The Mattang

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4808dcf0bf07.gif[/atsimg]

This is a mattang,
the Polynesian "compass".
(snip)
But the Polynesians also learned how to read wave patterns.
Throw a stone into the water and what happens--the stone sinks of course, but circles of waves are made centred on where the stone fell.
In much the same way, waves in the sea hit an island and are reflected back.
The mattang is a tool showing all the basic patterns that waves can form when they bounce off land.
An experienced Polynesian sailor would be able to read the wave patterns and tell which direction to go to find land.
www.edunetconnect.com...

Personaly i find it a very interesting way of navigating the oceans by reading the wave patterns of the sea.
I find it quite hard to find any information of how these Polynesians exactly did this and i would realy like to know more about it.

The subject of basic wave patterns makes me think of Cymatics

the study of wave phenomena. It is typically associated with the physical patterns produced through the interaction of sound waves in a medium.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f9a5931b8cc0.jpg[/atsimg]

From what i understood is that these Polynesians claimed that these wave patterns would behave exactly the same on a microscopic level as on a cosmic level.
Is this not what they state to in the electric universe research?

www.thunderbolts.info...

Where in plasma experiments they got the same patterns and shapes as can been seen in some hubble pictures of some distant nebulas.

I feel that these subjects, the mattang, symatics and the "electric universe" are some how related and i'd love to learn more about them.
Doing a search on "mattang" on ATS gave me zero results so i thought it deserves a thread on this board.

It would be nice to see more information on these subjects and their possible relation and i hope that some people who studied these subjects would like to post somethings about it.
Specialy since i dont see myself as a great journalist and i think my research methods are far from scientific.






READING THE PATTERNS OF THE WAVES

MICRONESIAN STICK CHARTS

Really interesting stuff.

Makes you wonder what effect HAARP is having on the enviroment doesnt it?

S&F Really cool find, I don't think I have ever heard of anything quite like this before. Seems like another indicator that cultures and civilizations of the past had a clearer understanding of this world and the functioning principles of it than history would like to acknowledge. I would love to see someone operate this device. Always found it surreal how the ancients had such a clear picture of astronomy and the workings of the universe and my generation has been glued to the T.V. and a computer chair.

WSM = Wave Structure of Matter



Interesting video that is linked to the whole subject of waves.
Here it is beeing claimed that all matter is formed by standing waves and interference patterns.

Originally posted by sueloujo
Really interesting stuff.

Makes you wonder what effect HAARP is having on the enviroment doesnt it?

It sure does now you bring it up.
What could the waves of this haarp installation do.
Maybe something simular as the claimed effects of Binaural Beats .

reply to post by jaamaan
I saw the resonance phenomena video some time ago and failed to save or bookmark it. Thanks for supplying a second chance to get it The wave patterns that the experiment produces are reminiscent of mandalas, crop circles and tribal symbols.

On the subject of the Mattang, I've reservations. The article link is sort of rhetorical. It states that the Mattang would be thrown into the water, near rocks, and would show Polynesian sailors where the nearest land was. I don't understand how? It has four lines of symmetry and no dominant axis. How could they know which way it was pointing?

Wave motions near rocks are affected by wavelengths, wind, undercurrents, surface eddies and incoming/outgoing tidal forces. Even using the example pictured as a compass would be inconclusive. Is there more information/links that could explain the judgment behind the theory? If I picture throwing a mattang into the water, I just see it bobbing on the surface and spinning with the wave motion. Given it's design it would point to four directions

I'll be googling this for the next couple of days

Originally posted by Kandinsky
The wave patterns that the experiment produces are reminiscent of mandalas, crop circles and tribal symbols.

Yes i have seen quite some information in that direction and i will digg some of it up to post it here.

Originally posted by Kandinsky
On the subject of the Mattang, I've reservations. The article link is sort of rhetorical. It states that the Mattang would be thrown into the water, near rocks, and would show Polynesian sailors where the nearest land was. I don't understand how? It has four lines of symmetry and no dominant axis. How could they know which way it was pointing?

There does seem to be way in finding out what way it is pointing.
There is a little horizontal stick near the top in the OP and one paralel to it through the middle.
From what i got is that they would hold this "mattang" in front of the bow of their ship and read the waves and/or interference patterns.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d17fea53b93d.jpg[/atsimg]

source

The second form of chart, the Meddo is an extension of the mattang chart in that it shows swell patterns in relation to a number of islands.
In this respect, the chart itself is an extension of the swell patterns of these islands.
The function of the meddo is to indicate the position of islands relative to observable swell phenomena, the true distances and directions between the islands being of only secondary importance.
source

This Meddo makes it maybe a bit more clear.

