Maori

Introduction

The Maori (New Zealand) night sky is similar to the Polynesian night sky. But it differs enough to warrant its own sky culture. Maritime themes are central to the Maori sky culture and were used extensively in nautical navigation. Along with most other cultures, the rising and setting of prominent stars were used to signal planting and harvesting seasons.

Description

Taatai-arorangi-maori

There are tribal ('iwi') variations in the naming of the stars and constellations. The names referenced below are the more well known names.

Object	Name
Mercury	Takero
Venus (morning star)	Tawera
Venus (evening star)	Meremere
Mars	Rangiwhenua
Jupiter	Perearau
Saturn	Perearau (Both Jupiter and Saturn have the same name)
Altair	Poutu-te-Rangi
Antares	Rehua
S_Sco	Pekehawani
T_Sco	Whakaonge-kai
Canopus	Autahi
Procyon	Puanga Hori
Rigel	Puanga
Sirius	Takarua
Vega	Whanui
Spica	Whiti-Kapeka or Mariao
Arcturus	Ruawahia
Castor	Whakaahu
Pollux	Whakaahu (Both Castor and Pollux have the same name)
Aldebaran	Taumatakuku
Achernar	Turu
Orion (whole belt)	Hao - o- rua
Orion (the belt)	Tau toro
Orion (a part)	Te Kakau
Scorpio	Ruhi
Scorpio (the tail)	Te Waka-o-Tama-Rereti
Pleiades	Matariki
Stars in the Pleiades (unspecified):	Tupua-nuku, Tupua-rangi, Ururangi, Wai-puna-a-rangi, Waiti, Waita
Pointers	Te Taura Ra o Tainui
Hyades	Te Kokota
Southern Cross	Mahutonga
Coal sack	Te Patiki
Milky Way	Te ika o te rangi
Large Magellanic cloud	Te Waka Ruru
Small Magellanic cloud	Tuputuputu
Double stars	Pipiri
Comets	Auihi Turoa
Ecliptic	Pito - o - Watea
Moon	Te Marama
Sun	Te Ra
Te-Ra-o-Tainui	A maori constellation without a European counterpart. It is a sea voyaging catamaran. The belt of orion is the keel, the hyades is a claw sail and the Pleiades is the bow.

References

• [#1]: The Phoenix Astronomical Society: a very good website on Maori sky culture (Wairarapa, New Zealand).
• [#2]: Best, E. (1955) 'The astronomical knowledge of the Maori',Dominion Museum Monograph no.3 Wellington: Government Printer.
• [#3]: Best, E. (1959) 'The Maori division of time',Dominion Museum Monograph no4. Wellington: Government Printer.
• [#4]: Evans, J. (1998) 'The discovery of Aotearoa', Reed.
• [#5]: Kingsley-Smith, C. (1967) 'Astronomers in puipuis. Maori Star lore', Southern Stars 22,5-10.
• [#6]: Leather, K. and Hall, Richard (2004) 'Tatai Arorangi: Maori Astronomy, Work of the gods',Viking sevenseas nz ltd, Paraparaumu, NZ, ISBN:085467105 6.
• [#7]: Lewis, D. (1994) 'We, the navigators. The ancient art of landfinding in the Pacific', University of Hawaii press.
• [#8]: Orbell, M. (1996) 'The natural world of the Maori',David Bateman ltd.
• [#9]: Orchiston, W. (1996) 'Australian Aboriginal, Polynesian and Maori Astronomy', Chapter in: 'Astronomy before the telescope' 318-328. Editor Chris Walker. BCA.

Authors

This sky culture was contributed by Stellarium user Dan Smale, smaledaniel(at)outlook.com

License

CC BY-SA 4.0