The Chained Maiden

Andromeda was one of the earliest constellations to be named, probably dating back to the ancient civilizations of the Tigris-Euphrates region.

Cassiopeia was vain and boastful. Soon after their marriage, Cassiopeia bore her husband, King Cepheus, a daughter, Andromeda. So great was her beauty and that of Andromeda, she said, that it surpassed even that of Nereids (the Sea-goddess).

When Nereids overheard Cassiopeia boating she became very jealous. She complained to Poseidon, God of the Sea, and demanded that Cassiopeia be punished. Poseidon agreed and summoned a terrible sea-monster, Cetus, to lay waste to the land, kill the people, and kill the cattle.

The frightened people gathered and pleaded to their king to save them. Cepheus consulted an oracle who told him that there was only one way to stop the slaughter: "You must offer your daughter Andromeda as a sacrifice." Andromeda was to be chained to the rocks on the coast and left for Cetus to devour.

It was Perseus, the brave son of Zeus and Danae, just returning from a journey during which he had succeeded in killing the dreaded Medusa, who rescued Andromeda in exchange for her hand in marriage, and a kingdom. Cepheus promised Perseus that he would have what he asked for, whereupon Perseus unsheathed his sword. One thrust of his sword found a soft spot between the armored scales of the monster. Wounded, it twisted over on its side. Perseus then inflicted another deep cut, and another. Blood now colored the water red and soaked Perseus' winged shoes. Fearful of losing his ability to fly, he settled on a rock near the shore and waited for the sea-monster to attack again. As it did, Perseus' sword plunged deeply into the monster's evil heart.

Joyful beyond words, Cepheus and Cassiopeia led Perseus and Andromeda to their house, where a great feast and celebration were prepared. Perseus and Andromeda were married and lived a long, happy life together. When Perseus and Andromeda died, they were given honored places among the stars. Cetus, the sea-monster, was there waiting for them and forever chases Andromeda around the sky, but Perseus continues to guard her well.

Aquarius

The planet Neptune was discovered in Aquarius in 1846.

Aquarius is an old constellation, and a common figure in ancient times. Aquarius, as the God of the Waters, must have been regarded as a benevolent god by some cultures, and a ruthless god by others. His role seemed to depend on the prevailing climate of a given region. To the Egyptians, Greeks, and others who lived in lands plagued by drought, Aquarius was looked on as a kindly god who brought rain when it was most needed during the planting season. The Babylonians, however, looked on Aquarius as a dangerous god and referred to the month when the Sun was in Aquarius as "the curse of rain."

According to one myth, Aquarius caused a great flood to wash over the entire Earth. Deucalion's father advised his son and wife to build a great boat and stock it with provisions. They did and the two floated in the world-sea for nine days and nine nights. Eventually the boat ran aground on Mount Parnassus. Safe but lonely, the two sole survivors of Earth walked about as the waters became lower and exposed more and more land. What were the two to do? They appealed to an oracle and were told to "… throw over your shoulders the bones of your mother." Deucalion guessed that the bones of Mother Earth must be stones. As the two walked along they picked up stones and tossed them over their shoulders. After a time they looked behind them and found that there were people. The stones that Deucalion had thrown had become men and those thrown by Pyrrha had become women. Aquarius became known as the taker of life and the giver of life.

This myth of a world flood and of rebirth on Earth is a common one and can by found in many ancient cultures.

In modern times this constellation was immortalized by the counterculture of the 1960's, which proclaimed the Age of Aquarius. This was a bit premature as the Aquarian age will not actually begin for another 600 years. Astrological age is identified by the constellation in which the Sun in found on the vernal equinox (March 21). This location moves slowly from one zodiac constellation to the next as a results of Earth's movement in space.

Aries

The ancients needed a marker of some sort to indicate the beginning of spring. The only stars occupying that particular place on the Zodiac at that time were those dim ones we now recognize as Aries. Around 1800 B.C. the position occupied by Aries on the Zodiac band was an important one, and will be again in the distant future. It marked the beginning of spring and was known as the First Point of Aries.

Following a brave rescue of Phrixus over the Aegean Sea, the ram commanded the prince to sacrifice him to the gods and to remove his golden fleece. Phrixus did and presented the golden fleece to King Aeetes, who was delighted with the gift. The King hung the fleece in the sacred Grove of Ares, where there lived a dragon who never slept and guarded the golden fleece. We are told that so brilliantly did the golden fleece shine that by night it bathed the surrounding countryside in a warm golden light. The brave and generous ram was given an eternal place in the sky as the constellation Aries. It is said that this constellation is a dim one because the ram no longer had its brightly shining fleece.

The brightest star in Aries is Hamal, from the Arabic Al Ras al Hamal, meaning "the Head of the Sheep." The ancient Greeks from about 1580 B.C. to 360 B.C. oriented the construction of many of their sacred temples in relationship to Hamal. The Chinese knew Aries as a dog, Kiang Leu. Later they knew it as Pih Yang, or "the White Sheep."

