Our ancestors were expert at observing the stars and using them to navigate both time and space, managing temporal activities such as agriculture and spatial activities such as navigation. Much of their lore was lost, but through the work of many notable scholars it is being reclaimed.
Nā Inoa Hōkū
Nā Inoa Hōkū stands as the premiere work on Polynesian star names. In 1975, Hawaiian scholars Rubellite Kawena Johnson and John Kaipo Mahelona published this Catalogue of Hawaiian and Pacific star names. Though it was out of print for many years, since its publication it is widely regarded as a definitive reference work for anyone interested in Polynesian astronomy. In this new edition, working together with British archaeoastronomer Clive Ruggles, the authors extensively revised and extended the catalogues and transformed the discussion of their wider context and significance, resulting in a much stronger focus upon the rich historical legacy of the Hawaiian Islands themselves. This new edition of Nā Inoa Hōkū is completely overhauled, vastly expanded, and includes new translation of many key primary Hawaiian sources from the mid-nineteenth century onwards.
Moʻolelo Kilo Hōkū
To purchase, contact Basically Books, 334 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI 96720. Phone them at 1-808-961-0144. Email to bbinfo@basicallybooks.com.
This log book for charting Hawaiian stars goes far beyond the usual offering. Written in both Hawaiian and English, it is useful for anyone studying astronomy and/or the Hawaiian language. Yuen gave talks on Hawaiian astronomy for over 20 years. She is now putting all of that research into a series of books on Hawaiian astronomy.
In addition to charting pages for sketching your observations and making notes, there are sample pages showing how to use the charts, an astronomy vocabulary/glossary section which lists the Hawaiian and English translations of astronomical terms, constellations, stars, etc. Hawaiian stories of some famous constellations are included.
Another unique feature is the chart of the Hawaiian lunar phases which shows the orientation of the moon when it rises.
Charts include traditional Hawaiian calendar systems from different areas in the archipelago and a chart of principal meteor showers.
Ample room for notes and clippings, and a bibliography with both book titles and URLs complete the workbook.
On the cover, be sure to write your own name in as co-author!
161 pages, approximately 30 are resource/info and the remaining are sky charts for you to fill in.
Back cover text in Hawaiian: Ua hoʻomaka ʻo Leilehua Yuen e aʻo aku i nā haʻawina kilo hōkū i ka makahiki 1997 i ka manawa mua āna i aʻo aku i nā moʻolelo hōkū ma ka Visitor Information Station i Mauna Kea.
Aʻo aku ʻo Kumu Leilehua i nā haʻawina kilo hōkū ma ke ʻano he haʻi moʻolelo. Ua koho ʻo ia i nā moʻolelo piha hoʻi me nā kaona i mea e makana aku ai i nā haunauna e hiki mai ana.
Hoʻokumu ʻia kēia puke moʻomanaʻo o no ke kōkua ʻana iā ʻoe e aʻo aku e pili ana i nā moʻolelo kilo hōkū, nā ʻikepili, nā kuhikuhina o ke kilo ʻana, a me ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i nā mea i kilo ʻia ai.
Back cover text in English: Kumu D. Leilehua Yuen has taught perspectives of Hawaiʻi astronomy since 1997 when she gave her first presentation on Hawaiian star lore at the Visitor Information Station on Mauna Kea.
Kumu Leilehua approaches Hawaiian astronomical concepts from the perspective of a storyteller, seeking to leaarn what lessons were considered so important that they were encoded into tales passed down through the generations.
This logbook is designed to help you begin your journey in learning about Hawaiian star lore by providing some background information, som suggestions for how to record your own observations, and a simple format for recording them.Posted on
Stars Over Hawaiʻi
Written by E.H. Bryan Jr. under the auspices of the Bishop Museum and originally published in 1955, Stars Over Hawaiʻi has been revised and updated a number of times, and continues to be the most accessible Hawaiʻi-based astronomy book for amateur astronomer. It introduces basic concepts of astronomy, contains star charts for each month, gives an overview of the use of stars in Polynesian navigation, and is in general a very handy compendium of star lore. Currently it is published by Petroglyph Press and available at Basically Books in Hilo, as well as on-line.