Myths of the Stars

7/23/2019 Myths of the Stars

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Chapter V

Myths of the Stars

Astrological SuperstitionsAccording to Chinese ideas, the sun, moon, and planets influence sublunary events, especially thelife and death of human beings, and changes in their colour menace approaching calamities.Alterations in the appearance of the sun announce misfortunes to the State or its head, as revolts,famines, or the death of the emperor; when the moon waxes red, or turns pale, men should be inawe of the unlucky times thus fore-omened.

he sun is symboli!ed by the figure of a raven in a circle, and the moon by a hare on its hind-legs pounding rice in a mortar, or by a three-legged toad. he last refers to the legend of Ch"ang #,detailed later. he moon is a special ob$ect of worship in autumn, and moon-cakes dedicated to itare sold at this season. All the stars are ranged into constellations, and an emperor is installed overthem, who resides at the %orth &ole; five monarchs also live in the five stars in 'eo, where is a

palace called (u i so, or )hrone of the *ive +mperors." n this celestial government there arealso an heir-apparent, empresses, sons and daughters, and tribunals, and the constellations receivethe names of men, animals, and other terrestrial ob$ects. he reat ear, or /ipper, is worshippedas the residence of the *ates, where the duration of life and other events relating to mankind aremeasured and meted out. *ears are excited by unusual phenomena among the heavenly bodies.

oth the sun and the moon are worshipped by the p. 011 overnment in appropriate temples on theeast and west sides of &eking.

Various Star-godsSome of the star-gods, such as the od of 'iterature, the oddess of the %orth Star, the ods of2appiness, 'ongevity, etc., are noticed in other parts of this work. he cycle-gods are also star-gods. here are sixty years in a cycle, and over each of these presides a special star-deity. he oneworshipped is the one which gave light on the birthday of the worshipper, and therefore the latter

burns candles before that particular image on each succeeding anniversary. hese cycle-gods arerepresented by most grotes3ue images4 5white, black, yellow, and red; ferocious gods withvindictive eyeballs popping out, and gentle faces as expressive as a lump of putty; some lookinglike men and some like women.6 n one temple one of the sixty was in the form of a hog, and

another in that of a goose. 52ere is an image with arms protruding out of his eye-sockets, and eyesin the palms of his hands, looking downward to see the secret things within the earth. See thatrabbit, 7inerva-like, $umping from the divine head; again a mud-rat emerges from his occipitalhiding-place, and lo8 a snake comes coiling from the brain of another god9so the long line servesas models for an artist who desires to study the fantastic.6

Shooting the Heavenly Dogn the family sleeping-apartments in Chinese houses hang pictures of Chang 2sien, a white-faced,long-bearded man with a little boy by his side, and in his hand a bow and arrow, with which he isshooting the 2eavenly p. 01: /og. he dog is the /og-star, and if the )fate" of the family is under this

star there will be no son, or the child will be short-lived. Chang 2sien is the patron of child-bearingwomen, and was worshipped under the Sung dynasty by women desirous of offspring. heintroduction of this name into the Chinese pantheon is due to an incident in the history of 2ua-$ui



*u-$n, a name given to 'ady *ei, concubine of 7ng Ch"ang, the last ruler of the 'ater Shu State,A./. <=>?<@. (hen she was brought from Shu to grace the harem of the founder of the Sungdynasty, in A./. <@B, she is said to have preserved secretly the portrait of her former lord, the &rinceof Shu, whose memory she passionately cherished. ealously 3uestioned by her new consortrespecting her devotion to this picture, she declared it to be the representation of Chang 2sien, thedivine being worshipped by women desirous of offspring. Dpinions differ as to the origin of the

worship. Dne account says that the +mperor n sung, of the Sung dynasty, saw in a dream a beautiful young man with white skin and black hair, carrying a bow in his hand. 2e said to the+mperor4 5he star "ien Eou, 2eavenly /og, in the heavens is hiding the sun and moon, and onearth devouring small children. t is only my presence which keeps him at bay.6

Dn waking, the +mperor at once ordered the young man"s portrait to be painted and exhibited, andfrom that time childless families would write the name Chang 2sien on tablets and worship them.

Another account describes Chang 2sien as the spirit of the star Chang. n the popularrepresentations Chang 2sien is seen in the form of a distinguished personage drawing a bow. hespirit of the star Chang p. 01< is supposed to preside over the kitchen of 2eaven and to arrange the

ban3uets given by the gods.

The Sun-kinghe worship of the sun is part of the State religion, and the officials make their offerings to the sun-tablet. he moon also is worshipped. At the harvest moon, the full moon of the eighth month, theChinese bow before the heavenly luminary, and each family burns incense as an offering. hus50BB,BBB classes all receive the blessings of the icy-wheel in the 7ilky (ay along the heavenlystreet, a mirror always bright.6 n Chinese illustrations we see the moon-palace of Ch"ang D, whostole the pill of immortality and flew to the moon, the fragrant tree which one of the genii tried tocut down, and a hare pestling medicine in a mortar. his refers to the following legend.

he sun and the moon are both included by the Chinese among the stars, the spirit of the former being called "ai-yang i-chFn, )the Sun-king," or ih-kung Ch"ih-chiang, )Ch"ih-chiang of theSolar &alace," that of the latter "ai-yin 2uang-chFn, )the 7oon-3ueen," or GFeh-fu Ch"ang D,)Ch"ang D of the 'unar &alace."

Ch"ih-chiang !H-yF lived in the reign of 2sien-yFan 2uang-ti, who appointed him /irector ofConstruction and *urnishing.

(hen 2sien-yFan went on his visit to #-mei Shan, a mountain in Ssuch"uan, Ch"ih-chiang !H-yFobtained permission to accompany him. heir ob$ect was to be initiated into the doctrine ofimmortality.

he +mperor was instructed in the secrets of the doctrine by "ai-i 2uang-$n, the spirit of thisfamous mountain, who, when he was about to take his departure, p. 0:B begged him to allow Ch"ih-chiang !H-yF to remain with him. he new hermit went out every day to gather the flowering

plants which formed the only food of his master, "ai-i 2uang-$n, and he also took to eating theseflowers, so that his body gradually became spirituali!ed.

The Steep SummitDne day "ai-i 2uang-$n sent him to cut some bamboos on the summit of #-mei Shan, distantmore than three hundred li from the place where they lived. (hen he reached the base of thesummit, all of a sudden three giddy peaks confronted him, so dangerous that even the monkeys and

other animals dared not attempt to scale them. ut he took his courage in his hands, climbed thesteep slope, and by sheer energy reached the summit. 2aving cut the bamboos, he tried to descend, but the rocks rose like a wall in sharp points all round him, and he could not find a foothold



anywhere. hen, though laden with the bamboos, he threw himself into the air, and was borne onthe wings of the wind. 2e came to earth safe and sound at the foot of the mountain, and ran with the

bamboos to his master. Dn account of this feat he was considered advanced enough to be admittedto instruction in the doctrine.

The Divine Archerhe +mperor Gao, in the twelfth year of his reign IJ=@ .C.K, one day, while walking in the streetsof 2uai-yang, met a man carrying a bow and arrows, the bow being bound round with a piece of redstuff. his was Ch"ih-chiang !H-yF. 2e told the +mperor he was a skilful archer and could fly inthe air on the wings of p. 0:0 the wind. Gao, to test his skill, ordered him to shoot one of his arrows ata pine-tree on the top of a neighbouring mountain. Ch"ih shot an arrow which transfixed the tree,and then $umped on to a current of air to go and fetch the arrow back. ecause of this the +mperornamed him Shn , )the /ivine Archer," attached him to his suite, and appointed him Chief7echanician of all (orks in (ood. 2e continued to live only on flowers.

