Hōkū

The meaning of Hoku is "star". The Hawaiian stars were very important to the well being of sailing. Hawaiians used the stars as natural compasses that helped them navigate their explorations. Hawaiian navigators depended on the stars, as well as the seas, the wind, and the currents to travel. Stars, planets, and the moon were important to Hawaiian astronomers when they traveled across the ocean. The way the moon moves, and the sighting of Pleiades at sunset was the beginning of when the growing season begun. Planets or Hoku-ake, were separated from the stars and were named by their position in the sky, either east of west. Other planets were given special names because of their color, brightness, and the patterns it moves in. Before scientific navigation, Hawaiians sailors created star maps in their minds. Hawaiians also relied on stories they remembered, and the stars‘ positions. Hawaiians also used visual images, like fish. The Hawaiians who sailed the greatest distances, which were thousands of miles across open oceans, created the most detailed star maps. Hawaiian star maps were important to navigation.

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