Weather Magic as Environmental Knowledge in Southern Vanuatu

Abstract

This paper presents weather magic practices from the islands of Tanna and Aneityum, in southern Vanuatu, and highlights how this phenomenon is a critical domain of Indigenous environmental knowledge, particularly knowledge involving plants. Recent literature suggests that diverse cultural systems, such as music, can be viewed as domains of environmental knowledge, and we propose that magical systems should be afforded the same recognition. Although anthropological work in Melanesia has historically featured various magical practices, relatively little has been said about how these have been used to influence or understand the weather, and even less has been presented directly by Indigenous weather magic practitioners, who are co-authors on this paper. In this contribution, we intersperse anthropological and ethnobotanical commentary with verbatim narratives provided by three local experts in weather magic from southern Vanuatu, including oral histories, contemporary narratives, and the results of ethnobotanical surveys. The detailed knowledge that weather magic practitioners on these islands hold regarding their local environment represents an important means of transmitting not only cultural heritage, but also botanical knowledge, the maintenance of which may be critical for current and future conservation efforts. This research documents rich cultural traditions of local and global significance which are worthy of the attention and preservation afforded to other forms of Indigenous environmental knowledge. The goals of magic and those of science are not necessarily inherently opposed, and we show that magical practice can indeed involve and even preserve a detailed and powerful mode of knowing the environment.

Behavioural determinants of physiologically-relevant light exposure

“…Light also plays a significant part in religion or cultural practices 58 , reflected in festivities such as celebration of the summer solstice 59,60 , Saint Lucy's Day in Scandinavia 59 , or the festival of Diwali in Hinduism [61][62][63] . Other practices are weather magic and sun worship 64 , use of candles and light in religious ceremonies or orientation of religious buildings and temples towards the sun 65,66 . Some cultures also honour solar deities (e.g., Helios in Greek mythology, Amun Ra in ancient Egypt, Apollo in Roman times, Yarhibol in Mesopotamia) 58,59 .…”

Wind Lore as Environmental Knowledge in Southern Vanuatu

“…The tɨpunɨs acts as a kind of mediator between the weather and Naka gardeners, ensuring that both people and winds stay in balance and on schedule. He may perform various other rituals using plants and sacred stones to in uence the weather (Balick et al, 2022). Our colleagues in Nusumetu drew winds based only on cardinal directions, but also provided detailed information about the qualities of individual winds.…”

“…Speakers of the Nafe (Kwamera) language of southeast Tanna consider their area to be the "captain" of the sun, wind, and all weather across the island because the prevailing weather patterns come from the southeast. They name winds differently than do their fellow islanders, but share certain beliefs concerning wind function and control by magic (Balick et al, 2022). Within the Nafe language area, there are differences in wind lore based in part on dialect and geography.…”

“…Wind lore is gradually being forgotten, but can still be described in detail by experts. We conclude by situating wind lore within a culture complex that includes knowledge of agriculture, shing, time-reckoning (Balick et al, 2023;Kelso et al, 2023), and weather magic (Balick et al, 2022).…”

Holme I (Seahenge) and Holme II: ritual responses to climate change in Early Bronze Age Britain

“…The contribution of folklore, including rituals and social customs, 'weather wisdom' and the worldviews of present-day indigenous societies also provides alternative conceptions of climate change; for example, those of Inuit (Henshaw, 2003), Amazonian (Eisenstadt & Jones West, 2017) and Melanesian peoples (Balick et al, 2023). While people generally readily adapt to minor or seasonal climatic fluctuations, significant long-term, local and global changes pose problems to which the options, responses and adaptations of such diverse societies have been varied and localized (Hassan, 1994).…”