Vanquishes the ind-spiritAt this time terrible calamities began to lay waste the land. en suns appeared in the sky, the heat of which burnt up all the crops; dreadful storms uprooted trees and overturned houses; floodsoverspread the country. %ear the ung-t"ing 'ake a serpent, a thousand feet long, devoured human

beings, and wild boars of enormous si!e did great damage in the eastern part of the kingdom. Gaoordered Shn to go and slay the devils and monsters who were causing all this mischief, placingthree hundred men at his service for that purpose.

Shn took up his post on 7ount Ch"ing Ch"iu to study the cause of the devastating storms, andfound that these tempests were released by *ei 'ien, the Spirit of the (ind, who blew them out of asack. As we shall see when considering the thunder myths, the ensuing conflict ended in *ei 'ien

suing for mercy and swearing friendship to his victor, whereupon the storms ceased.

Dispels the !ine "alse SunsAfter this first victory Shn led his troops to the banks of the 2si 2o, (est Liver, at 'in Shan.2ere he discovered that on three neighbouring peaks nine p. 0:J extraordinary birds were blowing outfire and thus forming nine new suns in the sky. Shn shot nine arrows in succession, pierced the

birds, and immediately the nine false suns resolved themselves into red clouds and melted away.Shn and his soldiers found the nine arrows stuck in nine red stones at the top of the mountain.

Marries the Sister of the ater-spiritShn then led his soldiers to Eao-liang, where the river had risen and formed an immense torrent.2e shot an arrow into the water, which thereupon withdrew to its source. n the flood he saw a manclothed in white, riding a white horse and accompanied by a do!en attendants. 2e 3uicklydischarged an arrow, striking him in the left eye, and the horseman at once took to flight. 2e wasaccompanied by a young woman named 2ng D 0, the younger sister of 2o &o, the Spirit of the(aters. Shn shot an arrow into her hair. She turned and thanked him for sparing her life, adding45 will agree to be your wife.6 After these events had been duly reported to the +mperor Gao, thewedding took place.

Slays Various Dangerous Creatureshree months later Gao ordered Shn to go and kill the great ung-t"ing serpent. An arrow in the

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left eye laid him out stark and dead. he wild boars also were all caught in traps and slain. As areward for these p. 0:= achievements Gao canoni!ed Shn with the title of 7ar3uis &acifier of theCountry.

#uilds a $alace for Chin Mu

About this time "ai-wu *u-$n, the third daughter of 2si (ang 7u, had entered a nunnery on %an-min Shan, to the north of 'o-fou Shan, where her mother"s palace was situated. She mounted adragon to visit her mother, and all along the course left a streak of light in her wake. Dne day the+mperor Gao, from the top of Ch"ing-yFn Shan, saw this track of light, and asked Shn the causeof this unusual phenomenon. he latter mounted the current of luminous air, and letting it carry himwhither it listed, found himself on 'o-fou Shan, in front of the door of the mountain, which wasguarded by a great spiritual monster. Dn seeing Shn this creature called together a large numberof phoenixes and other birds of gigantic si!e and set them at Shn . Dne arrow, however, settled thematter. hey all fled, the door opened, and a lady followed by ten attendants presented herself. Shewas no other than Chin 7u herself. Shn , having saluted her and explained the ob$ect of his visit,was admitted to the goddess"s palace, and royally entertained.

5 have heard,6 said Shn to her, 5that you possess the pills of immortality; beg you to give meone or two.6 5Gou are a well-known architect,6 replied Chin 7u; 5please build me a palace near thismountain.6 ogether they went to inspect a celebrated site known as &ai-yF-kuei Shan, )(hite ade-tortoise 7ountain," and fixed upon it as the location of the new abode of the goddess. Shn had allthe spirits of the mountain to work for him. he walls were built of $ade, sweet-smelling p. 0: woodswere used for the framework and wainscoting, the roof was of glass, the steps of agate. n afortnight"s time sixteen palace buildings stretched magnificently along the side of the mountain.Chin 7u gave to the architect a wonderful pill which would bestow upon him immortality as wellas the faculty of being able at will to fly through the air. 5ut,6 she said, 5it must not be eaten now4you must first go through a twelve months" preparatory course of exercise and diet, without which

the pill will not have all the desired results.6 Shn thanked the goddess, took leave of her, and,returning to the +mperor, related to him all that had happened.

%ills Chisel-toothDn reaching home, the archer hid his precious pill under a rafter, lest anyone should steal it, andthen began the preparatory course in immortality.

At this time there appeared in the south a strange man named so Ch"ih, )Chisel-tooth." 2e hadround eyes and a long pro$ecting tooth. 2e was a well-known criminal. Gao ordered Shn and hissmall band of brave followers to deal with this new enemy. his extraordinary man lived in a cave,

and when Shn and his men arrived he emerged brandishing a padlock. Shn broke his longtooth by shooting an arrow at it, and so Ch"ih fled, but was struck in the back and laid low byanother arrow from Shn . he victor took the broken tooth with him as a trophy.

H&ng ' flies to the Moon2ng #, during her husband"s absence, saw a white light which seemed to issue from a beam in theroof, while a most delicious odour filled every room. y the p. 0:> aid of a ladder she reached up tothe spot whence the light came, found the pill of immortality, and ate it. She suddenly felt that shewas freed from the operation of the laws of gravity and as if she had wings, and was $ust essayingher first flight when Shn returned. 2e went to look for his pill, and, not finding it, asked 2ng #what had happened.

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2ng # *lies to the 7oon

he young wife, sei!ed with fear, opened the window and flew out. Shn took his bow and pursued her. he moon was full, the night clear, and he saw his wife flying rapidly in front of him,only about the si!e of a toad. ust when he was redoubling his pace to catch her up a blast of windstruck him to the ground like a dead leaf.

2ng # continued her flight until she reached a luminous sphere, shining like glass, of enormoussi!e, and very cold. he only vegetation consisted of cinnamon-trees. %o living being was to beseen. All of a sudden she began to cough, and vomited the covering of the pill of immortality, whichwas changed into a rabbit as white as the purest $ade. his was the ancestor of the spirituality of the

yin, or female, principle. 2ng # noticed a bitter taste in her mouth, drank some dew, and, feelinghungry, ate some cinnamon. She took up her abode in this sphere.

As to Shn , he was carried by the hurricane up into a high mountain. *inding himself before thedoor of a palace, he was invited to enter, and found that it was the palace of ung-hua i-chFn,otherwise ung (ang Eung, the husband of 2si (ang 7u.

The Sun-palace and the #ird of Da(nhe od of the mmortals said to Shn 4 5Gou must not be annoyed with 2ng #. +verybody"s fateis p. 0:@ settled beforehand. Gour labours are nearing an end, and you will become an mmortal. t was who let loose the whirlwind that brought you here. 2ng D, through having borrowed the forceswhich by right belong to you, is now an mmortal in the &alace of the 7oon. As for you, youdeserve much for having so bravely fought the nine false suns. As a reward you shall have the&alace of the Sun. hus the yin and the yang will be united in marriage.6 his said, ung-hua i-chFn ordered his servants to bring a red Chinese sarsaparilla cake, with a lunar talisman.