Bootes

The Bear Watcher or the Herdsman

The name "Bootes" is at least 3000 years old, but in those ancient times the name most likely applied to the star Arcturus rather than to the entire group of stars we see today.

The Egyptians believed that north circumpolar stars that never set over the horizon, were evil. And one of the most evil of these northern constellations was the Great Bear. Boötes, they believed, was placed in the sky to guard the Great Bear and see that she did no harm. The Egyptians pictured Boötes as a constellation they called the Hippopotamus.

The Greeks at one time also knew Boötes as the Bear Watcher, or Bear Guard because he seems to chase Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Great and Small Bears, across the sky. Greek mythology has many stories about the origin of Boötes. According to one legend, Boötes is Arcas, the hunter-son of Callisto, the Great Bear. In another myth, Boötes was the son of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. Boötes is credited with inventing the plow and was placed in the heavens his invention.

Boötes is also called the Herdsman because is seems to hold the leashes of the Hunting Dogs, the constellation Canes Venatici. Both the Hindus and ancient Chinese regarded Arcturus as a pearl-star. In Chinese myth, a huge dragon was eternally chasing and trying to capture this star.

Cancer

The Crab

The name comes from the Latin "cancer," means crab. Cancer joined the dreaded Hydra in battle against Hercules. It was only a bit part, but one which secured its immortality. Scholars believe that astrologers later added the crab to the myth in order to have the Twelve Labors of Hercules reflect the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac. While it is difficult to associate all of Hercules' labors with the zodiac, it is true that the crab figured in Hercules' Second Labor, and is in fact the Second Sign of the Zodiac. In any case, apparently for sacrificing its life, the crab was awarded with a heavenly home. But, because Cancer failed to defeat Hercules, the gods did not give Cancer bright stars to mark its constellation.

Cancer is part of M44 (NGC 2632), better known as the Beehive Cluster. This is a bright open star cluster clearly visible to the naked eye on a dark enough night, best appreciated with binoculars or small scope. There are over three hundred stars in the Beehive. One of the largest clusters, its 1.5 degree size is equivalent to three full moons end-to-end. Its distance is calculated at between 520-590 light years from Earth. This grouping is so large it was well known in antiquity, when it was thought to be a nebula. The cluster often served to predict the weather: if not crystal clear, inclement weather might be on the way. Galileo was the first to study its stars with a telescope. He counted over forty members, putting to rest the idea of its nebulosity and introducing the idea of star clusters. It has been estimated that over a hundred of its stars are brighter than our Sun, and in fact if the Sun were a member of this group, it would be a very modest member indeed, at about 10.9 magnitude.

In 1531 Halley's Comet was discovered in this part of the sky.

In the summer of 1895, all of the planets, except Neptune, congregated here--and extremely rare event.

Capricornus

There is confusion over how Capricornus came to be. Some say that he represents the shepherd-god Pan. Others say that he was quite a different god, Aegipan. Capricornus' history can also be traced to Babylonian times. His appearance then, as it is now, was half-fish and half-goat. The Arabs, Persians, Turks, and Syrians all knew Capricornus as the Goat. In certain parts of the Orient, the constellation was known as the Southern Gate of the Sun, indicating that it is in this constellation that the Sun reaches its lowest point on the ecliptic and thereafter begins to appear higher and higher each day.

So terrible was the sight of the giant Typhon that Zeus himself is said to have changed himself into the form of the ram, Aries. Other gods also changed themselves into animal forms to escape Typhon’s detection. In time, however, Zeus reappeared in his own form, prepared to do battle with Typhon, Zeus was defeated when Typhon cut out the tendons of Zeus' hands and feet, rendering him helpless to move. Typhon then hid the tendons in a cave in the land of Cilicia guarded by the dragon-woman Delphyne.

Delphyne wasn't a very good guard and permitted the tendons to be stolen by the gods Hermes and Aegipan. Aegipan intended to transform himself into an animal to escape detection by Typhon. He had jumped into the river when Typhon approached, but was halfway submerged before he thought of what form of animal he should wear. He decided to be a goat. So a goat he became, but only from the waist up. From the waist down he took the form of a fish.

Aegipan and Hermes managed to steal the tendons and return them, making Zeus once again fit for battle. His strength regained, Zeus unleashed all his fury and killed the monster Typhon by hurling thunderbolts at him. For Aegipan's role in this battle against the Titans, Zeus gave him an honored place in the sky as the constellation Capricornus.

Cassiopeia

The Queen

Cassiopeia is sometimes known as the Celestial "W" and Celestial "M". The Romans and the Arabs called her the Woman of the Chair.

Queen to King Cepheus and the mother of Andromeda, the beautiful Cassiopeia was vain and boastful. One story says that as punishment for her bragging, Cassiopeia was chained to her throne and placed in the sky to circle the North Star. At times she is hanging upside down in a most undignified position as a warning to all.

