Kautoki
Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Clive Ruggles, Youla Azkarrula
An asterism representing an adze handle known in the Polynesian outlier island of Kapingamarangi. It is formed of Vega (α Lyr), δ, ε, and ζ Lyr (Johnson, Mahelona and Ruggles 2026:[1] 298).
Concordance, Etymology, History
Variants
- Kautoki
- Gautogi
The American anthropologist Kenneth Emory conducted an expedition to Kapingamarangi in 1947, during which he recorded 28 star names confirmed to him by, and identified with the help of, the informant “King David” (Emory 1965:[2] 341–343). Amongst these is Kautoki (#14).
According to Emory, the name means handle (kau) of the adze (toki), and is formed of α, δ, ε, and ζ Lyr. However, he then states that Vega (α, Lyr) is the head of the adze, δ Lyr and ζ Lyr the handle, and ε Lyr the point of the blade. He adds that it (i.e., the asterism) is also called Me-mua, meaning the “thing in front”, a synonym for adze.
The asterism had been identified earlier (in 1910) by the German ethnographer Anneliese Eilers (1934:[3] 143 #15), who named it Gautogi but mistakenly identified it as Polaris. Emory (1910) mentions in the first paragraph on p. 341 that it was [Paul] Hambruch who did the fieldwork on Kapingamarangi in 1910, not Eilers herself.
Origin of Constellation
Kautoki is a weather sign asterism: it was believed to be the "maker of wind".
Emory (1965,[2] 341-342):
Hambruch, in 1910, learned the names of 26 star or constellations (Eilers, 1934, p. 142 ) . His informant drew a rectangular horizon in the and, setting 26 little stones around it (7 along each side) , and gave each stone a name representing a star or constellation. Evidently this is a method for enumerating the tar used al o in the Carolines (Eilers, 1934, p. 142 ). The informant then made an attempt to show the position of these stars in the sky, by rearranging the stones.
The following 11 star and constellation names and their locations are known generally at present: Matariki , Unu, Taranga, Romoi, Harapori, Meremere, Kautoki , Mairap(a), Ti Kumat(e) , Pukute(a), and Ti Hetu-naniu. King David, however, knew 28 names and the locations of nearly all. He knew all the name in Hambruch's Iist except two ( No. 12, "ta moro," which I believe is the name me muri of King David, and No. 16, "go ixolii"). He was able to point out to me a ll tho e fo r which he knew the location and which were in the night sky during September, and I identified most of these from star charts I had with me.
...
14. Kautoki (No. 15).Vega and also Epsilon, Zeta, and Delta in Lyra. Kautoki means adz (toki) handle (kau). The point of the bblade is Epsilon; the handle is formed by Zeta and Delta. It is also called Me-mua, meaning "thing in front," a synonym for adz. (...)
...
Emory gives no drawings.
The text also mentions a "drawing in the sand" which appears to be some form of star compass, which was then adjusted to show the positions of the stars in the sky. Eilers does show these at the bottom of p. 142. However, the star positions in the left-hand diagram don't seem to be in any meaningful order, even accounting for the fact that the cardinal directions might have been recored wrongly.
Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation
Mythology
Emory gives little contextual information about the mythological context, although he does mention (1965:[2] 343) that Kautoki is believed to be the “maker of wind”.
IAU Working Group on Star Names
The name was discussed and adopted by the IAU WGSN in 2026.
The IAU adopted the name Kautoki for ζ1 Lyr on 18 June 2026.
Weblinks
References
- ↑ Johnson, Rubellite K, John K. Mahelona and Clive Ruggles (2026). Nā Inoa Hōkū: Hawaiian and Pacific Star Names (3rd edition). Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Emory, Kenneth P. (1965). Kapingamarangi: Social and Religious Life of a Polynesian Atoll. Honolulu: Bernice P. Bishop Museum (Bulletin 228).
- ↑ Eilers, Anneliese (1934). Inseln um Ponape. In series Georg Thilenius (ed.), Ergebnisse der Südsee–Expedition 1908–10, sect. II, pt. B, vol. 8 (#23 of 30 vols., 1917–38). Hamburg: L. Friederichsen.