Originally posted by Kandinsky
Wave motions near rocks are affected by wavelengths, wind, undercurrents, surface eddies and incoming/outgoing tidal forces. Even using the example pictured as a compass would be inconclusive. Is there more information/links that could explain the judgment behind the theory? If I picture throwing a mattang into the water, I just see it bobbing on the surface and spinning with the wave motion. Given it's design it would point to four directions

I'll be googling this for the next couple of days

From what i get is that they hold it in front of the ship above the sea.
You compare the wave, swell and interference patterns to your standard reference pattern, with your mattang (?!?).
Thereby beeing able to see it what direction the wave was originaly broken and maybe how far away.
I could be wrong here, i have to do some more reading up.

[edit on 25-2-2009 by jaamaan]

reply to post by jaamaan
Whoops. I was wrong and possibly lazy. I didn't notice the horizontal crosspiece. It makes more sense with a point indicator.

Originally posted by Kandinsky
reply to post by jaamaan

 

Whoops. I was wrong and possibly lazy. I didn't notice the horizontal crosspiece. It makes more sense with a point indicator.

No problem.
I have this mattang as my avatar for a few years and i only noticed the "horizontal" cross pieces some weeks ago after reading up on this mattang.

[edit on 25-2-2009 by jaamaan]

Marshall Islands stick charts were made and used by the Marshallese to navigate the Pacific Ocean by canoe off the coast of the Marshall Islands.
The charts represented major ocean swell patterns and the ways the islands disrupted those patterns, typically determined by sensing disruptions in ocean swells by islands during sea navigation.
Stick charts were typically made from the midribs of coconut fronds tied together to form an open framework.
Island locations were represented by shells tied to the framework, or by the lashed junction of two or more sticks.

(snip)

The Marshallese recognized four main ocean swells: the rilib, kaelib, bungdockerik and bungdockering. Navigators focused on effects of islands in blocking swells and generating counterswells to some degree, but they mainly concentrated on refraction of swells as they came in contact with undersea slopes of islands and the bending of swells around islands as they interacted with swells coming from opposite directions.

en.wikipedia.org...

Here is some other information that might have a link to the mattang.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b884ccc42583.jpg[/atsimg]

The graphic shows how the Mattang relates to the (blue lined) upcapped Great Pyramid, Swastika, Maltese & Iron Cross all fitting with the two opposing vesica piscis and the four circles, which = 1440 degrees and in minutes = 864,000 diameter of sun in Miles and in seconds = 518400 which are harmonics of 144 = gematria for light and 5184 which is the decimal of the GP slope of 51.84 degrees and 1/5 of the precessional cycle.

www.halexandria-foundation.org...

Stick charts were not made and used by all Marshall Islanders. Only a select few rulers knew the method of making the maps, and the knowledge was only passed on from father to son.
(snip)
It was not until 1862 that this unique piloting system was revealed in a public notice prepared by a resident missionary.
It was not until the 1890's that it was comprehensively described by a naval officer, Captain Winkler of the German Navy.
He became so intrigued by the stick charts that he made a major effort to determine navigational principles behind them and convinced the navigators to share how the stick charts were used.

en.wikipedia.org...

So there is some known study on the navigational properties of the mattang done by this "Captain Winkler of the German Navy".
It looks like this is his journal Click Here (pdf)

Here is some other "far out" information possibly linking with the mattang.

What I am about to show you will make you realize that the Polynesians in fact had a ’stick theory’ that resembles our modern ’string theory’.

This navigational tool called the mattang contains a wealth of mathematical, geometric quantum information…made out of sticks…but made from the same archetypal ‘mind source’ that the modern asymmetrical mind accesses too.
It is in fact I believe, an ancient GPS, among other things.

(snip)

The Polynesians used this tool (made from palm ribs bound together using coconut fibers), to help them navigate through the expansive Pacific ocean, a macrocosmic ocean filled with water, and water is made up of different kinds of waves, some are big and some are small and microscopic.
They actually used that tool to help them identify the ‘different types of waves’ they would encounter when traveling from island to island…they believed the waves of the ocean contained recognizable patterns, like the stars above.
The ancients would hold the mattang near the water at the bow or prow of the boat, and these ancient sailors would use this tool to help them identify the wave’s patterns.
The wave patterns could help them determine where the major islands lay and where reef barriers break the ocean’s surface.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2ce4838d8c43.jpg[/atsimg]

kachina2012.wordpress.com...

[edit on 25-2-2009 by jaamaan]

I first encountered those in museums in Hawaii, and they are interesting. There's been a number of books and papers written about them where people went to the Islanders and asked them how the matang works and observed them using the maps.

Something you may not realize is that these charts are generally ONLY for a specific area and can show things like schools of fish and crosscurrents things like schools of fish as well as other data. There were three different types used in the Marshall Islands, and variations of them used elsewhere.

Here's a very good paper (one of many) on how they work (and how you might build your own, if you're so inclined) : www.ethnomath.org...


Most of the info you found is excellent -- there's a lot more published about them (check scholar.google.com) However...the "Halexandria" site has no real understanding of the matang, and the "stick theory/string theory" person has no clue about string theory or how GPSs work.

