Stars

The navigation stars (te vairanga kaveinga) were listed as follows by Stephen Savage from the manuscript of Aporo-ariki:

1.	Tauira-te-ao
2.	Tauira-te-marama
3.	Tauira-te-etu (hetu)
4.	Tauira-te-kaveinga
5.	Tauira-rangi-o-Avatea
6.	Etu-kura
7.	Ngamau
8.	Okianga
9.	Matanui

The term “kaveinga” means “direction to steer by,” and was consequently applied to the European compass when it made its appearance. A star is hetu but is written as etu by Aporo. Star 7 should be Nga-mahu or Na-mahu. An explanation given to me was, “E rua Mahu, e rua ata.” (There are two Mahu, with two shadows.) It was applied to the Magellan clouds which pointed out the direction in which to steer between Rakahanga and Manihiki.

Stars of the month are given in Table 20. The appearance of the Pleiades is given on page 226. Another list gives Tautoru as seen in the Utuamua month, Te Ahura in Utuamuri, and Whaniu as the main star of the Pouri period extending from November to January.