5+at this cake,6 he said; 5it will protect you from the heat of the solar hearth. And by wearing thistalisman you will be able at will to visit the lunar palace of 2ng D; but the converse does not hold

good, for your wife will not have access to the solar palace.6 his is why the light of the moon hasits birth in the sun, and decreases in proportion to its distance from the sun, the moon being light ordark according as the sun comes and goes. Shn ate the sarsaparilla cake, attached the talisman tohis body, thanked the god, and prepared to leave. ung (ang Eung said to him4 5he sun rises andsets at fixed times; you do not yet know the laws of day and night; it is absolutely necessary for youto take with you the bird with the golden plumage, which will sing to advise you of the exact timesof the rising, culmination, and setting of the sun.6 5(here is this bird to be foundM6 asked Shn .5t is the one you hear calling Ia! Ia! t is the ancestor of the spirituality of the yang , or male,

principle. hrough having eaten the active principle of the sun, it has assumed the form of a three-footed bird, which perches on the fu-sang tree Na tree said to grow at the place where the sun risesOin p. 0:1 the middle of the +astern Sea. his tree is several thousands of feet in height and of gigantic

girth. he bird keeps near the source of the dawn, and when it sees the sun taking his morning bathgives vent to a cry that shakes the heavens and wakes up all humanity. hat is why ordered 'ingChn-t!H to put it in a cage on "ao-hua Shan, &each-blossom 2ill; since then its cries have beenless harsh. o and fetch it and take it to the &alace of the Sun. hen you will understand all the lawsof the daily movements.6 2e then wrote a charm which Shn was to present to 'ing Chn-t!H tomake him open the cage and hand the golden bird over to him.

he charm worked, and 'ing Chn-t!H opened the cage. he bird of golden plumage had a sonorousvoice and ma$estic bearing. 5his bird,6 he said, 5lays eggs which hatch out nestlings with redcombs, who answer him every morning when he starts crowing. 2e is usually called the cock ofheaven, and the cocks down here which crow morning and evening are descendants of the celestial

cock.6



Sh&n ) visits the MoonShn , riding on the celestial bird, traversed the air and reached the disk of the sun $ust at mid-day.2e found himself carried into the centre of an immense hori!on, as large as the earth, and did not

perceive the rotatory movement of the sun. 2e then en$oyed complete happiness without care ortrouble. he thought of the happy hours passed with his wife 2ng D, however, came back to

memory, and, borne on a ray of sunlight, he flew to the moon. 2e saw the cinnamon-trees and thefro!en-looking hori!on. oing to a secluded spot, he found 2ng D there all alone. Dn seeing himshe was p. 0:: about to run away, but Shn took her hand and reassured her. 5 am now living in thesolar palace,6 he said; 5do not let the past annoy you.6 Shn cut down some cinnamon-trees, usedthem for pillars, shaped some precious stones, and so built a palace, which he named Euang-hanEung, )&alace of reat Cold." *rom that time forth, on the fifteenth day of every moon, he went tovisit her in her palace. hat is the con$unction of the yang and yin, male and female principles,which causes the great brilliancy of the moon at that epoch.

Shn , on returning to his solar kingdom, built a wonderful palace, which he called the &alace ofthe 'onely &ark.

*rom that time the sun and moon each had their ruling sovereign. his régime dates from the forty-ninth year IJ=B< .C.K of Gao"s reign.

(hen the old +mperor was informed that Shn and his wife had both gone up to 2eaven he wasmuch grieved to lose the man who had rendered him such valuable service, and bestowed upon himthe posthumous title of sung &u, )overnor of Countries." n the representations of this god andgoddess the former is shown holding the sun, the latter the moon. he Chinese add the se3uel that2ng D became changed into a toad, whose outline is traceable on the moon"s surface.

Star-(orship

he star-deities are adored by parents on behalf of their children; they control courtship andmarriage, bring prosperity or adversity in business, send pestilence and war, regulate rainfall anddrought, and command angels and demons; so every event in life is determined p. 0:< by the )star-ruler" who at that time from the shining firmament manages the destinies of men and nations. heworship is performed in the native homes either by astrologers engaged for that purpose or byaoist priests. n times of sickness, ten paper star-gods are arranged, five good on one side and five

bad on the other; a feast is placed before them, and it is supposed that when the bad have eatenenough they will take their flight to the south-west; the propitiation of the good star-gods is in thehope that they will expel the evil stars, and happiness thus be obtained.

he practical effect of this worship is seen in the following examples taken from the Chinese list ofone hundred and twenty-nine lucky and unlucky stars, which, with the sixty cycle-stars and thetwenty-eight constellations, besides a vast multitude of others, make up the celestial galaxyworshipped by China"s millions4 the Drphan Star enables a woman to become a man; the Star of&leasure decides on betrothals, binding the feet of those destined to be lovers with silver cords; theonepiercing Star produces rheumatism; the 7orning Star, if not worshipped, kills the father ormother during the year; the alustrade Star promotes lawsuits; the hree-corpse Star controlssuicide, the &each-blossom Star lunacy; and so on.

The Herdsman and the eaver-girln the myths and legends which have clustered about the observations of the stars by the Chinese

there are sub$ects for pictorial illustration without number. Dne of these stories is the fable of A3uilaand Pega, known in Chinese mythology as the 2erdsman and the (eaver-girl. he latter, thedaughter of the Sun-god, p. 0<B was so constantly busied with her loom that her father became



worried at her close habits and thought that by marrying her to a neighbour, who herded cattle onthe banks of the Silver Stream of 2eaven Ithe 7ilky (ayK, she might awake to a brighter manner of living.

%o sooner did the maiden become wife than her habits and character utterly changed for the worse.She became not only very merry and lively, but 3uite forsook loom and needle, giving up her nightsand days to play and idleness; no silly lover could have been more foolish than she. he Sun-king,in great wrath at all this, concluded that the husband was the cause of it, and determined to separatethe couple. So he ordered him to remove to the other side of the river of stars, and told him thathereafter they should meet only once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh month. o make a

bridge over the flood of stars, the Sun-king called myriads of magpies, who thereupon flewtogether, and, making a bridge, supported the poor lover on their wings and backs as if on aroadway of solid land. So, bidding his weeping wife farewell, the lover-husband sorrowfullycrossed the Liver of 2eaven, and all the magpies instantly flew away. ut the two were separated,the one to lead his ox, the other to ply her shuttle during the long hours of the day with diligent toil,and the Sun-king again re$oiced in his daughter"s industry.

At last the time for their reunion drew near, and only one fear possessed the loving wife. (hat if it

should rainM *or the Liver of 2eaven is always full to the brim, and one extra drop causes a floodwhich sweeps away even the bird-bridge. ut not a drop fell; all the heavens were clear. hemagpies flew $oyfully in myriads, making a way for the tiny feet of the little lady. p. 0<0 remblingwith $oy, and with heart fluttering more than the bridge of wings, she crossed the Liver of 2eavenand was in the arms of her husband. his she did every year. he husband stayed on his side of theriver, and the wife came to him on the magpie bridge, save on the sad occasions when it rained. Soevery year the people hope for clear weather, and the happy festival is celebrated alike by old andyoung.

hese two constellations are worshipped principally by women, that they may gain cunning in thearts of needlework and making of fancy flowers. (ater-melons, fruits, vegetables, cakes, etc., are

placed with incense in the reception-room, and before these offerings are performed the kneelingand the knocking of the head on the ground in the usual way.

The T(enty-eight ConstellationsSacrifices were offered to these spirits by the +mperor on the marble altar of the emple of 2eaven,and by the high officials throughout the provinces. Df the twenty-eight the following are regardedas propitious9namely, the 2orned, Loom, ail, Sieve, ushel, 2ouse, (all, 7ound, Stomach, +nd,ristling, (ell, /rawn-bow, and Levolving Constellations; the %eck, ottom, 2eart, Cow, *emale,+mpty, /anger, Astride, Cock, 7ixed, /emon, (illow, Star, (ing, are unpropitious.

he twenty-eight constellations seem to have become the abodes of gods as a result of the defeat ofa aoist &atriarch "ung-t"ien Chiao-chu, who had espoused the cause of the tyrant Chou, when heand all his followers were slaughtered by the heavenly hosts in the terrible catastrophe known as theattle of the en housand mmortals. Chiang !H-ya as a reward conferred on p. 0<J them theappanage of the twenty-eight constellations. he five planets, Penus, upiter, 7ercury, 7ars, andSaturn, are also the abodes of stellar divinities, called the (hite, reen, lack, Led, and GellowLulers respectively. Stars good and bad are all likewise inhabited by gods or demons.

