“Vanuatu Sky” is an ethno-astronomy project. As a naturalist and amateur astronomer, my research in Vanuatu has led me to become interested in how local people see the night sky above them, beyond the names adopted from Western culture. In many parts of Vanuatu this ancient knowledge is almost forgotten. After many years of working with local elders from different areas and traveling to remote villages in the jungle where people still remember the ancient knowledge of their ancestors about the sky, I was able to create this overview (which is certainly far from being complete). It records the sky objects of peoples from different islands of Vanuatu and the names they gave to them. To the best of my knowledge, it is the first ever published sky chart and name compendium for Vanuatu languages, and like any such work, it may suffer from childhood diseases. If you want to use this data in any way, or found a mistake, please contact me.
Sky charts for Netwar language
These charts contain only major identified objects in the Netwar language (Tanna, Southern Vanuatu). For a reference to object names in other Vanuatu languages, see the table below.
1: Neperawen Lapnuman, 2: Kou, 3: Kapaumeta, 4: Kilil, 5: Kasulia apam, 6: Kasulia rerparep, 7: Suatu kywer, 8: Nemrao, 9: Natem, 10: Nowanuman, 11: Nowanuman
Presented languages
- Netwar (Lenakel), Tanna (tnl)
- Nahwal, Tanna (nwi)
- Sesivi (Daakaka), Ambrym (bpa)
- Olal, North Ambrym (mmg)
- Melsisi, Pentecost (app)
- Lolopuépué, Ambae (omb)
- Wala-Rano, Malakula (upv)
- Larevat, Malakula (lrv)
- North Tanna (tnn)
- Baki (bki)
- Erromanga (Sie) (erg)
- 1: Jimmy Napip, Ikumhala (Tanna)
- 2: Lomai Tain, Ielkes (Tanna)
- 3: Sylvano Kapalu, Ipai (Tanna)
- 4: Iawilu Naumusapen, Lowkweria (Tanna)
- 5: Kasékasé, Imapul (Tanna)
- 6: Nausien, Lamlu (Tanna)
- 7: Pierrot Nako Yaru, Lowanatom (Tanna)
- 8: Joe Natuman, Lowkweria (Tanna)
- 9: Donatien Cainas, Sesivi (Ambrym)
- 10: Viktori Batick, Olal (Ambrym)
- 11: Marie Reine Salwai, Melsisi (Pentecost)
- 12: Erina Vutiala, Lolopuépué (Ambae)
- 13: Sylvio Labouckly, Bethel (Malakula)
- 14: Astride Amos, Unmet (Malakula)
- 15: Flora Molvidoh, Melsisi (Pentecost)
- 16: Rosa Tepi, Lownapaiu (Tanna)
- 17: Graham Firiam, Epi
- 18: Jerry Taki, Poniélogé (Erromango)
Objects
Earth and atmospheric phenomena
Earth
- tnl Ten Earth [3]
Shooting star
- tnl Mahau ramiwuk 'jumping star', bad omen foretelling a death [8]
- bpa-sesivi Meseli bisiu foretells a sunny and hot day [9]
- app-melsisi Wamso mwaiah [11]
- app-melsisi Wamso ah mworop [15]
- lrv-unmet M'si tetv [14]
- erg Ioro [18]
Solar system
Sun
- tnl Met [3]
- bpa-sesivi Iaa [9]
- app-melsisi Al [11]
- omb Aho [12]
- upv-walarano Nial [13]
- lrv-unmet Neiel [14]
- app-melsisi Metakal [15]
- tnn Mitgar [16]
- bki Mwereinyo [17]
- erg Nén / Nomonkam [18]
Moon
- tnl Mawuk [3]
- bpa-sesivi Émbaté [9]
- app-melsisi Wul [11, 15]
- omb Vulé [12]
- upv-walarano Navil [13]
- lrv-unmet Nal [14]
- tnn Maugh [16]
- bki Simbério [17]
- erg Itais [18]
Moon (waxing crescent)
- tnl Mawuk wi 'new moon' [3]
- app-melsisi Wul te out [15]
Moon (first quarter)
- tnl Nail ratuatu 'it stands straight', meaning that in the sky the Moon appears straight in the zenith in the evening [8]
- app-melsisi Gere wul [15]
- erg Névlog koné [18]
Moon (full)
- tnl Mawuk ramépép malwia 'the Moon is like the fish épép malwia' (Platax orbicularis) [7]
- tnl Nati tawar means that when the sun is setting, the Moon just appears above the mountains [8]
