Learning with Granny!
Wherever we are on Earth, we can
see the stars. Those of us
who live in the Southern Hemisphere can’t see some of the stars that people in
the Northern half of the world see - like Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Great
Bear and the Little Bear) and they are unable to see the beautiful Southern
Cross - which we watch every night as it swivels around during the year. The
Southern Cross is always easily identified by it’s two ‘pointers’ -alpha
and beta Centurion - being the
biggest and the second biggest stars in the constellation of Centurion.
People all over the world have different explanations for
the stars and describe what they see differently. The Chinese, the Indians from
the East and the American Indians, the people from South America, Australia, New
Zealand - all the places where their early ancestors - millennia ago lived very
much by nature and depended on the Earth’s natural calendar or clock to guide
their lives.
There has been a lot of interesting happenings this year.
We started out on the 9th of January with a wonderful Lunar Eclipse. Then
Mars was closer to earth than it
had been for many years. Then we experienced a solar eclipse - which was seen by
more people in Africa than ever before and which many people in our area would
not have been aware of had they not been shown how to view it properly - as it
was not otherwise noticeable in our low region. This was followed by another -
less impressive - lunar eclipse.
Granny is always interested to learn how other people
who watch the sky interpret it. We get our information from early records of
people who were interested in learning the answers to the sky.
The Bible mentions the constellations of The Pliedes,
Orion, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in the book of Job - see Ch.38 vs 31-33
Astrology came into existence before the Science of
Astronomy and there are many people even today who won’t start their day until
they have been guided by what ‘their stars’ predict for them!
People from Mesopotamia were using the movements of the
stars to plot their lives 4,000 years ago. At the beginning of the first
millennium, the Greeks studied the movement of the ‘heavenly bodies’ and
many brilliant astronomers were scorned for their hard work before their ideas
were accepted.
The records left by the Early Egyptians shows clearly that
their everyday lives were closely linked to the stars. Their Pyramids and tombs
were to ensure that their dead enjoyed continued happiness when they departed
this world for the stars.
Granny wonders - could these early sophisticated
civilizations have inherited their beliefs from even earlier African civilizations?
Could the original interpretations of what people saw in
the skies still be alive in the descendants of
people traveled slowly thousands of years earlier around the globe?
Stories are passed down from generation to generation.
Numerous writers and poets have recorded their
observations. Sir. Lauren’s van der Post has shared some of the
knowledge he gained from the Bushmen relating to their version of the stars - I
quote - editing somewhat from his
book “A Story Like the Wind”
“Bushman - is a
hard language. There’s a click of some sort in every other consonant.
They say that every animal, bird, reptile and insect in Africa as well as
plants understands the onomatopoeic Bushman tongue."
The Bushman were one of the earliest races of mankind, if
not the earliest and these people lived in harmony with all living things on
Earth.
"Only when the ‘first
people’ of the early race snatched the first fire from under the
wings of the great ‘ostrich ancestor’ and all ostriches and started using it
for themselves and their own selfish ends, that the animals took fright and ran
away from the humans. They
never forgot though, the meaning of the sounds which they first conversed in
harmony with men."
To the bushmen the stars were the greatest hunters of all.
You can hear the sound they make on a still dark night - a faint distinct
‘Tssisk!’ and a host of others crying out ‘Tza’
These are also the two most important words of command to a hunting dog.
Granny has a great interest in people and different
cultures and she was thrilled to have been invited to the opening of the
community hall in the new Local Rural Village.
 She put up some of her colorful posters from the South
African Astronomical Observatory to brighten it up and create an interest. The
African Starlore one attracted a lovely well known Xhosa Grandmother called
Nosimithi who happily posed for this photograph.
 Nosimithi lives close to the skies in a traditional rural
Xhosa homestead like this one - where for generations children have learned
about life, nature, the stars and their culture at the feet of their parents or
grandparents. Click on the image to see a bigger picture.
You need to be able to go outdoors to appreciate the wonder
of the brilliant starry skies. We
are very fortunate in Africa to be able to do so most of the year!
 Nosimithi was
interested to learn more about the African Starlore poster so when I got home I
went on to the SAAO website and was pleased to find the full poster there . With
the permission of the SAAO, you can view the amazing starlore poster right here.
After you have looked at the whole poster, visit the SAAO
web-site where they tell us the full story of the legends of the San, the Sotho,
the Nguni, the Tswana and so on.
Granny would be most interested to hear from people all
over the world about their interpretation of what the stars are - what stories
have been handed down in your
family? You don’t have to be A Cyberkid to write in.
Granny believes that ‘The Stars are the key - to Man’s
advance in History” see March in Archives.
So
come on ‘cyberscientists’
Lets work together to share knowledge and ‘uplift South Africa’
This Month's Poem
The Map Of Life
Oh where do I seek for the 'Map of Life?'
The simple instructions to set us free
From the chains of negativity
For directions to release the minds of Men
Affirm what they were, and can be again?
Just what set nations back in the past?
When history reveals their knowledge vast.
Palatial temples stand in ruin -
Give evidence of disaster and doom.
Brought on by nature or by Men?
It happened then, it can happen again.
If we acknowledge where we went wrong
But follow the path of the true and the strong
And plot a course for the peoples of Earth
Giving all a pride in their value and worth.
We've had the Renaissance - we're out of the 'dark',
The time has come to make the mark.
We need a 'map' that's going to show
Laterally and spherically, where we must go
The consequence of constructive thought
Will reap more gains than battles fought.
The 'Map' of the future must show the quest
Of legacies left in the past by the best
If we learn from the past and work with zest
We'll all succeed and pass the test.
by Jennifer Leigh Marais March 2000
Visit us next month to find out more on astronomy and man's ancient history.
Granny looks
forward to letters from teachers and pupils and is happy to answer your
questions. Simply e-mail her at granny@scienceinafrica.co.za
Until Next Month...
Granny Jenny
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