A Victim of Ta ChiConcerning !H-wei 2sing, the constellation !H-wei Inorth circumpolar starsK, of which the stellar

deity is &o -k"ao, the following legend is related in the Fêng shên yen i.&o -k"ao was the eldest son of (n (ang, and governed the kingdom during the seven years thatthe old Eing (as detained as a prisoner of the tyrant Chou. 2e did everything possible to procure



his father"s release. Enowing the tastes of the cruel Eing, he sent him for his harem ten of the prettiest women who could be found, accompanied by seven chariots made of perfumed wood, anda white-faced monkey of marvellous intelligence. esides these he included in his presents a magiccarpet, on which it was necessary only to sit in order to recover immediately from the effects ofdrunkenness.

Qnfortunately for &o -k"ao, Chou"s favourite concubine, a Chi, conceived a passion for him andhad recourse to all sorts of ruses to catch him in her net; but his conduct was throughoutirreproachable. Pexed by his indifference, she tried slander in order to bring about his ruin. ut hercalumnies did not at first have the result she expected. Chou, after in3uiry, was convinced of theinnocence of &o. ut an accident spoiled everything. n the middle of an amusing séance themonkey which had been given to the Eing by &o perceived some p. 0<= sweets in the hand of a Chi,and, $umping on to her body, snatched them from 2er. he Eing and his concubine were furious,Chou had the monkey killed forthwith, and a Chi accused &o -k"ao of having brought the animalinto the palace with the ob$ect of making an attempt on the lives of the Eing and herself. ut the&rince explained that the monkey, being only an animal, could not grasp even the first idea ofentering into a conspiracy.

Shortly after this &o committed an unpardonable fault which changed the goodwill of the Eing intomortal enmity. 2e allowed himself to go so far as to suggest to the Eing that he should break off hisrelations with this infamous woman, the source of all the woes which were desolating the kingdom,and when a Chi on this account grossly insulted him he struck her with his lute.

*or this offence a Chi caused him to be crucified in the palace. 'arge nails were driven through hishands and feet, and his flesh was cut off in pieces. %ot content with ruining &o -k"ao, this wretchedwoman wished also to ruin (en (ang. She therefore advised the Eing to have the flesh of themurdered man made up into rissoles and sent as a present to his father. f he refused to eat the fleshof his own son he was to be accused of contempt for the Eing, and there would thus be a pretext forhaving him executed. (en (ang, being versed in divination and the science of the pa kua, +ight

rigrams, knew that these rissoles contained the flesh of his son, and to avoid the snare spread forhim he ate three of the rissoles in the presence of the royal envoys. Dn their return the latterreported this to the Eing, who found himself helpless on learning of (en (ang"s conduct. p. 0<

&o -k"ao was canoni!ed by Chiang !u-ya, and appointed ruler of the constellation !u-wei of the %orth &olar heavens.

Myths of Time"ai Sui is the celestial spirit who presides over the year. 2e is the &resident of the 7inistry ofime. his god is much to be feared. (hoever offends against him is sure to be destroyed. 2e

strikes when least expected to. "ai Sui is also the 7inistry itself, whose members, numbering ahundred and twenty, are set over time, years, months, and days. he conception is held by somewriters to be of Chaldeo-Assyrian origin.

he god "ai Sui is not mentioned in the "ang and Sung rituals, but in the GFan dynasty IA./.0J:B?0=@:K sacrifices were offered to him in the College of the rand 2istoriographer wheneverany work of importance was about to be undertaken. Qnder this dynasty the sacrifices were offeredto "ai Sui and to the ruling gods of the months and of the days. ut these sacrifices were notoffered at regular times4 it was only at the beginning of the Ch"ing I7anchuK dynasty I0@?0<0JKthat it was decided to offer the sacrifices at fixed periods.

The $lanet *upiter"ai Sui corresponds to the planet upiter. 2e travels across the sky, passing through the twelvesidereal mansions. 2e is a stellar god. herefore an altar is raised to him and sacrifices are offered



on it under the open sky. his practice dates from the beginning of the 7ing dynasty, when the+mperor "ai su ordered sacrifices to this god to be made throughout the +mpire. According tosome authors, he corresponds to the god p. 0<> of the twelve sidereal mansions. 2e is also variouslyrepresented as the moon, which turns to the left in the sky, and the sun, which turns to the right. hediviners gave to "ai Sui the title of rand 7arshal, following the example of the usurper (ang7ang IA./. <?J=K of the (estern 2an dynasty, who gave that title to the year-star.

+egend of T,ai Suihe following is the legend of "ai Sui.

"ai Sui was the son of the +mperor Chou, the last of the Gin dynasty. 2is mother was RueenChiang. (hen he was born he looked like a lump of formless flesh. he infamous a Chi, thefavourite concubine of this wicked +mperor, at once informed him that a monster had been born inthe palace, and the over-credulous sovereign ordered that it should immediately be cast outside thecity. Shn Chn-$n, who was passing, saw the small abandoned one, and said4 5his is an mmortalwho has $ust been born.6 (ith his knife he cut open the caul which enveloped it, and the child was

exposed.2is protector carried him to the cave Shui 'ien, where he led the life of a hermit, and entrusted theinfant to 2o 2sien-ku, who acted as his nurse and brought him up.

he child"s hermit-name was Gin ing-nu, his ordinary name Gin %o-cha, but during his boyhoodhe was known as Gin Chiao, i.e. )Gin the /eserted of the Suburb," (hen he had reached an agewhen he was sufficiently intelligent, his nurse informed him that he was not her son, but really theson of the +mperor Chou, who, deceived by the calumnies of his favourite a Chi, had taken himfor an evil monster and had him cast out of the palace. 2is mother had been thrown down from anupper storey p. 0<@ and killed. Gin Chiao went to his rescuer and begged him to allow him to avengehis mother"s death. he oddess "ien *ei, the 2eavenly Concubine, picked out two magic

weapons from the armoury in the cave, a battle-axe and club, both of gold, and gave them to GinChiao. (hen the Shang army was defeated at 7u Geh, Gin Chiao broke into a tower where a Chiwas, sei!ed her, and brought her before the victor, Eing (u, who gave him permission to split herhead open with his battle-axe. ut a Chi was a spiritual hen-pheasant Isome say a spiritual vixenK.She transformed herself into smoke and disappeared. o reward Gin Chiao for his filial piety and

bravery in fighting the demons, GF i canoni!ed him with the title "ai Sui 7arshal Gin.