Originally posted by Byrd
Something you may not realize is that these charts are generally ONLY for a specific area and can show things like schools of fish and crosscurrents things like schools of fish as well as other data. There were three different types used in the Marshall Islands, and variations of them used elsewhere.

Here's a very good paper (one of many) on how they work (and how you might build your own, if you're so inclined) : www.ethnomath.org...

Thanks for the information, this posted pdf describes the use of the stick charts quite nicely, but i am afraid this mattang can only be used in the pacific or in the general earea of their islands .
Some notes i took:

The wave phenomena observed and utilized by the Marshallese to indicate the location and direction of islands still below the horizon are based upon refraction, reflection and diffraction of deep-water swells as they encounter islands.

(snip)

It is relevant to note that the marshallese navigator does not rely upon his sense of sight alone in these matters.
He learns to lie on his back in the bottom of the canoe and to interpret the wave pattern by noting the rise and fall, yawing and slapping of the sea against the hull.

(snip)

The charts are classified by navigators into three types:

Mattag, a model illustrating general concepts of refraction.

Meddo ("sea"), a model including the relative locations of several specific islands and some more wave data and sometimes other hydrographic information.

Rebbelith, like the meddo, but including all or most of the islands of the group

www.ethnomath.org...

Originally posted by Byrd
Most of the info you found is excellent -- there's a lot more published about them (check scholar.google.com) However...the "Halexandria" site has no real understanding of the matang, and the "stick theory/string theory" person has no clue about string theory or how GPSs work.

Thanks for the thumbs up.
The "Halexandria" information seemed a bit far off from the start and i am not very good at maths so i could not verify much of the statements.
I just thought i post it to see if some would maybe still stand after some discussion.

What i am looking for possible connections between the mattang, symatics and other geometric principles.
I myself have not much of a clue about string theory except some video(for dummies) about an interference pattern when some particle is shot through two slids.
Some how i think there could be some very interesting connections there.
Maybe you have a few pointers ?

Thanks for the "scholar.google.com" link, it is the first time i hear of it and i'll be sue to check it out.



[edit on 26-2-2009 by jaamaan]

Google scholar is your friend!

I remember this subject from long ago. One problem with stretching it beyond local areas was - if the theory was taken to the extreme the 'rebounds' from the Americas, Australia, Antactica and Asia would overwhelm the concept..

Originally posted by Hanslune
Google scholar is your friend!

I remember this subject from long ago. One problem with stretching it beyond local areas was - if the theory was taken to the extreme the 'rebounds' from the Americas, Australia, Antactica and Asia would overwhelm the concept..

I am not sure if i understand what you are saying here.
Could you explain a bit more maybe ?

Originally posted by jaamaan
What i am looking for possible connections between the mattang, symatics and other geometric principles.

Hmm. They certainly observed the patterns and noted them, but I'm not sure how detailed they got into them. Math is very detail oriented and would have recorded the exact angle and so forth. I believe the Mattang was used on a "close enough" kind of principle where you look for something that appears to be "close enough" to what was observed.

They didn't have elaborate mathematics. If the Greeks had been using this system, they would have had all sorts of equations and number theory and would have made it a pretty exact thing.

I myself have not much of a clue about string theory except some video(for dummies) about an interference pattern when some particle is shot through two slids.

Ah yes. That's called "diffraction" in English and is not really part of "string theory" but is often used with something called (confusingly) "Spooky Action At A Distance."

Some how i think there could be some very interesting connections there. Maybe you have a few pointers ?

I think it says a lot about how closely these people watched the sea and how great their knowledge was. I don't know of any other civilization that developed such wonderful charts... because the rest of them lived near the coast and just sailed up and down by landmarks and usually didn't get out of sight of land.

Thanks for the "scholar.google.com" link, it is the first time i hear of it and i'll be sue to check it out.

You will find books and scientific papers there. Please continue to post things that you find! You have researched carefully and this is interesting!



[edit on 26-2-2009 by jaamaan]

Originally posted by jaamaan


I am not sure if i understand what you are saying here.
Could you explain a bit more maybe ?

Waves, the waves would bounce off the large land masses that surround the Pacific and overwhelm the smaller returns from the islands. Now that is not in the real physical sense but in the more metaphysical.

Originally posted by Hanslune

Originally posted by jaamaan


I am not sure if i understand what you are saying here.
Could you explain a bit more maybe ?

Waves, the waves would bounce off the large land masses that surround the Pacific and overwhelm the smaller returns from the islands. Now that is not in the real physical sense but in the more metaphysical.

Ah i see what you mean, somehow it took me a while before i got it, english is not my first language, if you didnt notice allready

Yes as far as i can see this mattang could only realy be used localy and not just in any ocean.

I like to post this video i found in an other Thread

Originally posted by Evasius
Here's my own video I shot while in Fiji in December of 2005. We took a boat ride from Castaway Island in the hopes of seeing a few dolphins

I have never been myself to the region but it is amazing to see the ripples and waves on the ocean in this video.
It just amazes me to think that these polinesian people could navigate the local ocean by reading these wave patterns.