60 



ORIGIN OP THE CALENDAR. 



TBUKEAU OF 

 LETHNOLOGY 



it ''by the stars." It is apparent, therefore, that the Hawaiiaiis had a 

 determiuate sidereal year, and as he again avers that each of the thirty 

 days of the month had its specific name (though he does not give them 

 all), we may suppose that this error arose from a faihire to intercalate 

 the proper number of days, and not by dropping from an extra mouth. 

 This supposition we find is confirmed by Judge Fornander in his " I*oly- 

 nesian Race," * who says : "■ It is known tliat the Hawaiians who counted 

 twelve months cf thirty days each, intercalated five days at tlie end 

 of the month Welehu, about December 20, which were tabu days 

 dedicated to the festival of the god Lono; after which the new year 

 began with the first day of the month Mal-alii.-^ He also (piotes from 

 Dibble the second extract given above and corrects it thus : " Mr. Dibble 

 omits to mention that the 'correction' of their reckoning 'by the stars' 

 was made by the intercalation [the five days] I have referred to." "It 

 thus appears," he continues, "that the Hawaiians employed two modes 

 of reckoning — by the lunar cycles, whereby the monthly feasts or kapu- 

 days were regulated; and the sidereal cycle, by which the close of the 

 year and the annual feast of Louo was regulated." t The same writer 

 asserts that the public sacrifices and kapu days were observed only 

 (luring eight months of the year, and discontinued during the months 

 of Ikuwa, Welehu, Makalii. and Kaela, when in the month of Kaulua 

 they recommenced. 

 The names of the mouths and aays as given by him are as follows : 



Now, the points in which this Hawaiian calendar agrees with that of 

 Mexico and Central America may be si^ecially noted, since the former 

 may have furnished the basis of some of the peculiarities of the latter. 



First, attention is called to the fact that the Hawaiians had two 

 periods — one the sidereal year of 305 days, or twelve months of thirty 

 days each and five added days; the other the sacred period of about 240 



*Vol. I, p. 119 (1878). 



tVol. I, p. 120, note. 