According to another version of the legend, Gin Chiao fought on the side of the Gin against (u(ang, and after many adventures was caught by an ng between two mountains, which he

pressed together, leaving only Gin Chiao"s head exposed above the summits. he general (u Chi promptly cut it off with a spade. Chiang !NuKO-ya subse3uently canoni!ed Gin Chiao.

orship of T,ai Suihe worship of "ai Sui seems to have first taken place in the reign of Shn sung IA./. 0B@:?:@Kof the Sung dynasty, and was continued during the remainder of the 7onarchical &eriod. he ob$ectof the worship is to avert calamities, "ai Sui being a dangerous spirit who can do in$ury to palacesand cottages, to people in their houses as well as to travellers on the roads. ut he has this

peculiarity, that he in$ures persons and things not in the district in which he himself is, but in thosedistricts which ad$oin it. hus, if some constructive work is p. 0<1 undertaken in a region where "aiSui happens to be, the inhabitants of the neighbouring districts take precautions against his evilinfluence. his they generally do by hanging out the appropriate talisman. n order to ascertain in

what region "ai Sui is at any particular time, an elaborate diagram is consulted. his consists of arepresentation of the twelve terrestrial branches or stems, ti chih and the ten celestial trunks, t’ien

kan, indicating the cardinal points and the intermediate points, north-east, north-west, south-east,



and south-west. he four cardinal points are further verified with the aid of the *ive +lements, the*ive Colours, and the +ight rigrams. y using this device, it is possible to find the geographical

position of "ai Sui during the current year, the position of threatened districts, and the methods to be employed to provide against danger. p. 0<:

he reek name for constellations, was katasterismoi. Df these the twelve signs whose risingsintersected the sunTs at dawn were known as the zodiakos I !odiacK or zodiakos kyrklos Icircle oflittle animalsK. he constellations, as they were described in reek mythology, were mostly god-favoured Ior cursedK heroes and beasts who received a place in the heavens in memorial of theirdeeds. hey were regarded, as semi-divine spirits, living, concious entities who strode across theheavens.

he main source for reek star myths were the lost works of 2esiod and &herecydes, and the laterworks of &seudo-+ratosthenes, Aratus and 2yginus. ranslations of these are available online atheoi.com.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

.V/+0T)/!S /" TH.C/!ST.++AT)/!S

*or those unfamiliar with the basic visible mechanics of constellar movement, here is a brief outline, including reek beliefs regarding the

behaviour of the stars.

he constellations revolve round a central point in the northern sky knownas the pole star, or heavenly axis Ireek polosK. ecause of its far northern

location, most of the stars are seen to rise in the east and set in the west. Dnly those few closest tothe pole - namely, Qrsa 7a$or and 7inor Ithe earsK, and /raco Ithe /ragonK - appear to travel atnight in an eternal circle around the pole.

%ot all of the constellations are visible in the night sky throughout the year. he first appearance ofa constellation in the sky, occurs on the western hori!on $ust prior to dawn Iits so-called heliacalrisingK. As the months progress it is seen to rise earlier and earlier in the night, and graduallyassumes a higher position in the heavens prior to dawn, until one evening, it has reached thewestern hori!on, before dissappearing completely from view Iwhich is known as the constellationTsastronomical settingK.

he most important of the heliacal risings were those of the twelve constellations of the !odiac.

hey were said to rule the heavens for the period in which their position on the eastern hori!on prior to dawn was replaced by the rising sun. So, for example, emini first rises above the easternhori!on in late 7ay, appearing in the sky $ust prior to dawn, where its position is immediatelyreplaced by the rising sun. As the constellation gradually rises earlier and earlier in the night, its

place on the solar hori!on at dawn is eventually replaced by the next constellation of the !odiac,namely Cancer, in mid une.

he reeks imagined the heavens as a great, solid dome, which, some say, was forged of bron!e,and upon which the heavenly constellations were fixed. he itan Atlas, who stood either beneaththe axis of heaven in the far north Iin the land of the 2yperboreansK, or at heavenTs western rim in

by the Atlas mountains in %orth Africa, was said to spin the dome around upon his shoulders,

causing the stars to rise and set.&art of the heavenly dome always lay beneath the hori!on. 2ere theconstellations were apparently believed to dwell deep beneath the earth in the

A'AS V 2+AP+%

AD% V WD/AC

http://www.theoi.com/Text/AratusPhaenomena.html

http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusAstronomica.html

http://www.theoi.com/Text/AratusPhaenomena.html

http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusAstronomica.html



misty pit of artaros, or else within the lands of the dead. (hen they rose up into the heavens, theconstellations were first bathed in the purifying waters of the great earth-encircling river Dkeano.Parious myths describe the birth and death of the semi-immortal constellations4 such as the eminitwins, or /ioskouroi, who were said to divide their time e3ually between 2eaven and 2aides. Drionwas also described by 2omer both striding across the heavens and hunting wild beasts in theunderworld.


)MA1.S /" TH. C/!ST.++AT)/!Shere are very few surviving depictions of the constellations in classical art4 at most, a few Lomanmosaics, and a partial depiction on the famous *arnese statue of the itan Atlas.

he thumbnails, used here to illustrate the constellations here, are taken from a Lenaissance-eraceiling fresco from the Pilla *arnese in Caprarola, taly, painted around 0>1=.*or larger images reccomend the site4 Stories of the Constellations Iexternal linkK


%.2 T/ )!D)V)D0A+ .!T).S2+A/% he common +nglish name for the constellation.

'atin 4 the Loman name of the constellation Iusually the same as the one usedin +nglish todayKreek 4 he reek name of the constellation.Akkadian V Sumerian 4 he old +astern name for the constellation, predatingthe reek. X

%A7+ A character associated with the constellation in surviving compilations of star myths.X he form and arrangment of the heavenly constellations was adopted by the reeks from the sea-trading &hoenicians of the +ast, who in turn had received them from the Assyrians, and they fromtheir forefathers the ancient Sumerians. As a result the reeks had a number of alternate mythsdescribing each of the star groups, as the foreign traditions were translated in different ways by thevarious regions and poetical traditions of ancient reece.

S0M.)A! 3 A%%AD)A! C/!ST.++AT)/!S*or a list of Sumerian and Akkadian constellation names see4 he Star Catalogue Iexternal linkK.

*or a criti3ue of the popularised identification of Sumerian constellations by ohn 7c2ugh seeDccidental Constellations Iexternal linkK.


C/!ST.++AT)/!S 3 TH. ADV.!T0.S /"H.AC+.S

2eracles, Yglory of the air,Y had his labours represented amongst the stars of heaven. he formulawas evidently adopted from eastern sources, in particular the star myths of the so-called

Y&hoenician 2eracles,Y the hero-god of 'ebanon, 7el3art. A number of his labours, althoughmissing from the late reek constellar arrangements, are perhaps recognisable in their older +asternforms.

WD/AC 7DSAC

http://www.ufrsd.net/staffwww/stefanl/myths/stories.htm

http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/outside/starlog.html

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gtosiris/page9g.html


http://www.ufrsd.net/staffwww/stefanl/myths/stories.htm

http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/outside/starlog.html




he adventures of 2eracles can be paired with the following constellations 4 I0K the %emean 'ion,constellation 'eo ; IJK the 2ydra and Crab, constellations 2ydra and Cancer ; I=K the Stymphalianirds, constellations 'yra and Cygnus ; IK the Cretan ull, constellation aurus ; I>K the 2esperian/ragon, constellation Serpens ; I@K 2erakles wrestling Apollon, constellation emini ; I1K&rometheus and the Caucasian +agle, constellations 2ercules and A3uilla ; I:K the centaur Cheironor &holus, constellation Saggitarius or Centaurus ; et. al.


