Primitive Time-reckoning: A study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoplesNilsson, Martin P. (Martin Persson)
History
Primitive Time-reckoning: A study in the origins and first development of the art of counting time among the primitive and early culture peoples
Nilsson, Martin P. (Martin Persson)
Chronology
In the next place the crescent of the wasting moon is added, so
that three phases are given: waxing, culmination, and waning.
Thus the Andamanese call the new moon _ogur-lo-latika_, the full
moon _ogur-dah_, and the waning moon _ogur-boi-kal_[664]. Another
writer gives different names, no doubt for another tribe:--New
moon = ‘moon-baby-small’, first quarter = ‘moon-big’, full moon
= ‘moon-body’, last quarter = ‘moon-thin’[665]. The literal
translation shews however that this author wrongly makes these
phases equivalent to our quarters; the full moon and the third
quarter are not identical. In reality, besides the full moon, two
phases are distinguished during the time of the waxing moon, and
only one when the moon is on the wane. The Indians of Pennsylvania
distinguish by special names the new, the round (i. e. the full), and
the waning moon: the last-named they call the half-round moon[666].
The Negritos of Zambales have periods corresponding to the phases
of the moon: the new moon they call _bay’-un bu’-an_, the full moon
_da-a’-na bu’-an_, the waning moon _may-a’-mo-a bu’-an_[667]. In
Wuwulu and Aua there were words for the full moon, the waxing and
the waning moon, and for the time of the moon’s invisibility[668].
This last is not a phase in the proper sense: as soon as it was
recognised, however, it was natural that it should be introduced as
equivalent to the phases and should thus complete the circle of the
month.
In regard to the further development of the phases it is to be noted
that this does not as a rule take place with any regularity, but the
phases are more specialised during the period of the waxing than in
that of the waning moon. The Karaya of Central Brazil were overjoyed
to note the first appearance of the crescent. Apparently five phases
of the moon are distinguished, for which our authority obtained the
following names from an Indian:--First crescent, _ahandu loita_; not
yet quite full moon, _ahandu laläli_; full moon, _djulum läaläli_;
last crescent, _ahandu aluläna_; new moon, _ikona_. Of these _ahandu
laläli_ denotes a phase between half and full moon: ‘there are two
moons’. Probably the bright and the dark moon are meant. This was
confirmed for other Indians, but without its being possible to obtain
any accurate account, says our authority. The theory however fits
badly, since the earth-light disappears in the second quarter, but is
very prominent in the first. The people however were themselves not
clear as to the succession of the phases, they gave different orders
and often corrected themselves[669].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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