Vanuatu (Netwar)

Introduction

The Netwar sky culture for Stellarium stems from a research which is ran among the people of Vanuatu by Dominik M. Ramík and is published online. Netwar language (its indigenous name, also sometimes called "Lenakel language" after a major village in the area) is one of languages of Tanna island in Vanuatu. Its constellations are strikingly similar with other languages of Vanuatu, although names and meanings vary to some extent.

Description

Solar system

<ul> <li>Sun: Met</li> <li>Moon: Mawuk</li>

• Waxing crescent: Mawuk wi - 'new Moon'
• First quarter: Nail ratuatu - 'it stays straight', meaning that in the sky the Moon appears straight in the zenith in the evening
• Full Moon: Mawuk ramépép malwia - 'the Moon is like the fish épép malwia' (Platax orbicularis); also Nati tawar - means that when the sun is setting, the Moon just appears above the mountains
• Last quarter: Numanmel
• Waning crescent: Numanmel
• Lunar eclipse: Mawuk ramemes - 'dead Moon'

<li>Venus:</li>

• Morning star: Fétukai
• Evening star: Kéwita

<li>Jupiter: Karatéi</li> <li>Mahau ramiwuk: 'jumping star', bad omen foretelling someone's death</li> </ul>

Stars

• In general: Mahau
• Aldebaran: Kapaumeta

Constellations and deep-sky objects

Note: the English names preceding the local names are here only to help the reader locate the particular constellation in the frame of the Western sky. The actual translations of the local names follow them.

• LMC and SMC: Nowanuman - 'earth oven'
• Milky Way: Nemrau - 'ash'; also Nuafuganan - less common term of unknown meaning
• Orion's Belt: Kasulia apam - 'long yoke'
• Orion's Sword: Kasulia rerparep - 'short yoke'
• Taurus' Head: Kou - 'pincers used for taking hot stones out of the fire'
• Scorpion's Dart: Kahaur rul - 'rat', seen in the evening in zenith when it is time to prepare gardens
• Orion's Body: Kilil - 'traditional fan' made from palm leaves
• Southern Cross: Suatu kywer - 'four customary ways' connecting four villages with a nakamal; it rises in the evening in March and symbolizes the time when in the nakamal people do temahwa for good harvest
• Pleiades: Nowaswas Lapnuman - 'young boys of Lapnuman'; also Neperawen Lapnuman - 'young girls of Lapnuman'

Names of objects with unknown position

• Mowaimawuk - name of an unidentified star, said to be close to the Moon or to rise close to it
• Iaiapom - name of an unidentified star (possibly Altair), which sets in the morning in time of preparation of gardens (July)
• Koraiapom - name of an unidentified star (possibly Rigel), found in September in the morning near zenith
• Kwankaio - name of an unidentified star (possibly Procyon), rising in February in the morning

References

• [#1]: Project Vanuatu Sky including Netwar data alongside other languages of Vanuatu
• [#2]: Netwar language on Wikipedia

Authors

This sky culture was contributed by Dominik M. Ramík. Web: dominicweb.eu, e-mail: [email protected].

Elders from local communities on Tanna, who contributed with their ancestral knowledge to this project: Jimmy Napip from Ikumhala, Lomai Tain from Ielkes, Sylvano Kapalu from Ipai, Iawilu Naumusapen from Lowkweria, Kasékasé from Imapul, Nausien from Lamlu, Pierrot Nako Yaru from Lowanatom, Joe Natuman from Lowkweria.

License

CC BY-SA 4.0