Transcript Polynesian Navigation

Polynesian Navigation
Astro 6 “Archeoastronomy and World Cosmology”
December 15, 2000
David Chen
submitted to Professor Bryan Penprase
Map of Polynesia
•Surface area greater
than the continent of
Europe.
•Farthest distances
between islands over
2000 miles.
•All of Polynesia
settled by 400 A.D.
•All Polynesian
cultures share
linguistic, cultural,
and agricultural
roots.
Europe’s First Impression

Captain James Cook, first
European to visit Polynesia
“Many found the notion
of deliberate voyages so
unrealistic that they
thought there must have
been chains of islands or
a lost continent
connecting the farther
islands in former times.”
(Sharp 51)
Europe’s First Impression

A sextant: a necessary
navigation instrument for
European sailors
How could Polynesians
have settled such widely
distant islands when
“western Europeans with
their extended coast-line
did not get even to the
nearest islands until the
days of large sailing ships
and instruments.” (Sharp
46)
Polynesian Commonalties
Cook found commonalties in all
the inhabited islands he visited:
•common linguistic heritage
•common navigation techniques
•common staple crops
•common religious ritual
•common cosmology
Dispersal Timeline
Island Groups
Date of Settlement
Australia and New Guinea
~50,000 years ago
Fiji, Samoa, Tonga
1,600 – 1,200 B.C.
Cook Islands, Tahiti-nui,
Tuamotus, and Hiva
300 B.C.
Easter Island
300 A.D.
Hawaii
400 A.D.
Navigators
Polynesian Master Navigators
lacked mechanical instruments
to guide their voyages, they
were guided by:
•Astronomy
•Winds and waves
•Accumulated knowledge and
experience of forebears
Wayfinding

Wayfinding is the art
of navigation
without
instrumentation. It
involves an intimate
knowledge of the
sky, the ocean, and
weather.
Wayfinding
Chad Baydayan [master navigator] distinguishes wayfinding
from navigation - the technical art of finding land without
the use of instruments or charts. He will tell you that
wayfinding is "a way of organizing the world." He has
also said that it's "a way of leading," "of finding a vision,"
"a set of values," "how to take care of the earth," and, in
general, "a model for living my life.” (PVS)
Wayfinding

“To hold a course, the
navigator aligns the rising or
setting sun to marks on the
railings of the canoe. There
are 8 marks on each side of
the canoe, each paired with a
single point at the stern of the
canoe, giving bearings in two
directions, 32 bearings in all to
match the 32 directional
houses of the Hawaiian star
compass.” (PVC)
Polynesian Star Compass
Noted Heliacal Risings:
Cassiopeia
Big Dipper
Capella
Deneb
Vega
Castor
Arcturus
Aldebaran
Altair
Betelguese
Procyon
Rigel
Spica
Sirrius
Antares
Canopus
Alpha and
Beta
Centauri
Acrux
…and solsticial sunrises
and sunsets.
Southern Cross
"The Southern Cross is really important to us. It looks like
a kite. These two stars in the Southern Cross always
point south (Gacrux on top and Acrux on the bottom).
If you are traveling in a canoe and going south, these
southern stars are going to appear to be traveling the
higher and higher in the sky each night. If you went
down to the South Pole, these stars are going to be
way overhead. If you are going north to Hawai'i, the
Southern Cross travels across the sky in a lower and
lower arc each night. When you are at the latitude of
Hawai'i, the distance from the top star (Gacrux) to the
bottom star (Acrux) is the same distance from that
bottom star to the horizon. That only occurs in the
latitude of Hawai'i.” (PVC)
Timekeeping
“...the Hawaiians used a calendar
based on the moon, knew and
corrected its error by reference to the
stars, named each month, and each
night of the month by the
characteristics of the moon, and
judged the hour closely by the stars
at night, or the sun by day.” (PVC)
Ritual Cosmology

A priestly astrologer, the kilo hoku would give the
more important of the prospective trips a good
clearance, or hold the boat for a better day; and
mixed with his rites there were always the realties
of keen weather observing. Of course the pig
must be baked, the 'awa chewed and mixed, the
gods propitiated with offerings and prayers, and
then the heavens and sea scanned for portents.
If the rainbow stood arched in the wrong quarter, if the clouds were flying in
scattered fragments, the wind and sea from the wrong direction, the sailing was
delayed. But if the indications were fair the astrologer completed the prognosis
with an inspired dream, and the voyage was well begun. (PVC)
Canoe Construction
Hokule'a - modern replica
of ancient canoe
•double hulled
•triangular sails
•hull carved from whole
logs
•sails weaved from flax or
pandanus matting
Canoe Construction


Petroglyph of canoe,
found on Easter
Island.
The double-hull
design was popular
throughout
Polynesia.
Conclusion
Polynesians were master navigators
whose deep understanding of the sky
was intricately connected to values of
exploration, vision, and harmonious
living.
Their extraordinary accomplishments stand as a testament
to the power of the human mind and spirit.
0 na hoku no na kiu o ka lani .
"The stars are the eyes of heaven."
For more information...
Polynesian Voyaging Societyhttp://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/pvs/
Sharp, Andrew. Ancient Voyagers in the Pacific. Penguin
Books. London: 1957.
Gladwin, Thomas. East Is a Big Bird. Harvard University
Press. Cambridge, Massachussetts: 1970.