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Category:

Astronomy(1)

Topic:

Star names

Consultant:

Undisclosed

The sun was the tupu'a that ruled over this world. He was father of Suakmasta.

Asa te muri = sun behind: These two are the beginning of the two chiefly titles.

Constellations: Orion = fafolta = 3 men belt. These three are presumed tupu'a, tupu'a siri.

moea = harvest, motu'a = oldest, lagoni = rock on waves

Sian asoha = beauty; Sina = Venus; Hefranta = the day star.

Path of Tinrau
When it shined in the evening it was showing light so that Tinrau could walk. When it gave light in the morning, it was to wake him. (Tinrau = name also used as prince by Churchward and today means a very handsome man).

Amoga
If it disappears in daylight in November there will be a hurricane.

Faksar Fonoga
This star is similar in effect to Amoga (previous star named). It means squally weather.

Hana'amaho = stealer of breakfast
This star is near the moon. It remains near the moon and steals the moon's breakfast.

Mafriri = little eyes
A number of stars that are close together.

When Mafriri pal (= rises, shines), it is the right time to plant yams.

'I'orta = shark, Milky Way
It consists of very many stars in a circle or canoe, like a net that is put down to get fish. When it faces the eastern end of the island, the rona are at the eastern end, and when it faces the western end, the rona are at the western end. Rona are schnapper.

'Atutaetae
They say this star always arises at 7 p.m. and shines from 7-9. And they say it is the sign of the fish 'atu = bonito. When they see this star, they go to Salvaka or Savlei to "seu" the fish.

Siavheta = little fan.
Southern cross?

Fauraga & Fau'uhi = season of raga, season of yams
When they shine this way, the raga planting season is ready. Or the season of big yams, which are dug up in April.

Hanheta = little woman
This star looks red. Make te pogi at this time. Skin 12 baskets of te pogi and grate it. Squeeze it for mena.

Hula (hual ta) = moon
It was a sign for pregnant women (counted months). When a woman ceased menstruation (becomes dry), she counted the months by moon and in 10 moons she will give birth to a child.

Hef sal'ak = shooting/falling stars
When a falling star fell towards any place, they said a chair (nofo'a) would fall in that place, meaning a chief would die.

Hef mon mala = a star, red hot comet
Appearance of this means a sau would fall (die) on this earth or a sau will be installed. When the comet shines in the evening, a sau will die; when it shines in the morning, a sau will be installed.

tupu'a = immortal

For more information on seu go to fishing

raga = Curcuma longa (turmeric)

te pogi = yellow stain from turmeric; same as mena

hef = star

mon = patch
mala = red hot

Category:

Astronomy (2)

Topic:

Star names

Consultant:

Undisclosed

1. Three men = Fa Fol ta (Orion's belt?)

2. Moea Tiktiki (harvest?)

3. Moea La

4. Moea motua

5. Morning Star = Hefranta

6. Evening Star = Sianasoha = Sina

Category:

Astronomy(3)

Topic:

Star names

Consultant:

Varomua

Sianasoha = Evening Star

Hef rani = Morning Star

Takirua or Täkrua: Between these two stars the course is laid from Wallis to Rotuma.

Category:

Astronomy(4)

Topic:

Meanings

Consultant:

Tigarea

Sun = asta

The sun was the king of the day. A great god and his people lived in the sun. He was a moving god.

Moon = hula

The moon was the king of the night. Both the sun and the moon are called upon in the ki because the people wished their light to fight their battles by. A goddess, Tugiau, lived in the moon. She can be seen in the figures on the moon's face. She is kneeling with a stick in her hand beating uha. She also had a house in the sky.

Comet = hefmalmalu (bright and hot star)

Comets were omens of misfortune. Once a comet was followed by a great poisoning from fish on the reef. The comet in 1911 was followed by an epidemic of measles.

Eclipse = hualta al = the moon dies.

An eclipse is also an omen of misfortune. If an eclipse comes on a rising moon, a chief of the mua end of the island will die, if at zenith a chief from the middle of the island, and if waning, at the fa'u end. If no one dies, there will be a hurricane or some other bad disaster. Eclipses fall on full moon.

uha = tapa cloth

mua = east end
fa'u = west end

Category:

Astronomy(5)

Topic:

Months

Consultant:

C.Jacobsen

0ne year = 6 months (tafi)

These are the months of the sau's reign. The king was said to live in six places during his reign.

Holidays

Every month has a holiday, or kato'aga. They had a ri hapa near the shore on the marä'e, where the sau sat for a holiday of songs and dances. Kato'aga were for one day. The holiday rotated through the six districts and all the people of the island gathered at the marä'e of the district in which its kato'aga was celebrated.

Faut e mua = winter, beginning with SE trades about April. Faut e fa'u = summer, beginning with N wind about November.

Category:

Astronomy(6)

Topic:

Months

Consultant:

Taito
Mataiasi

Kasafe = March

Hosaghau = April

Afauag-ta = May

Aipapa = June

Haueta = July

Noa'tau = August

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