Corona Borealis

The Northern Crown

According to Shawnee Indian legend, twelve beautiful maidens who inhabited the stars of the Northern Crown nightly descend to Earth to dance in the fields. The early Arabs knew the constellation as the Dish, and as the Broken Platter, because it forms an incomplete circle. The ancient Chinese called the constellation Kwan Soo, meaning a Cord. The Australians recognized the constellation as Woomera, or the Boomerang.

According to a Greek myth dating back to approximately 450 B.C., Ariadne, having fallen in love at first sight, helped the handsome Theseus escape the maze of the Minotaur. After which, Theseus sailed back to Athens with her. Halfways home, they stopped to take on fresh water and rest. But as they slept Theseus received a message from a goddess telling him that Ariadne had been promised to a god and that no mortal should interfere. He silently crept back to his ship leaving Ariadne alone on the island.

When Ariadne awoke to find herself abandoned, she wept bitterly.

The god Bacchus came upon her. Seeing her great beauty, he begged her to marry him. But Ariadne did not believe he was a god, and she refused to marry him. To prove he was a god, Bacchus produced the most beautiful golden crown she had ever seen. Humbled, Ariadne agreed to marry Bacchus and they enjoyed a long life of happiness together.

When his beloved wife died, Bacchus placed the golden crown high in the heavens to honor her for her unrequited kindness to Theseus, and to her loyalty to him as her husband.

Cygnus

The Swan or the Northern Cross

Phaethon was the son of Clymene and the Sun-god Apollo. Taking advantage of his father’s affection, he demanded permission to drive the Sun-chariot across the sky. Apollo tried to convince his son that it was a very dangerous thing to do and the boy should reconsider. But Phaethon refused to change his mind, Apollo relented.

Phaethon was inexperienced in driving a chariot and it did not take the horses long to realize that an unsure hand was on the reins. First they bolted high up in the sky, far higher than they usually did, in their eagerness to rise above the eastern horizon and reach the top of the great sky dome. It was here that they scorched a great streak across the sky, a streak that became the Milky Way. Meanwhile, Earth's surface became cold because the Sun-chariot was too high in the sky. Next the horses plunged to close to Earth. As they crossed Africa they scorched the ground, creating a great desert and drying up rivers, lakes, and watering holes.

Horrified, Phaethon saw ahead a great scorpion (Scorpius) in the sky. Its mighty tail flashed and stung the lead horse. Up went the chariot again, even more wildly than before. Poor Phaethon now realized his foolishness and that he should have listened to his father's warning.

Zeus, King of the Gods, decided that it was time to stop this rash youth from causing destruction. He hurled a thunderbolt at Phaethon, killing the boy instantly and sending his smoldering body tumbling down to Earth. The horses returned to their stable and Phaethon's body fell into the Eridanus River and sank to the bottom.

Phaethon had a very devoted friend, Cycnus, the Musician-king of the Ligurians. On hearing of Phaeton's fate, Cycnus plunged into the Eridanus and swam back and forth trying to find the body of his friend. His motions through the water made him look like a swan searching for food. Apollo took pity on Cycnus, who died of grief, and raised him into the heavens, where he became the constellation Cygnus, or The Swan.

Draco

The Dragon

Today Polaris is the pole star but 4,000 years ago Thuban (a Dra) held this position. In ancient times the heavens appeared to revolve around this constellation.

The great Egyptian pyramids of Khufu, located at Gizeh, seem to have been planned and built with Thuban as a guide when Thuban was the Pole Star around 3000 B.C. The pyramid was built in such a way that Thuban was visible day and night from the bottom of one of the pyramid's deep air shafts. Other pyramids also seem to have been planned and built with the then Pole Star as a focal point.

The Persians have regarded Draco as a man-eating serpent called Azhdeha. In early Hindu worship, Draco is given the form of an alligator known as Shi-shu-mara.

The origin of the constellation, Draco, and of most dragon lore as well, was probably the Chaldean dragon Tiamat, the sea serpent who existed even before the sea and sky had been divided from each other, the dragon of chaos.

Early Greek myths tell of a great battle between the gods and the Titans, terrifying figures cast up out of the volcanic fires that belched out of the bowels of Earth. These monsters, who represented the universal forces of evil. Zeus and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, along with Hera, Demeter, Athena and others battled these giants for dominion.

Athena was the Goddess of Arts, Crafts and War. During the battle, which lasted for ten long years, one the Titans hurled a fierce dragon at Athena. So great was her strength and so effective her magic shield that Athena was not frightened. She caught the dragon by the tail and, with one mighty heave, swung him high into the heavens. Up he soared, twisting and coiling this way and that until his long body had become tied in knots. He came to rest in the northern sky and became fixed to that region around which the northern stars circle. Today we see him forever asleep as the knotted, battered, and twisted Draco.

Gemini

The Twins

Uranus and Pluto were discovered in Gemini. Uranus was found near h Geminorum and Pluto near q Geminorum.

