When one thinks of the original sea-faring travelers, thoughts of Magellan, Columbus, and the Vikings come to mind. However, there were a people who came long before any of the famous sea-captains that we know of. The Polynesian people have been navigating the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean since approximately 3000 BC. They were some of the first to have recognized the reliability of weather patterns, waves, and stars. Using techniques that have primarily been passed down orally, these people have become masters of reliably navigating the ocean. Furthermore, thanks to the success of these methods, the Pacific islands have been able to become populated from Easter Island, to Hawaii, to Tahiti.

History of Polynesian Navigation
Ocean navigation is thought to have originated in the area around Taiwan. The people studied various natural indicators in order to understand the ways that the winds and waves moved as well as understand locations based upon the stars. There were names for every type of cloud and wave, as well as the stars that were used as guides. To these people, the world was primarily based upon water as they migrated to archipelagos within the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, in order to spread and prosper, they had to learn the ways of nature. Some other techniques that these ancient navigators committed to memory were knowledge of animals and their migratory patterns. They also learned to tell the time based upon the location of the sun and stars, and they could tell what was and was not part of the normal climate. This helped to determine when ideal sailing weather would be.

These navigators were considered to be shamans or astrologers of their time as their specialty lay within the sky and its activities. These men would observe the weather and the climate in order to determine if a ship should set sail or not. This was usually accompanied by other rituals such as sacrifice and meditation. However, their predictions were accurate to the best of our knowledge.

As with most ancient knowledge, this information was transferred from one generation to the next through oral stories and songs. There were many songs and chants that were created in order to help the travelers commit the knowledge to memory. This is a common practice throughout the ancient world. It is seen all over the world and the Pacific Islanders were no exception. Unfortunately, due to the lack of writing at that point in history as well and the eventual dissipation of the knowledge, many of the original songs are lost to us. However, that is not to say that the knowledge itself is gone.

Celestial Polynesian Navigation
There has been a fairly recent revival of those wishing to renew the old ways of navigating. Shamans have taken on apprentices in order to bring back the art of seafaring. There have even been attempts to recreate the old ways of boat making and using navigation techniques. They successfully travelled hundreds of miles to their destination with the navigator able to pinpoint exactly where their location was as well as successfully determining when they would arrive on land. This was all without the help of maps, compasses, or sextants.

When the navigators would start out, they would locate the North Star and use it to keep their bearing straight. They would then choose another star that would place them in the correct orientation for their voyage and use that in order to reach their destination. It is said that if a star within the dipper constellation looked like it was winking, that a storm was coming and safety should be found. It is also known that even within the deep water areas, several days from their originating point, a good navigator can pinpoint the exact day that he will make landfall. This has been tested in modern times by those trying to revive the ancient art. There have been trips made with no equipment to help guide the way other than a well versed astrologer. The expert was able to direct and predict everything about that trip simply by reading the signs of nature.

One of the largest and most arduous tasks involved with naval navigation is the creation of a boat. The traditional form of boat making is nearly lost, even to those who have mastered the forms of navigation by nature. Part of this is due to the fact that the trees originally used on the islands to fashion the large vessels are nowhere to be found.

Oral Transfer of Polynesian Navigation Knowledges
The ancient craft of fashioning coconut husks into sails and ropes is also lost. This is a common flaw of a system of knowledge that is passed down orally throughout the generations. Knowledge can quickly be lost within a generation or two whereas it can last much longer if written down. However, an advantage of teaching protégés of the art navigation through oral tradition is the fact that it is better committed to memory as opposed to relying on written sources for guidance. This is an advantage when resources are scarce and the ability to pour over maps and charts (as is stereotypically shown in movies taking place in the past) is not an option.

The art of navigating the seas by only using the wind, stars, clouds, and waves as a map is one of cultural significance. Due to the nature of sea travel, these techniques originated in one area and then spread across the Pacific as people migrated to the different islands in the area. With thousands of miles between them, there are islands where even though the people came from the same origin, culture has changed them over the years. While certain aspects of groups of people differ over the ocean, one thing that remains the same is the knowledge of sea navigation. This is a universal knowledge that is passed down from generation to generation because the way nature acts is consistent. Even though it is a scarce thing to find an astrologer who can pinpoint everything based on the stars, their culture still has a few who can pass this knowledge on to the future generations and keep the tradition alive.

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