A!D/M.DA4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Andromedareek 4 AndromedSumerian 4 'Q.'7 Ithe StagKAkkadian 4 'ulimu Ithe StagK

A%/LD7+/A A &rincess of +thiopia, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopea.2er mother offended the gods by boasting that the girl was more beautiful than

the %ereids. &oseidon in wrath sent a sea-monster to devour the girl. (hen she was chained to therocks, the hero &erseus spied her, slew the beast, and carried her off as his wife. he gods as amemorial, set the whole family amongst the stars as constellations. I2yginus J.00 ; Aratus 0<1K


A50A)0S4 6/D)AC C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 A3uarius I(ater earerKreek 4 2ydrokhoos I(ater-earerKSumerian 4 Q.'A Ithe reatK

A%G7+/+S A handsome ro$an prince. 2e was sei!ed and carried off toheaven by an eagle sent down by Weus, to become the cup-bearer of the gods.he eagle and boy were subse3uently placed amongst the stars as theconstellations A3uila and A3uarius. I2yginus J.0@ and J.J<K

/+QCA'D% An early reek king who managed to survive the great /eluge that was sent by Weusto destroy mankind. ecause so much rain fell during his reign he was represented amongst thestars as the (ater-&ourer. I2yginus J.J< on 2egesianaxK

C+CLD&S An early king of Athens who was the first to pour libations in honour of the gods. nmemory of this he was placed in the heavens as the water-pourer A3uarius. I2yginus J.J< on

+ubulusK UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

A50)+A4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 A3uila Ithe +agleKreek 4 Aitos Ithe +agleKAkkadian 4 +rZ Ithe +agleKSumerian 4 [.7QS2+% Ithe +agleK

+A'+ A&2LD/+ (hen Weus wished to seduce the goddess %emesis, he

transformed himself into a swan, and bade Aphrodite pursue him into her lap inthe guise of an eagle. n this way he accomplished his seduction and in memorial placed an eagleand swan amongst the stars. I2yginus J.:K

A%/LD7+/A

ARQALQS

ARQ'A

http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Perseus2.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Ganymedes.html

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+A'+ D* &LD7+2+QS An eagle which was set by Weus feed on the liver of the chained itan&rometheus. (hen 2eracles freed him from his chains, he slew the eagle with an arrow, and Weus

placed the pair amongst the stars as A3uila IeagleK and Sagitta IarrowK. I2yginus J.0>K

+A'+ D* W+QS 0 he eagle which Weus sent to snatch the handsome ro$an youth anymedesup to heaven. he boy and eagle were placed amongst the stars as the ad$acent constellationsA3uarius and A3uila. I2yginus J.0@K

+A'+ D* W+QS J An eagle which appeared to Weus as a sign of good omen when he wassacrificing on an altar prior to the commencement of his war against the itans. o commemoratethe event he placed the eagle and altar amongst the stars as the constellations A3uila and Ara.I2yginus J.0@K

+A'+ D* W+QS = (hen 2ermes was wooing the goddess Aphrodite she spurned his advances.Weus, pitying his son, sent an eagle which snatched away her sandal and delivered it the god, whichhe used to barter for her favours. he eagle was rewarded with a place amonst the stars. I2yginusJ.0@K

7+LD&+S A Eing of Cos whose wife was killed by Artemis for spurning her worship. (hen he

was about to commit suicide in his grief, 2era transformed 7eropes into an eagle and placed himamongst the stars in the form of A3uila. I2yginus J.0@ on AglaosthenesK


AA4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Ara Ithe AltarKreek 4 hytrios Ithe AltarK

A'AL D* W+QS (hen Weus had gathered allies for the itan (ar, they made sacrifices on an atlar constructed by the Cyclopes to pledge their alliegance. n memorial the god placed it amongst the

stars as the constellation Ara. he rising of its stars heralded the storms of late autumn. I2yginusJ.=<K

A'AL D* &2D'QS he kindly centaur &holus was set amongst the stars by Weus for his skill inaugury. 2e was depicted pouring libations at the atlar in the form of the three constellations Ara ItheAltarK, Crater Ithe CupK, and Centaurus Ithe CentaurK. I2yginus J.=:K


A1/4 C/!ST.++AT)/!

'atin 4 Argoreek 4 Arg\ Ithe Silver IShipK

ALD he ship of the hero Argonauts which was constructed by Argus andAthena, with a talking beam placed on its prow. After their voyage in search of the olden *leece, the ship was placed amongst the stars in memorial as theconstellation Argo. Dnly half of the ship can be seen in the stars, the forepartfrom stern to mast. I2yginus J.=1K


A).S4 6/D)AC C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Aries Ithe LamKreek 4 Erios Ithe LamK

ALD

AL+S

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AetosKaukasios.html

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http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosPholos.html








Akkadian 4 Argu Ithe 2ired 7anKSumerian 4 '].2Q%.[ Ithe 2ired 7anK

C2LGSD7A''QS A flying, golden-fleeced ram. t was sent by the cloud nymph %ephele torescue her children, &hrixus and 2elle, who were about to be sacrificed to the gods. he ram carriedthem across the seas, but 2elle lost her grip and fell. Qpon reaching Colchis the ram shed its goldenfleece for &hrixus who hung it in a sacred grove, and flew up to the heavens to take a place amongstthe stars as the dimly shining constellation Aries. I2yginus J.JB on 2esiod, &herecydes and+ratosthenesK

LA7 D* A77D% 0 (hen the god /ionysus led his armies into Africa and they were suffering inthe desert, a ram appeared and guided him to the springs of Ammon. As a memorial the god set thecreature amongst the stars as the constellation Aries, first of the twelve signs of the !odiac.^2yginus J.JB on 2ermippusK

LA7 D* A77D% J An +gyptian IgodK named 2ammon was the first to herd flocks of sheep. ohonour his gift to mankind, a ram was set amongst the stars. I2yginus J.JB on 'eonK


A0)1A4 C/!ST.++AT)/!S'atin 4 Auriga Ithe CharioteerKreek 4 2niokhos Ithe CharioteerKAkkadian 4 amlu Ithe CrookKSumerian 4 _7 Ithe CrookK

'atin 4 Capra Ithe oatKreek 4 Aix Dlenios Ithe oat on the 'eftK

+LC22D%QS An early Eing of Athens who invented the four-horse chariot. As a reward for his

gift to mankind Athena placed him amongst the stars as the constellation Auriga. I2yginus J.0= on+ratosthenesK

7GL'QS he charioteer of Eing Dinomaos of &isa, and a son of the god 2ermes. (hen he wasmurdered by &elops, his father set him in the heavens as the constellation Auriga. I2yginus J.0=K

DLS'DC2QS An Argive man who in local legend was the inventor of the chariot. he gods placed him amongst the stars as Auriga in memorial. I2yginus J.0=K

A+` D* 2+'QS A goatish daughter of 2elius the sun, who was hidden away in a cave by theitan gods because of her fearsome face. (hen Weus sought to overthrow these same itans he wastold by an oracle to make a goat-skin cape, and so he slew Aex and crafted the aegis. 2e then placed

Aex among the stars as Capra. I2yginus J.0=KA+` D* &A% he goatish wife of the god &an. Weus coupled with her and she bore the godAegipan. ecause Weus was fond of both he placed the pair amongst the stars as the constellationsCapra and Capricorn. I2yginus J.0= from +uhemerusK

A7A'2+A V 2+ E/S A she-goat which nursed the infant Weus with milk on the Cretan7ount da. As a reward for its service the god placed the goat and its two kids amongst the starsabout the constellation Auriga4 Capra the goat sitting on his left shoulder, and the Eids in his lefthand. I2yginus J.0= on &armeniscus ; Aratus 0@0K


#//T.S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 ootes

AQLA

DD+S

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/KriosKhrysomallos.html

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http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AixAmaltheia.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/KriosKhrysomallos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheAix.html

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reek 4 o\tes Ithe (agon-/riverK or Arktophylax Ithe ear-(atcherKAkkadian 4 %iru Ithe GokeKSumerian 4 S2Q/Q% Ithe GokeK

ALCAS An early king of Arkadia. (hen he was about to kill his mother Callisto who had beentransformed into a bear, Weus raised the pair to heavens as the constellations Arctophylax Ithe ear-(atcherK andQrsa Ithe earK. I2yginus J.K

DD+S he inventor of the wagon or plough, a son of the goddess /emeter. As a reward for thisservice to mankind he was placed amongst the stars as the constellation ootes. 2is oxen and

plough were set alongside him as the (ain, i.e., the constellations Qrsa 7a$or and 7inor. I2yginusJ. on 2ermippus and &etellidesK