According to Greek mythology, Castor & Pollux were twin heroes, born from an egg laid by Leda after she was seduced by Zeus in the disguise of a swan. It was said that Pollux was the son of Zeus, but Castor was the son of Tyndareus, a mortal.

The twins were raised by the centaur Chiron (now the constellation Sagittarius) and later joined Jason and the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece. Castor became famous as a rider of horses while his brother Pollux became skilled at boxing and at fighting in battle. The two brothers were good companions and became gods, patrons of athletes and protectors of sailors at sea with power over the winds and waves.

When Castor was killed by the spear of a longtime rival, Idas, his brother Pollux, the immortal son of Zeus, begged to die so that he would not be separated from his brother. Not even the mighty Zeus could end the life of an immortal, so he placed them together in the sky as the constellation Gemini, or The Twins.

Hercules

Greatest and strongest of the Greek demigods, Hercules was the son of Zeus by a mortal woman (Alcmene) and was hated by Zeus's wife, Hera. He began his life of heroic violence by strangling two serpents, sent by Hera to kill him, while still in his crib.

In manhood, Hera made Hercules insane by burning down his house and killing his wife and children. When Hercules recovered his sanity, he sought the help from the oracle of Delphi. The oracle told him he must serve his cousin Eurystheus, King of Argos, for 12 years. Hoping to destroy Hercules, Eurystheus set him twelve supposedly impossible tasks. The hero completed them all.

The twelve labors of Hercules were

strangling the Nemean Lion that terrorized the valley of Nemea.
striking off the many heads of the Hydra of Lerna, Cancer joined in on this battle against Hercules
delivering to Eurystheus the terrifying Erymanthian boar and the Arcadian stag, sacred pets of Artemis
killing the man-eating birds of Lake Stymphalis
cleaning in one day the stables of Augeas, King of Elis, which contained 3,000 oxen and had not been cleaned for 30 years.
capturing and bearing on his shoulders to Mycenae the white Cretan bull, sire of the Minotaur
capturing the man-eating mares of Diomedes and feeding them the flesh of Diomedes
fetching for Eurystheus' daughter the girdle of the Amazon queen, Hippolyte
killing the three-headed monster Geryon, along with his giant herdsman Eurytion and the two-headed dog Orthrus, all in order to capture Geryon's oxen
freeing Prometheus and bearing the weight of the world for Atlas, while he fetched the golden apples of the Hesperides
descending to the underworld to bring the three-headed dog Cerberus to its master, Hades.

After completing his service to Eurystheus, Hercules took part in the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece.

Hercules died when his second wife accidentally poisoned him. Convinced that Hercules was being unfaithful, she poured a potion on his robe meant to restore his love for her. The poison burned his skin, causing him great pain. He tore at his flesh but the potion could not be removed.

Zeus honored his son by making him a god and placed him in the sky forever.

Hercules may have been Gilgamesh, the strong-man hero of ancient Babylon. Like Hercules, Gilgamesh killed an invincible lion and accomplished other great tasks. Gilgamesh also explored the seas of the underworld. Here he meets Utnapishtim, the sailor and the sole survivor of a flood sent by the gods who lived on an island in the center of the underworld sea.

Lacerta

The Lizard

Lacerta is one of seven constellations introduced by Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687), a Polish astronomer mostly known for his charts of the lunar surface. His catalogue of 1564 stars, Prodromus Astronomiae was published by his wife three years after his death. It was in this catalogue that he introduced seven new constellations: Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo Minor, Lynx, Scutum, Sextans, and Vulpecula

Leo

The Lion

The Egyptians worshipped lion-gods which is evidence of the importance this beast held in Egyptian life. The Egyptians believed that the world was created at a time when the Sun rose in Leo near the star Denebola. The Persians knew Leo as Ser, to the Turk, Artan, to the Syrians, Aryo, to the Jews, Arye, and to the Babylonians, Aru, all meaning "Lion." The Sumerians also saw this group of stars as a lion. The form of the Lion was probably passed along to the Babylonians, Greeks, Roman and others.

Hercules' first labor was to kill the Nemean lion, a fierce beast who descended to Earth from the Moon in the form of a meteor and ravaged the countryside of Corinth. The lion’s hide was so tough that no weapon could pierce it. Hercules found the Lion’s lair inside a cave, then sealed off one of the entrances and pursued the lion inside. So great was the hero’s strength and fearlessness, he seized the lion and strangled it to death by ramming his fist down its throat. He then flung it over his shoulder and returned to King Eurystheus, proving that he had fulfilled his first labor. The cowardly king was terrified at the sight of the beast and fled. Hercules then skinned the lion and used its tough hide as a protective shield.

So angry was Hera at Hercules' success, she raised the soul of the lion high into the sky. Today he can be seen as the constellation Leo, or The Lion.

Around 240 B.C., Leo was robbed of his splendid tail. The astronomer-priest under Ptolemy III chopped of the tail of Leo when he invented the new constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair).

