TIME, SPACE and MEASUREMENT: BELIEFS and PRACTICES of the EASTERN PASTORAL POKOT of KENYA - Softcover

By studying the sun, moon and stars the Eastern pastoral Pokot of Kenya have evolved a detailed lunar calendar of twelve months divided into two seasons; the wet and the dry. Each month begins with the appearance of the new crescent moon while each year begins in April with the onset of the rains. This calendar regulates all Pokot activities ranging from the economic to the ceremonial. Their intimate knowledge of the stars has led to the recognition of the difference between stars and planets, the shaping of constellations out of stellar patterns and the invention of stories about them which relate to their own particular way of life.