CALQS An Athenian devotee of /ionysus. 2e was instructed by the god in the art ofwinemaking, but was murdered by peasants who mistook the draught for poison. /ionysus then

placed him, his daughter +rigone and their dog 7aira, amongst the stars as the constellationsootes, Pirgo and Canis 7a$or. I2yginus J. on +ratosthenesK


CA!C.4 6/D)AC C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Cancer Ithe CrabKreek 4 Earkinos Ithe CrabKAkkadian 4 Alluttu Ithe CrabKSumerian 4 A'.'Q' Ithe CrabK

'atin 4 Aselli Ithe AssesKreek 4 Dinoi Ithe AssesK

CALC%QS A crab of the 'ernaean swamp which assisted the 2ydra in her battle with 2eracles.

he hero crushed it beneath his heel, and also despatched the serpent, but as a reward for theirservice 2era placed the pair amongst the stars in the form of the constellations Cancer and 2ydra.I2yginus J.J=K

ASS+S D* /D%GSQS 0 he Asses were two stars set on the back of the constellation Cancer.hey were a pair of donkeys who helped /ionysus cross a swamp when he was on his way to/odona in search of a curse for the madness inflicted upon him by 2era. Qpon recovering, the godawarded the pair with a place in the heavens as stars. I2yginus J.J=K

ASS+S D* /D%GSQS J he two asses of Cancer were also said to have been placed there as areward for their service in the iant (ar. *or when /ionysus and Silenus rode into battle upon their

backs, the strange sound of their braying put the iants into a rout. I2yginus J.J=K

ASS D* S'+%QS he donkey mount of the old rustic god Silenus. he beast once entered into acontest with &riapus over the si!e of their erect members. he god won and killed the beast, but/ionysus in pity set it amongst the stars on the back of Cancer. I2yginus J.J=K


CA!)S MA*/4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Canis Ithe /ogKreek 4 Ey\n Ithe /ogK

'atin 4 Siriosreek 4 Seirios or Eyon Aster Ithe /og-StarK

'A+'A&S A magical dog which was destined never to surrender a chase. t was

CA%C+L

CA%S 7ADL

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Bootes.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/DionysosFavour.html#Ikarios

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Karkinos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html


http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Seilenos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/KuonLailaps.html



http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Karkinos.html



http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Seilenos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/KuonLailaps.html



first bestowed on +uropa by Weus, who passed it to her son 7inos, and from him to &rocris andCephalus. he last of these set it to hunt down the eumessian fox, which was destined never to becaught. o resolve the contrary fates of the two animals, Weus placed them amongst the stars as theconstellations Canis 7a$or and 7inor to play out the chase unresolved for eternity. I2yginus J.=>K

/D D* DLD% he dog of the giant hunter Drion who stands above it in the heavens. 2e leads itin the chase of the hare I'epusK or the fox ICanis 7inorK. I2yginus J.=>K

7A+LA he dog of carius, a devotee of the god /ionysus. (hen his master was murdered, andhis mistress committed suicide, the dog threw himself down a well. All three were then placedamongst the stars as &rocyon ICanis 7inorK, ootes and Pirgo. I2yginus J. V J.=>K

SLQS he dog-star which crowns the head of the constellation Canis 7a$or. ts rising incon$unction with the sun at dawn was thought to bring on the scorching heat of mid-summer. he+gyptians called it the star of sis. I2yginus J.=>K


CA!)S M)!/4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Canicula Ithe 'ittle /ogKreek 4 &roky\n Ithe *ore /ogKAkkadian 4 Shelebu Ithe *oxKSumerian 4 EA.A Ithe *oxK

+Q7+SSA% *D` A monstrous fox which ravaged the oeotian countryside. he hero Cephalusset the magical dog 'aelaps to hunt it down. ut because the pair had conflicting fates - one wasdestined never to be caught, and the other never to surrender the chase - Weus transferred the pair tothe heavens to play out their contest unresolved for all eternity. I2yginus J.=>K

D2+L /DS he dogs of carius and Drion were sometimes identified with Canis 7inor instead

of the usual Canis 7a$or. I2yginus J.=@K UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

CA$)C/!4 6/D)AC C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Capricorn Ithe oat 2ornKreek 4 Aigoker\s Ithe oat 2ornKAkkadian 4 SuhurmashZ Ithe oat-*ishKSumerian 4 SQ2QL.7[S2 Ithe oat-*ishK

A+&A% 0 A goatish sea god who came to the assistance of Weus in the (ar of the itans, and filled the enemy with panic. As thanks for his help the god sethim amongst the stars as the goat-fish constellation Capricorn. I2yginus on +ratosthenes J.J:K

A+&A% J (hen the monster yphon attacked Dlympus, the gods fled in a body to +gypt and hidthemselves away in the form of animals. he god &an transformed himself into a goat-fish and hiddived into a river. 'ater after Weus had been disabled by the giant, Aegipan recovered his stolensinews and so restored him. *or this service he was awarded with a place amongst the stars as theconstellation Capricorn. I2yginus J.J:K


CASS)/$.A4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Cassiopea

CA&LCDL%

CASSD&+A

http://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GiganteOrion.html

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http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AlopexTeumesios.html

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http://www.theoi.com/Titan/AsterSeirios.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/AlopexTeumesios.html





reek 4 Eassiepeia

CASSD&+A A Rueen of +thiopia, mother of the lovely Andromeda. (hen she boasted that herdaughter was more beautiful than the %ereids, &oseidon sent a sea monster to devour the girl. Shewas rescued by &erseus, who slew the beast. As a memorial the whole family were placed amongstthe stars, but Cassiopea because of her pride, was set to hang eternally upside down on her throne.I2yginus J.0B on +uripides and SophoclesK


C.!TA00S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Centaurus Ithe CentaurKreek 4 Eentauros Ithe CentaurKAkkadian 4 2abasiranuSumerian 4 +%.+.%A.AL.2Q7

C2LD% he wisest of the Centaurs, a son of the itan Cronus. 2e once

entertained 2eracles, but when examining his poisonous arrows dropped one onhis foot. ecause of the unbearable pain of the wound, he surrendered his immortality and was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Centaurus. Dthers say he became Saggitarius.I2yginus J.=:K

&2D'QS A centaur of 7ount &holoe in Arcadia who entertained 2eracles in his cave. ut when heopened the wine, the smell drew the other centaurs who attacked. 2eracles slew them, but &holusexamining one of the poisonous arrows let it fall on his foot and died. he gods placed him amongstthe stars as the constellation Centaurus, along with his drinking cup Crater. Some say Centaurus isdepicted pouring a libation at the altar, Ara. I2yginus J.=:K


C.$H.0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Cepheusreek 4 Epheus

C+&2+QS A Eing of Aethiopia and father of the lovely Andromeda. 2e wasforced to sacrifice his daughter to a sea monster because the boasts of his wifeCassiopea offended the gods. ut the hero &erseus slew the beast and rescuedher. As a memorial the whole family - Cepheus, Cassiopea, Andromeda and&erseus - were placed amongst the stars. I2yginus J.<K


C.T0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Cetus Ithe Sea 7onster or (haleKreek 4 Etos Ithe Sea 7onster or (haleK

+2D&A% C+QS A sea monster which was sent by &oseidon to ravage theland of +thiopia to punish Rueen Cassiopea for her prideful boasts comparingher daughter Andromeda to the %ereids. he girl was offered up as sacrifice tothe monster, but was rescued by the hero &erseus. o commemorate the event,

the monster was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Cetus, along with &erseus andAndromeda. I2yginus J.=0K


C+%AQLQS

C+&2+QS

C+QS


http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosKheiron.html



http://www.theoi.com/Ther/KetosAithiopios.html





http://www.theoi.com/Ther/KetosAithiopios.html



C//!A4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Corona Ithe CrownKreek 4 Stephanos Ithe CrownKAkkadian 4 A-nim Ithe Crown of AnuKSumerian 4 AA Ithe Crown of AnuK