Libra

The Romans invented Libra and gave it importance as a constellation of the Zodiac. Libra was "the Scales of Justice" held by Julius Caesar. Later the scales became associated with Virgo, the Goddess of Justice. When the zodiac was still in its infancy, some four thousand years ago, the sun passed through this constellation at the autumnal equinox (September 21) when day and night were of equal length.

As a symbol for equality, the constellation came to represent Justice in several middle Eastern cultures. The Egyptians also saw Libra as a set of scales, one in which the human heart was to be weighted after death, "the Scales of Justice." In India, the constellation was called Tula, meaning "a balance," showed a man bent on one knee, holding the scales. The ancient Chinese called the constellation Show Sing, "the Star of Longevity," but later generation changed the name to Tien Ching, meaning "the Celestial Balance." Interestingly, the ancient Greeks did not recognize Libra. Instead, they saw it as part of Scorpius. Libra made up the two claws of the scorpion.

Orion

The Great Hunter

He was the Sun-god of both the Egyptians and Phoenicians. The ancient Arabians called Orion Al Jauzah, loosely meaning "the Middle Figure of the Heavens," and Al Babadur, "the Strong One." The Hebrews called him Gibbor, or "the Giant." They also considered him to be Nimrod, who was strapped to the great sky dome for rebelling against Jehovah. The Hindus once called him Praja-pati, meaning "the Stag." The stag was said to be chasing his own daughter, Aldebaran, but was killed by an arrow shot by Sirius. The arrow can be seen sticking into the stag as Orion's belt stars. In ancient China, Orion formed part of a larger constellation recognized as the White Tiger.

Orion was known in ancient Greece (around 500 B.C.) as the warrior, son of Poseidon, the god of the seas. There are many legend’s surrounding Orion. In the most common, he boasted that no animal could defeat him, and that he could single-handedly kill all the animals on the face of the Earth. Gaea, Goddess of Earth, decided that Orion must be killed just in case he might one day carry out his boast. She sent a giant scorpion to Orion and ordered the beast to sting Orion. As mighty as Orion was, after only a brief battle, the scorpion managed to deliver the hunter a deadly sting. Scorpius stung Orion on the heel (at the star Rigel). Orion and the scorpion were given honored places in the sky, but they were placed at opposite ends of the great dome so that they would never engage in battle again.

In another Greek myth, the goddess Artemis (goddess of Wild Animals and of the Moon) fell in love with the handsome Orion. Her brother, Apollo, did not like this, and plotted to destroy Orion. One day while Orion was swimming, Apollo walked by with his sister. Apollo challenged her to hit a target bobbing in the water. Artemis did not know it was the head of Orion, and shot her arrow. The arrow struck Orion in the head killing him. When Orion's body washed ashore by the waves, Artemis was horrified to learn that she had been tricked by Apollo. In great sadness she tenderly placed the body of Orion in her silver Moon-chariot an carried him high up into the sky. Then finding the darkest place, so that his stars would shine the brightest of all surrounding stars, she placed him where we see him today.

Pegasus

The Winged Horse.

After Perseus' victory over the Medusa, he took to the air to present his prize to Athena. On the way, some of the blood from the Medusa's severed head dripped into the sea. Poseidon had been in love with the Medusa when she was a beautiful maiden. Poseidon raised her drops of blood from the sea and mixed them with white foam of the dancing waves and with white sand of the beach and created the Winged Horse, Pegasus.

The horse flew up to join the gods, and was caught by the goddess Athena, daughter to Zeus. Athena tamed Pegasus with a golden bridle. At Mount Helicon, Pegasus started the famous spring of Hippocrene flowing with a single kick. Hippocrene was said to have been the source of all poetic inspiration.

Athena later made her beloved Pegasus, the Winged Horse, into a constellation.

Pisces

Pisces claims a position of importance among the twelve constellations of the Zodiac, because its stars mark the point in the sky occupied by the Sun during Vernal Equinox (March 21).

According to Greek myth, this constellation depicts Aphrodite and her son, Eros, who took the form of fishes to escape the giant Typhon. Pisces was known by the Babylonians as Nunu, by the Persians as Mahik, and the Turks as Balik, all meaning "Fish." The Arabs also knew Pisces as Al Samakatain, or "the Two Fishes." The Chinese called Pisces at various times the Dark Warrior, the Northern Emperor, and the Pig, but ultimately the constellation became known as The Two Fishes.

In one German story, Antenteh and his wife lived in very poor circumstances by the sea. One day Antenteh caught a fish, which pulled and tugged so vehemently at the net that he decided to let the fish go back to the sea again. To the amazement of Antenteh, the fish started to speak to him. The fish told Antenteh that he was an enchanted prince and, in return for his release, the fisherman could ask for anything he desired. But Antenteh was a simple soul and felt so honored at having rescued a person of such nobility that he would not accept anything.

