The Omaticayan Flute

[ShadowedSin]

You reminded me of the old "I love Lucy" episode reruns, when I was a kid. It was a 1950's show where Lucy (a famous comedienne) was married to a famous Cuban musician. A running joke was Ricky (Cuban husband) reading out loud to their son. He would say thugh and Lucy would correct him "tho" (though). 30 seconds later he would still be reading aloud and say ro and she would once again correct him with ruff (rough). This was funny (in the 50's, and then again in the 80's). But it shows just how tough language nuances can be--and why it is important to be polite to beginners, especially if you are an advanced grammatical student.

Kaltxì Palulukan, you have some 'splaining to do!

Personally I preferred the gag done by both Abbott and Costello and Ma and Pa Kettle: 5 into 25 is 14. It usually went something like this:

"See, 5 can't go into 2, but it can go into 5, once, see, 1 times 5 is 5, then 25 minus 5 is 20. Now 5 goes into 20 four times, and there you have it, 14."

"Wait, that can't be right!"

"Here, I'll show you another way. Try multiplying 14 times 5. First you do the ones column; 4 times 5 is 20, then you do the tens; 1 times 5 is 5. Twenty and five is 25!"

"No, no, no, you're doing it wrong. Try adding them up!"

"Okay then, let's write out 14 five times. 4 plus 4 plus 4 plus 4 plus 4 is twenty, 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 is five. Twenty and five is 25!"

But I digress. Omatikaya might have some meaning that Frommer might eventually derive, but more likely, as it's one of the words/names that Cameron came up with, it's just something that he thought sounded cool, and was using long before it ever occurred to him to have a linguist invent an entire language. While a more Na'vi-based etymology might be interesting, it probably does not exist, just as we assume that Neytiri is just a name and doesn't actually come from some as-yet-unknown Na'vi word neyt with a topical suffix and just happens to be subject to vowel harmony. (-iri is not quite -ìri)

Kayrìlien

That or it's one of those names that's true etymology has been lost to history. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of those in English since our language is pretty much a Creole of Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Latin and a few other languages.

[Mithcoriel]

Flying through the whole thread..

As for Jack's abilities: during the transfer from his human body into his Avatar body Jake went through the "Eye of Eywa". We don't know what happens there. Given that he became the new Olo'Eyktan of the Omatikaya and as Toruk Makto had also influence over other Na'vi clans Eywa may have implanted him on that occasion with all the necessary knowledge for that position ...

That's one thing I've been wondering: If the flute's still around, will Jake have to practice to play it? But that would contradict what I think it says in the ASG that you're really only allowed to play it on special occasions. Plus, they wouldn't want to show what it sounds like to the audience until a special scene where he does it perfectly, or it would be anti-climactic.

Anyway, I don't think Eywa implanted that knowledge into him, cause he's the main character, so he can't have mystery-knowledge, since we're supposed to be able to identify with him.


Well either way, this thread has made me think that searching for the flute (or doing whatever makes you worthy for Eywa to give you a new flute) might be a plot strand in the next movie. If it is, I'll be the movie will end with the mesmerizing sound of the flute being heard for the first time.

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

That would be cool, but I doubt they would a movie just about the flute. Perhaps they would use the flute to stop some kind of clan war? That way it would be about more than just the finding and learning how to play it. That's my opinion, though. It would still be cool to see and hear it.

[kintìomum]

Now, reviewing the picture in the ASG I guess the sound could be close to a didgeridoo.
Albeit regarding sound one would have to think of the denser atmosphere (everything sounds deeper)...

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

The Guide said that it was more of a "trumpet" than a flute." Maybe it could sound like a trumpet? But it could still sound like a didgeridoo.

[Kayrìlien]

The Guide said that it was more of a "trumpet" than a flute." Maybe it could sound like a trumpet? But it could still sound like a didgeridoo.

If you want to be excessively technical, a didjeridoo is a trumpet, because its sound is created by the vibrations of your lips on one end of the pipe. A flute, by comparison, creates its sound via the splitting of a stream of air by the edge of an object. Technicalities aside, while flutes are more widespread among cultures on Earth, trumpets are not uncommon. Looking at the Na'vi culture as depicted in the movie, there are only a few categories of instruments that they would be physically incapable of creating.

Either way, I think we're gonna have to wait until the next movie comes out before we can continue to speculate about the role of the flute in the Omatikaya culture. Otherwise we're just going to go in circles.

Kayrìlien

[Kaltxì Palulukan!]

It may be time to close down this topic.

[Technowraith]

The ASG doesn't really tell us exactly what role the Omaticaya plays in the tribe's culture. It only merely states that "it's played on the most sacred of rituals and special events." And that "only the clan leader (forgot the na'vi name off the top of my head) is allowed to play it." Being that the Flute, according to lore, hasn't been seen by any humans or avatars leads me to believe it is a centrally sacred relic to the omaticaya's society as a tribe. To lose it is devastating as is apparent the loss of their Kelutrel.

[Kätsyín te Zotxekay Tsyal’itan]

That the ASG says its only played at sacred events, it makes me wonder what the tribe defines as a sacred event.

[Technowraith]

That the ASG says its only played at sacred events, it makes me wonder what the tribe defines as a sacred event.

I think the ASG mentions something about planetary alignments and/or other rare, significant astrological events, special, rare tribal ceremonies and maybe perhaps the appointing of a new clan leader. It's reserved for very, very special occasions.

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

I was thinking it might be used when appointing new clan leaders, but I didn't think of that being a very sacred event. That's just me, though.

[Kätsyín te Zotxekay Tsyal’itan]

That the ASG says its only played at sacred events, it makes me wonder what the tribe defines as a sacred event.

I think the ASG mentions something about planetary alignments and/or other rare, significant astrological events, special, rare tribal ceremonies and maybe perhaps the appointing of a new clan leader. It's reserved for very, very special occasions.

I can see it being used for appointments of new clan leaders, but that also makes me think....did we perhaps see it, and miss it, in the movie when Mo'at transfers Jake's soul to the avatar, since technically, he is the olo'eyktan now?

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

It may have been lost with Hometree...

[Kätsyín te Zotxekay Tsyal’itan]

True, that had been discussed earlier, but there is always the chance.....

[Technowraith]

I can see it being used for appointments of new clan leaders, but that also makes me think....did we perhaps see it, and miss it, in the movie when Mo'at transfers Jake's soul to the avatar, since technically, he is the olo'eyktan now?

It's entirely possible it was used when Jake was appointed olo'eyktan. There does seem to be a time gap toward the end of the movie. But not quite sure. If anything, maybe it will be covered in the sequels or in bonus footage or deleted scenes.

[Kätsyín te Zotxekay Tsyal’itan]

^That would be awesome if we did in fact see it in an extended cut.

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

"This is a fact."

[Toruk Makto]

If cameron is reading all this, he is probably all "I didn't think they would notice or care!".

I really wonder if he expected the film to get scrutized to this level of detail?

[Tsawla Eltu Tsamsiyu]

Probably not. Maybe he is on right now looking for ideas for the next movies!

[Txur’Itan]

Probably not. Maybe he is on right now looking for ideas for the next movies!

Hello J.C. - I would make a very scary villain!

LOLZ! =)