- app-melsisi Mweram [15]
- erg Némtar [18]
Moon (last quarter)
- tnl Numanmel 'leaf of orange tree' [8]
- app-melsisi Wul monok [15]
- erg Tandum nivini [18]
Moon (waning crescent)
- tnl Numanmel 'leaf of orange tree' [8]
Moon (new)
- tnl Napinapan taha Mawuk 'darkness of the moon' [8]
- app-melsisi Wul bulmet [15]
- erg Nulmon mori [18]
Lunar eclipse
- tnl Mawuk ramemes 'dead Moon' [3]
Venus (in general)
- bpa-sesivi Ngaga 'grandfather of the Moon', always found close to the new Moon [9]
Morning star
- tnl Fétukai [3]
- nwi Fétukai [5]
- app-melsisi Wamso roworen 'morning star' [11, 15]
- lrv-unmet M'si na metevarn [14]
- bki Léngian [17]
- erg Nalautambuindan [18]
Evening star
- tnl Kéwita [3]
- nwi Kéwita [5]
- app-melsisi Wamso nan ut reverep 'evening star' [11]
- app-melsisi Wamso temram [15]
- bki Vioméljo [17]
- erg Iorohunmé [18]
Jupiter
- tnl Karatéi [1]
Deep sky objects
Star
- tnl Mahau [3]
- bpa-sesivi Bisiu [9]
- app-melsisi Wamso [11]
- omb Visiu [12]
- upv-walarano Vivor [13]
- lrv-unmet M'si [14]
- tnn Moho [16]
- bki Marvitan [17]
- erg Mosi [18]
Large Magellanic Cloud
- tnl Nowanuman earth oven [4]
Small Magellanic Cloud
- tnl Nowanuman earth oven [4]
Milky Way
- tnl Nemrau ash [5]
- tnl Nuafuganan less common term, lit. 'many together' [6]
- nwi Némlauk ash [5]
- bpa-sesivi Iémarmatewés widow speeping the road [9]
Asterisms
Orion's Belt
- tnl Kasulia apam long yoke [4]
- nwi Kasulia apam long yoke [5]
- bpa-sesivi Évévéo an man man with yoke carrying crops [9]
- erg Umbrit mimé three men deciding about weather [18]
Orion's Sword
- tnl Kasulia rerparep short yoke [4]
- nwi Kasulia kuakua short yoke [5]
- bpa-sesivi Éteto an véavin old woman, returning from the garden with crop in her bag [9]
Taurus' Head
- tnl Kou pincers used for taking hot stones out of the fire [4]
- nwi Kuhwa pincers used for taking hot stones out of the fire [5]
Orion's Body
- tnl Kilil 'traditional fan' made from palm leaves [4]
- nwi Kelel fan [5]
Southern Cross
- tnl 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 [5]
- nwi Suatu kuas four customary ways [5]
- bpa-sesivi Lébuowuo [9]
- app-melsisi Wamso nan kawolwol [11]
Pleiades
- tnl Nowaswas Lapnuman young boys of Lapnuman [4]
- tnl Neperawen Lapnuman young girls of Lapnuman [4, 5]
- nwi Nepian Lapnuman brothers of Lapnuman [5]
- bpa-sesivi Véviép mbwéiagiag their appearance on the sky marks the time of planting yams [9]
- mmg-olal Uaiu [10]
- erg Owonian omontai narvin their appearance on the sky marks the time of new yams [18]
Spica
- tnl Kahau rul rat [1, 2, 5]
- nwi Iahuk rul rat [1, 5]
Alpha Centauri
- tnl Natem when he touches the 'natem' tree (Pometia pinnata) in the evening [1, 2]
Aldebaran
- tnl Kapaumeta [3, 4]
- nwi Kwota tepas [5]
?
- tnl Mowaimawuk an unidentified object (planet?) rising before or near the moon [6]
?
- tnl Iaiapom name of an unidentified star (possibly Altair), which sets in the morning in time of preparation of gardens (July) [1, 4, 6]
- nwi Iaiapom name of an unidentified star (possibly Altair), which sets in the morning in time of preparation of gardens (July) [1, 5]
?
- tnl Koraiapom name of an unidentified star (possibly Rigel), found in September in the morning near zenith [1, 4, 6]
- nwi Koraiapom name of an unidentified star (possibly Rigel), found in September in the morning near zenith [1, 5]
?
- tnl Kwankaio name of an unidentified star (possibly Procyon), rising in February in the morning [1, 2]