Het sterrenlied in het Hollandse zeevaart-onderwijs. Berijmde instructies voor het vinden van de sterrenbeelden en het uur van de nacht

Abstract

This paper discusses seaman's 'star songs' (sterrenliederen) encountered in various 17th-century Dutch navigation manuals. They were devised by nautical instructors as mnemonics for sailors to assist them in learning the constellations or could be used for finding the time of the night by observing their meridian culminations. The earliest known 'star song' appears to be that of the Amsterdam nautical instructor Robbert Robbertsz. le Canu and probably dates from the late 16th century.