The night sky

Jul 04, 2024

The night sky is filled with galaxies, planets, nebulas and stars. Long before GPS and smartphones, people used the stars to keep track of time, predict the weather, preserve culture and navigate. Countless ancient stories and beliefs have been told through the night sky.

Ancient bright minds took meticulous notes, like the incredible Dogon tribe of Mali. The Egyptians are said to have aligned their pyramids with Orion's Belt, which points directly to Sirius A. When Sirius A appeared over the horizon, ancient Egyptians knew the Nile would soon flood. Villages along the Nile were lined up like the Sirius constellation.

Did you also know that it is believed that the Greeks and some African tribes were among the first to name the stars? In some tribes, the three stars of Orion's Belt represent a canoe paddled by three brothers fishing. It is said one brother was greedy and ate the sacred fish, causing the Sun goddess to punish them by placing them in the sky.

The Bushmen have their own perspective on the Orion constellation as well - seeing the three stars in the belt as three gemsboks between two sand dunes, hunted by the Bushmen. The Pleiades star cluster, known as the Seven Sisters, was used to predict the amount of rain based on the brightness of the stars.

At Gwango, we have the privilege of a wide and unpolluted night sky. When the stars come out, they reveal a universe of stories waiting to be told. Here, under the pristine skies, you can see the cosmos as our ancestors did, in all its breathtaking glory. Imagine lying back and gazing up at the Milky Way, Orion’s Belt and the Seven Sisters, shining brightly above. It’s an experience like no other, one that connects you to the ancient past and the wonders of the universe. We invite you to come and witness this celestial spectacle at Gwango, where the stars tell their stories, and nature’s beauty is unmatched.

…a Personal note from Elisabeth: The night sky will always remind me of my mother. It was the stars that I gazed up at on those first long nights we spent at Gwango.. In the raw wilderness before there was anything about us, in an old truck, I’d lay down my head - exhausted by the day’s endeavors (some of which often seemed IMPOSSIBLE). I’d look up at the stars.. Tears in my eyes and always asking “why”. Why am I in this place mum.. What was it that you had intended for me here. It was the stars that were the constant reminder of her.. In them I felt her presence.