TONGAN ASTRONOMY ~ DIVISIONS OF THE HEAVEN. The Tongan mariner divided the heavens into three areas or zones, called fanakenga, a word which apparently means risings (compare Samoan fanae, rising of tide and moon; Maori, whanake, to move onwards or upwards). These three divisions are named respectively: Fakatonga (southward), the southern zone; Faka-loto-langi (mid-sky), the mid-sky zone; Faka-tokelau (northward), the northward zone. Guide stars were observed astern as well as ahead and the boat was kept in line with them. As the stars or constellations were probably used when at or near their meridians, different constellations were utilized at different seasons of the year. In the following list the stars seem to be arranged in the order in which they rise. STARS OF THE SOUTHERN ZONE 1. Houma-utu, mentioned by Tukuaho as used at a time which corresponds to about March. 2. Halia-toloa, four stars (compare Samoan, Suliatoloa, the name of a certain star). 3. Toloa, four stars 4. Lua-a-tangata, two stars (compare Samoan, Luatangata, the name of two stars, Castor and Pollux). 5. Moa-a-mahe, one star (compare Samoan, Moa, the name of a moon in the wet season). This completes the southern zone as given by Tukuaho. Of these stars and constellation Toloa is the Southern Cross. Toloa means a wild duck, and Tongan imagination pictures the Cross as a duck whose head is gamma and tail alpha, the wings being beta and delta. The wing delta being dimmer than its fellow is said to have been injured by a stone thrown by the Two Men, Ongo Tangata, alpha and beta Centauri. The stone itself, Maka, is epsilon in the Cross. Although Tongan confirmation is lacking, I think it probable that the Two Men, which are missing from Tukuahos list, are to be identified with Lua-a-tangata, sometimes called Lua-ae-tangata. In its present from this name would mean mans vomit, but probably an older and more correct form is Lua-tangata, or Lua-i-tangata, two men. Lua, two, is not now found as a common numeral in Tongan, the ordinary form being us, but lua is the numeral two in Samoan, and if found in Tongan in composition, Both Brown and Pratt give Lua-tangata as the Samoan name for Castor and Pollux, with Filo and Mea as the individual names of the two stars, but the presence of Lua-a-tangata in the southern zone and in close proximity to the Southern Cross in the Tongan list is against this identification for Tonga. Other names for stars in the southern division are Tuutangaufi (piece of yam), and Mamangi Halahu, both of which appear to be variants for stars already mentioned, possibly for alpha Centauri, or according to other information for Moa-a-Mahe. Tuutanga-ufi is the name used by the people of Ula, the chief sailor of the Tui Kanokupolu. Halahu is the name of a place in the high island of Eua, where the species of yam called mamangi is supposed to flourish with exceptional luxuriance. This star was used in sailing from Fiji to Tonga. Still another name for Mamangi Halahu is Mau-kuo-mau, an expression meaning got (arrived at) when clear, and used of a person who arrived at a kava party when the beverage has been strained and is clean and ready for drinking. The people of the Haapai chief Tuita are said to use this name for the star> The dark patch of sky near the left-hand end of the Southern Cross is called Humu, and is brought into close association with the Southern Cross, as for example in the verse, which in the absence of legend is not remarkably intelligible: Humu moe Toloa To hono fusi pea vaoa; Pea lele mai kuli Fisi, Talai fanai, hala he vae, tau he ate. (Humu and Toloa Plant their plantain and overgrown with bush; And Fiji dog runs hither, His reception is being shot, missed in the leg, hit in the liver.) Humu is the name of a fish. The Samoan word sumu is the name of fishes of the genus Ballistes, and also the name of cluster of stars. Samoan legend states that the sumu and toloa were taken up to heaven and became signs. Maafu-lele (running fire) and Maafu-toka (lying, stationary fire) ad the names of two bright patches in the southern sky, either of nebulae, or, according to other information, portions of the Milky Way. Baker applies these names to the small and great Magellanic clouds respectively. The Milky Way is called Kaniva (compare Samoan, Aniva)
Posted on: Sat, 03 May 2014 14:53:48 +0000
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