Great Sundial

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"Great Sundial" is not an official name.
The subject of this article has not been officially named. The term "Great Sundial" either reflects how the subject has been referred to in-story or is an unofficial name popular among fans.

"When I shine light upon it, it points toward the spot from which the Great Spirit can be awakened."
Toa Takanuva, Takanuva's Blog

Great Sundial
Object
Manufacturer Great Beings
Users Takanuva
Function Telling time
Locate the Codrex
Unlock entrance to the Mangaia (formerly)
Status Intact
Location Daxia


The Great Sundial was a mysterious object on Mata Nui.

History

Mata Nui

The sundial was created by the Great Beings.[1] When Mata Nui was created as a result of the Great Cataclysm, the sundial was deployed and became embedded in the surface of the Protodermis comprising the metal face of the Great Spirit, and at some point became integrated into a secret passage leading down into Mangaia. When the island of Mata Nui formed over the face of the Great Spirit, the sundial became covered in the rock-like Protodermis comprising the island's bottom-most layer.

The sundial was not discovered by the Matoran until 1,000 years later, when it was exposed during Onu-Matoran excavations in Shaft B of the Great Mine. The Prospector who uncovered it recognized its astrological markings and sketched them onto a tablet.

The chamber beneath the sundial

When Takua visited Onu-Koro, a Prospector took the opportunity to ask him to deliver the tablet to the Ga-Koro Astrologer Nixie for her opinion. She speculated that an earthquake had caused the sundial to fall beneath the earth. She also noted that it had an indicator at four o'clock, a marking not shared by any other sundial. Nixie offered Takua a Gnomon that she found in the foothills of Mount Ihu to see if it fit in the center of the sundial. When Takua returned to the Great Mine, he used his Lightstone to imitate sunlight and make the shadow of the Gnomon fall upon the four o'clock marker. This activated the sundial, whose markings lit up and disappeared, while its center dropped away to form a spiraling staircase downward. At the bottom was a chamber with a mysterious Golden Kanohi and the word Rahi floating above a pedestal.[2]

After the Battle for Kini-Nui, the Golden Kanohi disappeared, and the passageway to Mangaia opened. At Turaga Whenua's suggestion, Takua traveled down the staircase and pressed a newly-exposed button on the pedestal. This caused the floor of the hidden chamber to rapidly descend, carrying him into Mangaia to witness Makuta Teridax's defeat at the hands of the Toa Mata.[3]

Order of Mata Nui

During the preparations for Mata Nui's Reawakening, a voice told Toa Nuva Lewa to retrieve the sundial and place it in the Archives.[4] Brutaka recovered the sundial, used a Kanoka of Shrinking to shrink it,[5][6] and gave it to Krakua, who in turn gave it to Takanuva before he began his journey to Karda Nui.[7] He then used it to locate the Codrex.[8][9]

Afterwards, the Order of Mata Nui took the sundial back from Takanuva and held it on Daxia.[10]

Functionality

The Great Sundial can be used to locate the Codrex: when light shines on the sundial, the resulting shadow points in the direction of the structure.[9] As part of the hidden entrance to Mangaia, the sundial could be unlocked if the shadow of its gnomon was cast on the 4 o'clock section.[2] The face of the sundial is divided into 18 sections, representing the 36 hour days of Spherus Magna and the Matoran Universe.[note 1]

Trivia

The markings on the sundial
  • The markings around the sundial are shaped like pieces of the Makoki Stone.
  • According to Peter Mack, the Great Sundial was originally meant to be a hint that the island of Mata Nui was not always the surface, but covered over something much more ancient which the sundial belonged to.[19]

Appearances

Books Online Multimedia

Novels

Chronicle

Story Serials

Online Games

References

  1. "Official Greg Discussion", post 12393. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Chapter 5: The Undercity of Onu-Koro • A Strange Discovery." Mata Nui Online Game.
  3. "Chapter 9: The Battle of Kini-Nui • Makuta • Takua Returns." Mata Nui Online Game.
  4. "Chapter 10." Toa Nuva Blog.
  5. "Official Greg Dialogue", post 1678. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  6. "Official Greg Dialogue", post 4901. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  7. "Epilogue." Swamp of Secrets. BIONICLE Legends 10, p. 124.
  8. "The Toa Nuva's Journey." Makuta's Guide to the Universe, p. 58.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Takanuva's Blog.
  10. "Official Greg Dialogue", post 10241. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  11. "Spherus Magna/Matoran Universe Clock", post 368980. BZPower Forums.
  12. "36 Hours...?", post 919239. BZPower Forums.
  13. "Official Greg Dialogue", post 4451. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  14. "Official Greg Discussion", post 8942. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  15. "Chat with Greg Farshtey", post 7060220. LEGO Message Boards. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  16. "Official Greg Discussion", post 11803. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  17. "Official Greg Discussion", post 6902. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  18. "Official Greg Dialogue", post 8883. BZPower Forums. (archived on greg.thegreatarchives.com)
  19. "8/10/23 – M&L Interviews PETER MACK and CATHY HAPKA". Mask of Destiny.

Notes

  1. This fan theory was canonized through the BIONICLE Story Squad of BZPower, and approved by Greg Farshtey.[11] The information on the approval was lost after the forum went down.[12] At other times both before and after this canonization, Farshtey stated the sundial did not represent the timekeeping system in BIONICLE,[13] or declined to confirm it,[14][15] primarily due to not being involved with the creation of the Mata Nui Online Game, so he did not know what functions the producers intended the Sundial to have.[16][17][18]