Anutan (Asterism Names)
From All Skies Encyclopaedia
Authors: Youla Azkarrula
Anuta is a tiny volcanic island which, though located within the Solomon Islands of Melanesia, is populated by Polynesians. It is a small volcanic island with a fringing coral reef. Stars provide the Anutans' most important tool for long range navigation. Major guiding stars and constellations are known as 'kaavenga'. Star paths that are followed from one island to the next (even if they have not risen, or already set) are called 'kau panogna porau'. Unnamed stars which are not used as major navigational aids are called 'petuu vare' (foolish, common, or undistinguished).[1][2][3]
Solar System Names
| Anutan | English | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Sun | ||
| Moon | ||
| Mercury | ||
| Te Petuu Ao | Venus | The Morning Star |
| Tiuriuri | The Morning Star(?) | |
| Mars | ||
| Jupiter | ||
| Saturn |
Here is an overview on Anutan asterism names
| Anutan | Etymological Meaning, when possible | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Ara Toru | Path of Three | Orion's belt |
| Kaavei | Octopus Tentacle | Aries |
| Matariki | Small Face, or Small Eyes | Pleiades |
| Taki Mua | Forward Precursor | Pegasus's front legs and Shoulder |
| Taki Roto | Middle Precursor | Corner of Great Square (one large star) |
| Taro | Taro plant | Scorpius, Antares is Te Kau (the stem). Five star around Antares is Ona Rau (its leaves) |
| Te Aamonga | The Carrying Stick | Three stars in Aquila in a straight line |
| Te Angaanga | The Tongs | Taurus's forehead |
| Te Ao Rere | The Running Cloud | Large Magellanic Cloud |
| Te Ao Toka | The Restrained Cloud (?) | Small Magellanic Cloud |
| Te Kaokao O Manu | The Bird's Armpit | Group of four small stars just east of Manu's Body |
| Te Kapakau Pakatokerau | The North Wing | Procyon |
| Te Kapakau Tonga | The East Wing | Canopus |
| Te Kope | The Bamboo | Grus |
| Te Paka Poi Ika Tapu | Sammara Squirrelfish | Four large stars in Sagittarius |
| Te Rakau Tapu | The Net, or The Sacred Timber | Southern Cross |
| Te Rua Tangata | Double Man | Alpha and Beta Centauri |
| Te Tino A Manu | The Bird's Body | Sirius |
| Te Tukaniva | — | Milky way |
| Toki | Adze | Delphinus |
References
- References (general)
- ↑ Smale, Dan (online). Anutan sky culture in Stellarium, https://github.com/stellarium/stellarium , printed in Hoffmann and Wolfschmidt (eds., 2022), Astronomy in Culture --Cultures of Astronomy. Astronomie in der Kultur--Kulturen der Astronomie.: Featuring the Proceedings of the Splinter Meeting at the Annual Conference of the Astronomische Gesselschafb Sept. 14-16, 2021, tredition, Ahrensburg (Germany): 672-674.
- ↑ Feinberg, Richard. (1998). "Polynesian seafaring and navigation: ocean travel in Anutan culture and society" The Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio: ISBN 0-87338-352-4.
- ↑ Rensch, K.H. (1994). "Fish Names of Western Polynesia: Futuna, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uvea, Outliers" Archipelago Press, the University of California : ISBN 9780959378771.
