"Mamahi:" Heavenly body of Tawi-tawi - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Philip S. Chua Eileen G. Mangubat Fernando Fajardo Fr. Francis Ongkingco Fr. In heat Figuracion Gerard Pareja Henryl A. Moreno Hidelito Pascual Isabel P. Ingles Lloyd Suarez Lesley Sunburn Lino Gilbert K. Parone Luis H. Francia Mia B. Cuesta Ronald P. Villavelez Rev.

The compilation will be submitted to the International Astronomical Union in 2009, which has been declared the International Year of Astronomy to mark the 400th year of the first astronomical observation buttoned up a telescope alongside Galileo.

It will be an adulation for us to show to the world how celestial or godly bodies shaped our culture or beliefs," said Cynthia Celebre, chief of Pagasa"s astronomy research and development section.

Responding to Pagasa"s appeal, Talk of the Village is featuring a history professor"s study of how the Badjaos of Tawi-tawi use stars and constellations in their daily lives -- hunting, planting, fishing and seafaring. Early Filipinos acquire a rich knowledge of the heavens.

Sure local groups in the country, mostly their elders, keep possession of the knowledge, which may be forfeited unless it is recorded or passed on to the next generation.

Man"s fascination with paradisaic bodies, remarkably stars, is partly due to his affinity with them.

Scientists enjoy established that without the life and death of stars, adult testament not be on Earth today. From stars that exploded long ago came elements like oxygen, calcium, iron and zinc found in the human body. Ed By Dante L. Ambrosio BITUIN, BITUUN, BITUON -- this is how various groups in the country call a star. On the other hand to the Samas of Tawi-tawi, a star is mamahi.

This I intellectual when I surveyed the islands" astronomical lore starting in 1995, the year a solar veil was seen on the province.

Two Sama Dilauts, known as Badjaos, from the central town of Bongao drew their version of the arch for me. They identified indefinite asterisms or star groups which they use in their activities. I confirmed these later with other fishermen, farmers, seafarers and religious leaders they telephone imam.

Surrounded by these asterisms are Batik (Orion"s belt), Mupu (Pleiades), Bubu (Big Dipper), Paliyama (parts of Aquila), Mamahi Uttara (North Star), Saloka (Scorpius), Anakdatu and Sahapang (Alpha and Beta Centauri), Bunta (Southern Cross), Lakag or Maga (morning star), Mamahi Kagang and Mamahi Pagi. There are several more.

It is unfortunate that city-bred denizens like us have nearly no chance to acquire the knowledge of the heavens which our forefathers mastered.

While scientists and astronomers built upon the knowledge of the ancients, the cultured centre of us are not even cognizant of our own astronomical lore. Some might have heard of Orion but not Batik or Balatik, Pleiades but not the Tagalogs" Mapolon or the Bikolanos" Moroporo, Big Dipper but not Bubu or the Samarnon"s Lusong, and Southern Cross but not Bunta.

Although on circumstance they might have heard of Tatlong Maria (Orion"s belt), Supot ni Hudas (Pleiades) or Krus na Bituin (Southern Cross), these came to us only with the advent of Christianity.

In fostering science awareness, we could inception and shape on what we already keep and what is, in fact, still being used out there in the field. Thus, my attempt to document our own astronomical lore.

What did our forefathers think about when they looked at the heavens? Why did they organize the stars into groups and named them after particular objects in their immediate milieu? What prompted them to admit that stars influence their lives?

How come people even depend on to these beliefs? Posing these questions means venturing into the realm of a people"s culture.

From http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/talkofthetown/vi~