When Antenteh's wife heard his story, however, she became extremely angry with him for letting such an opportunity pass. She nagged Antenteh until he went back to the shore. He called for the fish, who instantly came swimming towards him. Rather embarrassed, Antenteh told the fish of his wife's wish for a house with furniture in it. The fish told him to leave everything to him and to return to his home. Antenteh did so where, instead of his humble cabin, he found a splendid house.

If Antenteh's wife had not been so greedy, all might have ended well, but after a while she wanted more. She wished to be a queen and have a palace. Her wish was granted. Still not satisfied, she demanded to become a goddess. That was just too much. The fish, furious at the insatiable desires of this woman, responded to this final request with one flip of his mighty tail. Everything Antenteh’s wife had been given disappeared, and in its place there stood again the tub with feathers in the little cabin by the sea. [from The New Patterns in the Sky by Julius D.W. Staal ©1988]

Sagittarius

It was the Romans who named the constellation Sagittarius ("sagitta" is Latin for "arrow"). Others claim that this constellation was invented by the Sumerians and that Nergal (as the supreme god of war) is found on two cuneiform inscriptions. In the Gilgamesh epic, Nergal is one of the seven gods to whom sheep and oxen are sacrificed. His name, in Sumerian, means "Lord of the Great Abode"-- that is, of the Underworld. There are few stories that provide much of a picture of this god, but Hammurabi, the great lawgiver (18 century BC), called him "the fighter without a rival who brought him victory" over those who would resist his laws. Nergal was also seen as the god of plagues, and of destruction.

The centaur, half-man and half-horse, was famous in Greek mythology for being rude, untrustworthy, violent, deceptive and, on top of all that, they drank too much. But one centaur, Chiron, was different. Chiron was educated by the Sun-god Apollo and by Diana, Goddess of the Moon and Wild Animals. He was as kind, gentle, and wise as the other centaurs were mean, fierce, and unthinking. Chiron's skills and wisdom became so widely known that children of many famous kings were sent to him to be taught. Among his pupils were the mighty Hercules and Aesculapius, who became skilled at medicine. Ironically, it was Hercules who tragically killed his archery teacher. Although Hercules knew and deeply respected Chiron, he could not recognize his friend from a great distance and accidentally shot him with one of his poisoned arrows. To assuage his son’s grief, Zeus gave the good centaur a resting place among the stars as the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer.

According to another myth, Sagittarius is poised and ready to shoot an arrow through the heart-star of the unpredictable Scorpio.

Scorpius

Scorpius historically represented death, darkness, and everything that we look on as evil.

Orion boasted that so great was his might and skill as a hunter that he could kill all the animals on the face of the Earth. Gaea, Goddess of Earth, was alarmed at such a boastful and inappropriate statement. Gaea decided that Orion must be killed just in case he might one day decide to carry out his boast. She sent a giant scorpion and ordered the beast to sting Orion. As mighty as Orion was, after only a brief battle, the scorpion managed to deliver the hunter a deadly sting. Scorpius stung Orion on the heel (at the star Rigel).

Orion and the scorpion were given honored places in the sky, but they were placed at opposite ends of the great sky dome so that they would never engage in battle again. Although there are other stories about how Orion met his death, this one is the most common.

In New Zealand, the constellation is not seen as a scorpion, but as a heavenly fishhook. The Mayans of Central America named Scorpius "the Sign of the Death-god." The Romans at one time called Scorpius "the Lurking One." The ancient people of Asia called the evil Antares "the Grave Digger of Caravans." The Chinese looked on Antares as a star to be worshipped as a safeguard against fire. They named the star Huo Shing, meaning "the Fire Star."

The farther south one travels until reaching the middle latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, the higher the Scorpion rises above the southern horizon. In doing so, it seems that the Scorpion also loses its reputation an evil creature. From the Marshall Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, comes the myth of Dümur. The mother of all the stars is Ligedaner (Capella, in Auriga). Her oldest son is Dümur (Antares) and her youngest is Pleiades. Her sons came down from the vault of Heaven to visit their mother, who lived on the atoll Alinablab. While they were there, they suggested that he who was the first to reach a certain island in the East should be proclaimed King of the Stars.

Taurus

Taurus contains M1 (NGC 1952), the Crab Nebula. The Crab Nebula is about 5,000 light years away from Earth, and one of the most studied objects in the sky. It is the remnant of a supernova that occurred in A.D. 1054. The supernova was so bright that it was visible during the daytime. In 1968 a pulsar was identified near the center of the Crab Nebula, emitting regular pulses of radio energy (approximately every 33 milliseconds) due to the rotation of a very dense neutron star.

When you look for Taurus in the sky, don't expect to find the entire bull. The constellation depicts only his front half. The explanation is that his hindquarters are underwater because he is quite busy carrying Europa safely across the sea to Crete.

