Kuokoa Home Rula, Volume VII, Number 14, 2 ʻApelila 1909 — The Hawaiian Astronomy. [ARTICLE]

The Hawaiian Astronomy.

lc is a t,teat pity tli.it David Malo, tlie Hawauan Historian and Atinquanan, did not pieser\ r e in l'it> "Muulelo Hawau" or Hawauan Antiquities, somc account on Anneiu Hawanan Astionomy. S. M. Kamakau, a eontemporary o£ David Malo, and also a wuteron the Ancient Hibtorv of Hawaii nei, ib htite better off, about tlus matter than his oolleague He wiole an aiuele 011 "Int>l{ m Ancient Hawauan Astrjnomy" and wab published īn thc of Aug. sth, 1805. It was transkted into English by Prof. W. D. Alexander lor Maile VVreatli (Lei Maile), and was repubhshed b\ Mr. Thot>. G Thrum, in his " Hawanan Annual " for 1890,

In the year 1885, wf loun l ui the m i>nthly newspapei Ka Hoku o ke Ku," thu subj:vt wis treated again, °nly to last a veiy short time And about twelve or thuteen yeats ago we again iound cerLain very valuable state ments pertaining lo Hawauan Astronomy, īn the history known as the Ancient History ot Hawau by Kanala, said to be the priestly ancestor o[ ths priestho->d or order of Kanalu.

We saw in "The Journal of the Polynes>idn Society," Vol. XVI, N0.2, an articlc on "Tahitian Astronomy" by Miss Teuira Henry, lt treats the "Birth o£ the Heavenly Bodies." It is very interebting.

In order to preser\e these accounts relating to Hawanan Astronomy, \ve give our English transktion here, starting first from the account īn /w Iloku Ok L Kai (1885). In ancient times, thc class of people studying the po&iti°ns of the moon, the rising and setting of certain fixed stars and constellations, and also of the sun, are called the kilohoku or astrologers. Their observations of lhese heavenly bodies might well be called the sLudy of astronomy. The use of astrology anciently, wab to predict cerLain events of fortunes and misfortunes, victory or defeatof a battle, death of king or queen, or any high chief; it also foretells of pestilenee, famine, finc or storrny weather and so loilh. The old Haivaiians knew some names of ceitam plafieLs and several constel!ations. ilie names of planets are somewhal slightly different incoiespondingEnglishnames, rendered by Andiew, Alexandcr and Lhe l c Ue Dr. Bisfiop.' llaw. Names of Andricws. Alkx\ndek. Bishop. Planets. 1 Ukali Mercury. Mercury M ei cury. 2 Hokuao | Hokuloa V Venub Venus Veniib Mananalo ) 3 Holoholopmaau. Mars. Saturn Mars 4 Kaawela. Venus (an Jupiter Jupiter evening slar) 5 Nrholoholo Saturn (See No. 3) Saturn. The Hawaiian name for Mars accordmg to Prof. Alexander is Hokuula (red star). In the newspaper "Ka Hoku o ka Pakipika," publislied, abvit th<» year 1860, the name for the planet Satarn was Mikaln, Kauopae for Jupiter and Polowehilani for Mars,