is one of the loveliest I have ever come across, whether in Minoan or Mycenaean. There are similar inscriptions on Linear B tablets from Phaistos. The text waxes almost poetic and is quintessentially suited to the magnificent craftsmanship of this exquisite golden pin. The text in its entirety is utterly coherent, and is probably spot on. The syntax of the Greek had to be adjusted to meet the grammatical exigencies of the Minoan language. This explains the anomaly of qakisenuti, which is probably Minoan instrumental, hence “with (fine) craftsmanship”. And the craftsmanship is certainly that!

This decipherment lends greater credence than I had previously imagined to the distinct probability that at least a few Minoan inscriptions were in fact written entirely in Mycenaean derived proto-Greek with the syntax adjusted to the requirements of the Minoan language. I have already fully addressed this phenomenon in a previous post, which I urge you to reread, in order to place this decipherment in its proper perspective. You can read that post here:

Partial decipherment of Partial decipherment of Linear A tablet ZA 15 (Zakros) and the phenomenon of orthographic adjustment of superstratum words in the substratum language:

https://linearbknossosmycenae.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/partial-decipherment-of-linear-a-tablet-za-15-zakros-and-the-phenomenon-of-orthographic-adjustment-of-superstratum-words-in-the-substratum-language/

I am therefore finally convinced that decipherment of Mycenaean derived New Minoan is an eminently attainable goal.

Minoan Linear A tablet 9675, A.Y. Nickolaus Museum, Crete, with the distinct possibility of gold mentioned in its text

Minoan Linear A tablet 9675, A.Y. Nickolaus Museum, Crete, with the distinct possibility of gold mentioned in its text:



Minoan Linear A gold pin, 9675, A.Y. Nickolaus Museum, Crete, which is a beautiful gold pin with gold leaves on the front side of it (RECTO) and with Linear A text on the reverse side (VERSO) presents us with the distinct possibility that the word “gold” actually appears in the text, if for no other reason than that Mycenaean Linear B tablets concerned with gold sometimes repeat the word “gold” several times over on the same tablet, as is the case with Pylos tablet Py TA 707, with Chris Tselentis’ translation given here:



Since a single occurrence of the word  “gold” can and does appear on more than one Mycenaean Linear B tablet, and can repeated several times on other tablets (as above), it is not unreasonable to assume that the same word can appear at least once in a Minoan Linear A text, especially one that is imprinted on a gold pin! The problem with the exquisite inscribed Minoan Linear A gold pin, 9675, in the A.Y. Nickolaus Museum, Crete, is that it contains two words, either of which may signify “gold”. These alternatives are atade and noja, either of which might be the word for “gold” in Minoan Linear A. Though the possibility for this eventuality is less than 50 %, I am of the opinion that this possibility is very close to the 50/50 mark, which implies that the chances of either one of these words signifies “gold” is 50/50. But this still begs the question, which one? We shall never know the answer to this, or even whether or not either of these two word actually does mean “gold”. But it is worth serious consideration.

I also feel reasonably assured that the word Kanajami is an eponym (personal name), since it is ostensibly feminine. After all, one usually gives a gold pin to a woman.

These two terms (atade or noja) and Kanajami bring the total count of Minoan Linear A words I have deciphered, more or less accurately, to 128.