Years ago in Memphis, Egypt, archaeologists unearthed a broad paved avenue lined by lions carved out of stone. All along a high arched corridor cut into solid rock, 2,000 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 20 feet tall, they found recesses carved into the rock. Each held the ornately entombed remains of bulls. What they had uncovered the ancient tomb of the Apis-bulls.

The Bull-god, Apis, was worshipped in Egypt for thousands of years. To qualify for the honor of being an Apis-bull, a bull calf must have certain markings. For as long as it lived an Apis-bull was tended by the high priests. It was assumed that the bull embodied the soul of the Bull-god. When the Apis-bull died, it was elaborately entombed and another with similar markings had to be found to house the soul of Apis.

Spring was the time when festivals honoring the Apis-bulls were held. At this time in history (roughly 4000 B.C.) the Sun's position along the Zodiac on the first day of spring, or Vernal Equinox, was in the constellation we now recognize as Taurus. For many centuries Taurus was the first and most important constellation of the Zodiac. Some have suggested that Taurus may have been the first Zodiac constellation invented.

The ancient Babylonians and Sumerians also recorded the constellation Taurus in the night sky. The Arabs called Taurus Al Thaur. It was known as Il Toro by the Italians, Le Taureau by the French, Taura by the Persians, and Shor by the Jews, all meaning the Bull.

The Pleiades

The Seven Sisters

In Greek myths, they are the daughters of Atlas, who supported the world on his shoulders. Zeus first transformed the sisters into doves, and then into stars to enable them to escape the attention of Orion, who for seven long years pursued the maidens. The sisters are Alcyone, Merope, Celaeno, Taygeta, Maia, Electra, and Asterope. According to one legend, only six of the stars can be seen because Merope hid herself in shame over marrying a mortal.

The ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Hindus recorded seven stars. It is thought that the seven chambers of the Great Pyramid represented the seven stars of the Pleiades. The Blackfoot Indians of North America, tell of six brothers. The Polynesians and Mayan cultures also describe the origin of the Pleiades.

When people talk about the seasons and the Pleiades, they often talk about food, hunger, and magical departure from the earth. Parts of this pattern are very clear in the story told by the Onondaga Indians of upstate New York. After reaching one of their favored hunting territories, a party of Onondaga decided to build their lodges by the lake and stock up on fish and game for the winter. By autumn, most of the work had been accomplished, and a group of the children decided to dance each day by the side of the lake. After their play turned into habit, a strange old white-haired man, adorned with white feathers, appeared among them and warned them to stop. Not believing any harm could come from their dancing, they refused to take the old man seriously. After he had gone, they decided to enhance their enjoyment by having a picnic at their next dancing session. When they went home and asked their parents for food for the outing, however, they were refused.

Irritated but unwilling to give up the pleasure of dancing, they returned to the lake and continued their cotillion on empty stomachs. One day, as they danced hungry, they grew giddy and light-headed. Their bodies must have been light, too, for they started to rise into the air. Realizing that something uncanny was occurring, one of them warned the others not to look back to the ground lest danger befall them. A woman who saw them depart called them back, but they continued their ascent. She ran back to the winter camp and told the other adults what was happening. All of the parents then came out of the lodges loaded with food and called to their runaways. Even though they cried, the children would not come back. One did look back at the parents on the ground and as he did so he was transformed into a meteor, or "falling star." The rest rose still higher until they found a place in the sky as the seven Pleiades. One of them sang all the way to the sky, and his singing made him fainter and fainter. By the time the seven reached their new home, the seventh child could scarcely be seen. [Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myth & Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, & Planets by Dr. E.C. Krupp © 1991]

Ursa Major

The Great Bear or Big Dipper.

Ursa Major, more than any other group of stars, shows that any shape one wants to imagine can be assigned to a constellation--a plow, wagon, coffin, bear, or even a reindeer, as the people of Lapland imagined this constellation to represent. In ancient England, Ursa Major was called Arthur's Chariot. The Irish named this constellation after one of their early kings, calling it King David's Chariot. And in France it was the Great Chariot. The North American Indians also chose bears for these two constellations. They called them Okuri and Paukunawa, both meaning "Bear."

The middle star in the dipper's handle is Mizar, which is actually a double star. Alcor is so close to Mizar that they appear to be one star but Alcor is not Mizar's companion star. In some ancient armies, these stars were used as an eye test. If you could see two separate stars your eye sight was good, if not, you had poor eye sight.

In Greek tradition, Zeus fell in love with the beautiful young huntress, Callisto. When Hera, Zeus' wife, heard what has happening she was furious and set out after Callisto. On finding her, Hera said, "Your beauty, of which my husband speaks so tenderly, is no more!" Whereupon Hera changed Callisto into a bear, but left her with her human feelings, rather than those of a bear. Callisto roamed the forest day and night in constant fear of the hunters and in fear of other wild beasts, although she was now one.

