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VANDOO · 21st July 2013, 04:46 PM

WHILE WE KNOW POLYNESIANS MADE MANY LONG OCEAN VOYAGES WE HAVE LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY NAVIGATED OR PICKED A DIRECTION TO GO. MANY A THEORY ABOUNDS AND MANY OR ALL SURELY PLAYED A PART IN THEIR SUCESS BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE THE FULL PICTURE.
MANY VOYAGES MAY HAVE ENDED IN DESTRUCTION AS TIMING AND LUCK PLAY A PART IN LONG SEA VOYAGES. BUT THE SAILING AND NAVAGATION KNOWLEGE OF THE POLYNESIANS MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER THAN WE KNOW AND DISASTERS KEPT TO A MINIMUM.
THEY LIVED CLOSE TO NATURE AND STUDIED THE WILDLIFE, WAVES, WINDS,SEASONS,CLOUDS, CURRENTS AS WELL AS WHAT WASHED UP ON THEIR ISLANDS AND WHERE THE CURRENTS THAT BROUGHT STUFF CAME FROM. THEY KNEW THE ESTABLISHED ROUTES FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND AND WHEN AND HOW BEST TO VOYAGE TO THEM. NATURE OFFERS MANY CLUES TO THOSE WHO STUDY AND LEARN TO UNDERSTAND THEM ALL SOCIETYS WHO SAILED KNEW THE SEASONS OF STORMS AND THOSE OF GOOD WINDS AND CURRENTS.
THERE IS ALSO THE SHAMAN OR PRIESTS WHO OFTEN HAD VISIONS. THERE ARE MANY TALES IN MANY CULTURES OF THE ABILITY TO SEE FAR AWAY OR EVEN INTO THE FUTURE. THESE PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS CONSULTED BEFORE ANY LARGE AND IMPORTANT EVENT SO THEIR IMPUT WAS PART OF THE SUCESS OR FAILURE OF THE VOYAGE. I DON'T HAVE THESE ABILITYS AND HAVE NOT BEEN SCHOOLED BY THOSE WHO SAY THEY DO AND HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY OF THE DRUGS OFTEN USED IN SUCH TRANCES SO DON'T COUNT THEM FOR MUCH. BUT I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH STRANGE THINGS NOT TO DISCOUNT THEM ENTIRELY AND MOST OF THAT KNOWLEGE HAS BEEN LOST AS MAN MOVES FARTHER FROM NATURE.

21st July 2013, 04:46 PM	#21
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	WHILE WE KNOW POLYNESIANS MADE MANY LONG OCEAN VOYAGES WE HAVE LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY NAVIGATED OR PICKED A DIRECTION TO GO. MANY A THEORY ABOUNDS AND MANY OR ALL SURELY PLAYED A PART IN THEIR SUCESS BUT WE MAY NOT HAVE THE FULL PICTURE. MANY VOYAGES MAY HAVE ENDED IN DESTRUCTION AS TIMING AND LUCK PLAY A PART IN LONG SEA VOYAGES. BUT THE SAILING AND NAVAGATION KNOWLEGE OF THE POLYNESIANS MAY HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER THAN WE KNOW AND DISASTERS KEPT TO A MINIMUM. THEY LIVED CLOSE TO NATURE AND STUDIED THE WILDLIFE, WAVES, WINDS,SEASONS,CLOUDS, CURRENTS AS WELL AS WHAT WASHED UP ON THEIR ISLANDS AND WHERE THE CURRENTS THAT BROUGHT STUFF CAME FROM. THEY KNEW THE ESTABLISHED ROUTES FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND AND WHEN AND HOW BEST TO VOYAGE TO THEM. NATURE OFFERS MANY CLUES TO THOSE WHO STUDY AND LEARN TO UNDERSTAND THEM ALL SOCIETYS WHO SAILED KNEW THE SEASONS OF STORMS AND THOSE OF GOOD WINDS AND CURRENTS. THERE IS ALSO THE SHAMAN OR PRIESTS WHO OFTEN HAD VISIONS. THERE ARE MANY TALES IN MANY CULTURES OF THE ABILITY TO SEE FAR AWAY OR EVEN INTO THE FUTURE. THESE PEOPLE WERE ALWAYS CONSULTED BEFORE ANY LARGE AND IMPORTANT EVENT SO THEIR IMPUT WAS PART OF THE SUCESS OR FAILURE OF THE VOYAGE. I DON'T HAVE THESE ABILITYS AND HAVE NOT BEEN SCHOOLED BY THOSE WHO SAY THEY DO AND HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY OF THE DRUGS OFTEN USED IN SUCH TRANCES SO DON'T COUNT THEM FOR MUCH. BUT I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH STRANGE THINGS NOT TO DISCOUNT THEM ENTIRELY AND MOST OF THAT KNOWLEGE HAS BEEN LOST AS MAN MOVES FARTHER FROM NATURE.