Starlore as a mean for Astronomy Communication
Avivah Yamani
(langitselatan)
Since ancient times humans have been fascinated by the skies. The first record of astronomical observation was found in a 30.000 years old painting on the walls of caves. As our ancestors gazed up at the sky, they created an imaginary pattern from stars and used it to recognise specific stars and tracked the movement of the stars. They incorporated this pattern that we know as constellations into mythical stories as a way to explain beliefs or how our ancestors incorporated stars in their daily life. In many cultures, indigenous people use constellations for timekeeping, religious events, navigation, and agriculture. And all of this was incorporated into folklores in various cultures.
In Indonesia, we have various starlore or folklore about the stars that have passed through word of mouth for many generations. Unfortunately, it has become less known in this modern world. The story itself can tell us the story of how indigenous people in Indonesia incorporated celestial objects in their daily life and beliefs. As an agricultural country, constellations have been used to determine the time to plant and harvest the crops. While for fishermen and sailors, they also use the stars as navigation and a sign of the season to sail out to the sea.
In this presentation, I will talk about starlore or folklore in astronomy as a tool for science communication and also a way to reintroduce cultures to the new generation and engage wider audiences.
video chat