One day Callisto found herself face-to-face with a young and handsome hunter and suddenly recognized him as her son, Arcas. She raised up on her hind legs to embrace her son. Thinking that the bear was about to attack him, Arcas raised his spear and was about to hurl it and kill his mother. Zeus happened to be looking down on the scene from his position on Mt. Olympus and instantly turned Arcas into a bear also. Zeus then grasped each bear by its tail and tugged and tugged until he had managed to lift both high into the sky, Callisto as Ursa Major and her son Arcas as Ursa Minor. This tugging of tails over such a long journey through the sky, stretched both tails and explains why our celestial bears, unlike earthly ones, have long tails. The tail of Arcas became even longer as he was continuously swung around the sky by the end-star in his tail, Polaris.

On discovering that her husband had given Callisto and Arcas honored places in heaven, Hera was furious. She went to her friend the ocean god, Oceanus. "How dare Zeus give these two an honored place in heaven?" Hera fumed. "They have now displaced me, Queen of Heaven, from my place in the sky. I ask you forever keep these two penned so that they may never wander far."

Oceanus was sympathetic and promised that he would grant Hera her wish. He would see to it that “the couple never would be permitted to enter our water in their wandering." In other words, the bears would be forbidden to set below the horizon of the sea as other constellations do. To this day both the Lesser Bear and the Greater Bear are held high in the sky near the Pole Star and never sink beneath the horizon.

Ursa Minor

The Lesser Bear or Little Dipper

One story has it that Ursa Major grew greedy in her old age and wanted to steal the Pole Star for herself since Polaris matches her own stars in brightness. She has never managed to do so, however, because of the "Guard Stars" in Ursa Minor. These two stars form the front edge of the Little Dipper and are located between Polaris and the greedy Greater Bear, so protecting Polaris.

The North Star
(The last star in the tail of Ursa Minor, more commonly known as the Little Dipper, is called Polaris or The North Star)

Perhaps more than any star other than our Sun, Polaris has been regarded as the most important star in the heavens. Located almost directly overhead as seen from the North Pole, it is the end-star in the tail of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. Its name comes from the Latin, Stella Polaris, meaning "Pole Star." Polaris has long been an important star to sailors and caravans of old winding their way over the desert by night, and others who navigated their way by stars.

To our eyes, Polaris appears to be motionless at the center of the field of circumpolar stars. All the other stars appear to circle around Polaris. As early as 320 B.C. the Greeks had realized that Polaris did not mark the pole exactly. Until then many people had believed that the heavenly pole was absolutely and eternally fixed. Not so. Polaris has long been moving nearer the North Celestial Pole, as it is still doing now. It will be closest to that position around A.D. 2105--27'. Currently it is about 1° from the celestial pole.

The Pole Star once was Thuban (3000 B.C.), the third star from the end of the tail in Draco. In a little more than 5,000 years from now, Alderamin, the brightest star in the constellation Cepheus, will be the Pole Star. About 7,000 years from now, Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, will be the Pole Star for a while. In about 12,000 years from now, Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, will be the Pole Star. Vega will be a brilliant Pole Star some six times brighter than Polaris. There are long periods when there is no Pole Star at all. At the present time there is no Pole Star in the southern sky.

Virgo

The Maiden.

Named for the Greek Earth-goddess Demeter, this constellation is associated with the arrival of spring and of the growing season. Virgo usually is shown carrying two sheaves of wheat, one of which is marked by the bright star Spica, whose name comes form the Latin and means ear of wheat, or corn.

Legend tells that Hades, the God of the Underground, fell in love with Demeter's daughter, Persephone, swearing that he would marry her and maker her his queen. Demeter would not stand for this. One day Hades, in a black chariot drawn by four great black horses, carried the girl off with him to the Underworld. Demeter became worried when her daughter did not return home. She immediately went out in search of her daughter. Demeter searched with out food or sleep, and without focusing her attention upon the land and its harvest. When Zeus pleaded with her to return to Olympus and to accept Persephone's marriage to Hades, she refused and continued her search. Zeus sent Hermes, messenger of the gods, to visit Hades and tell him that Persephone must return with him. Hades, knowing that the gods of Olympus were stronger than he, agreed to let Persephone return home upon the condition that she had not eaten during her stay in the underworld. Unfortunately, Persephone had absentmindedly eaten several seeds from a pomegranate. Demeter was distraught. People everywhere were starving and could not understand how their Earth-goddess could be so cruel. Zeus solved the problem by saying that Persephone would spend half of her time in the Underworld with Hades and the other half on Olympus with her mother. In this way, winter comes when Persephone goes down to the Underworld to be with Hades. When Persephone returns to Olympus, the winter cloak of death melts and there is a rebirth of life over the land and the crops begin to grow.

Also known as Ishtar by the Babylonians and Sumerians. The Egyptians knew Virgo as Isis, the Goddess of Fertility. The Hindus looked at Virgo as Kauni, or "the Maiden." Persians called her Khosha, or "the Ear of Wheat." Hebrews called her Bethulah, meaning "Abundance in Harvest."