CLD(% D* ALA/%+ he crown of the Cretan princess Ariadne. Shereceived from the gods as a wedding gift upon her marriage to the god/ionysus. After her death it was set amongst the stars as the constellation Corona. I2yginus J.>K

CLD(% D* /D%GSQS he crown of the god of wine. 2e received it as a gift from Aphroditeand after his return from the underworld with his mother Semele he set it amongst the stars inmemorial of the event. I2yginus J.> on the ArgolicaK

CLD(% D* 2+S+QS he crown of the Athenian hero heseus which he received from thegoddess Amphitrite as a mark of his divine paternity. 2e in turn gave it to Ariadne as reward for theassistance she provided him in navigating the passages of the 'abyrinth. At her death it was placedamongst the stars. I2yginus J.>K


C/V0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Corvus Ithe CrowKreek 4 Eoronis Ithe CrowK or Eorakos Ithe LavenKAkkadian 4 Aribu Ithe LavenKSumerian 4 QA-7QS2+% Ithe LavenK

CDLD%S A hessalian girl loved by the god Apollo. ut she proved unfaithful

and Artemis slew her with her arrows. he god then placed Coronis Iliterally,Ythe CrowYK amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus. 2er son by Apollo was Asclepius, theconstellation Dphiochus. I2yginus J.B on strusK

CLD( D* A&D''D A crow which was sent by Apollo to fetch water for libations. t tarried in thetask, and as punishment was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus, along with theserpent 2ydra, and the water-cup Crater. he serpent prevented the crow from drinking at the bowlleaving it eternally parched in the heavens. I2yginus J.BK


CAT.4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Crater Ithe /rinking CupKreek 4 Ertr Ithe /rinking CupK

CQ& D* &2D'QS he drinking cup of the the centaur &holos. t and its owner were placed amongst the stars as the ad$acent constellations Crater andCentaurus. I2yginus J.=:K

CQ& D* A&D''D A cup placed amongst the stars by Apollo in form of theconstellation Crater, next to Corvus the crow and 2ydra the serpent. he serpent was set to guardthe bowl, preventing the crow from drinking. I2yginus J.BK


CDLD%A

CDLPQS

CLA+L

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Ariadne.html



http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Ariadne.html





C21!0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 Cygnus Ithe SwanKreek 4 Drnis Ithe irdK or Eygnos Ithe SwanK

S(A% W+QS (hen Weus wanted to seduce the goddess %emesis hetransformed himself into a swan, and bade Aphrodite in the guise of an eagle

pursue him into her lap. As a memorial of this successful ruse he placed an eagleand swan in the sky as the constellations Cygnus and A3uila. I2yginus J.:K

CG%QS



D.+$H)!0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 /elphinus Ithe /olphinKreek 4 /elphin Ithe /olphinKSumerian 4 S2A2 Ithe &ig or oarK

/D'&2% D* &DS+/D% (hen &oseidon was wooing Amphitrite, she fledhis advances and hid herself away. /olphin was sent to find her, and persuadedher to return. As a reward for this service &oseidon set him amongst the stars. I2yginus J.01 on+ratosthenesK

/D'&2%S D* /D%GSQS (hen /ionysus was travelling between the islands of the Aegean, hewas captured by yrrhenian pirates. he god drove them to terror with his illusions and, when theyleapt from the ship, he transformed them into dolphins. n memory of the event he placed a dolphinamongst the stars. I2yginus J.01 on AglaosthenesK

/D'&2% D* ALD% (hen the famed Corinthian bard Arion was thrown overboard by seamenwho coveted his wealth, a dolphin came and carried him safely to shore. As memorial the kindlyanimal was placed amongst the stars. I2yginus J.01K


DAC/4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 /raco Ithe /ragonKreek 4 /rak\n Ithe /ragonK

2+S&+LA% /LAD% he huge serpent which guarded the golden apples of the 2esperides.After the beast was slain by 2eracles, 2era placed it amongst the stars as /raco. I2yginus J.= on+ratosthenesK

/LAD% D* A2+%A A gigantic serpent which was cast at the goddess Athena during the giantwar. She caught it in her hands and set it about the northern pole as the constellation /raco.I2yginus J.=K


.)DA!0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 +ridanusreek 4 ridanos or &otamos Ithe LiverKAkkadian 4 &urattu Ithe +uphratesKSumerian 4 QLA%Q% Ithe +uphratesK

+L/A%QS A river believed to flow through the mythical northern land of 2yperborea. t was set to flow amongst the northern stars. I2yginus J.=JK

%'+ he great river of +gypt was placed amongst the stars as the constellations +ridanus and/elta. he brightest star in its heavenly stream was named Canopus. I2yginus J.=JK

/+'&2%

+L/A%QS

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Delphin.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/DionysosWrath.html#Tyrrhenian

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakonHesperios.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakonGigantomakhios.html

http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosEridanos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosNeilos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Delphin.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/DionysosWrath.html#Tyrrhenian


http://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakonGigantomakhios.html

http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosEridanos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosNeilos.html




1.M)!)4 6/D)AC C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 emini Ithe winsK

reek 4 /idymoi Ithe winsKAkkadian 4 uTamu rabZtu Ithe reat winsKSumerian 4 7AS2.A.A.A'.A' Ithe reat winsK V7AS2.A.A.QL.QL Ithe 'ittle winsK, the main stars of emini

/DSCQL win sons of Weus, named Castor and &olydeuces. he pair werefamed horsemen who were transferred to the heavens at death to form the constellation emini.he /ioscuri came to the rescue of sailors in distress. I2yginus J.JJK

2+LAC'+S V A&D''D (hen Apollo commanded that 2eracles be sold into slavery to atone formurder, the hero was enraged as wrestled the god for the /elphic tripod. heir match was

memorialised amongst the stars as the constellation emini. I2yginus J.JJK

L&D'+7QS V ASD% he two favourites of the goddess /emeter. riptolemus was a herowho first instructed mankind in the art of agriculture, while asion was her lover on the island ofSamothrace, lying with her in a thrice-plowed field. I2yginus J.JJK


H.C0+.S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!

'atin 4 2erculesreek 4 +ngonasin Ithe EneelerKSumerian 4 Ithe StagMK

2+LAC'+S /LAD%-S'AG+L he great hero was placed amongst the starsin the form of a kneeling man with his club poised to strike the 2esperiandragon, the constellation /raco. I2yginus J.@ on &anyassis and +ratosthenesK

2+LAC'+S % 'QLA he great hero was said to have been placed amongst the stars in theshape of kneeling man, as a memorial of his desperate battle with the 'igurians, whom heencountered on his return trip to reece with the cattle of eryon. I2yginus J.@ on +uripidesK

`D% An 'apith king who attempted to rape the goddess 2era. As punishment for his crime hewas bound to a fiery wheel and fixed in the heavens as the constellation +ngonasin, a warning toothers. I2yginus J.@K

&LD7+2+QS As punishment for his defiance of Weus, the itan &rometheus was chained to7ount Caucasus where an eagle set to feed on his ever-regenerating liver. 2eracles later releasedhim from his torment, felling the eagle with an arrow. n memory of this deed, &rometheus, thearrow and the eagle were placed side by side amongst the stars as the constellations +ngonasin,A3uila Ior 'yra the vultureK and Sagitta. I2yginus J.@K

DL&2+QS A hracian bard who was torn to pieces by the acchantes when they caught himspying on their secret rites. 2e was placed amongst the stars by Apollo and the 7uses as a kneeling

2+LCQ'+S

+7%

http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Dioskouroi.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Apollon.html

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/EleusiniosTriptolemos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Iasion.html




http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanPrometheus.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Dioskouroi.html


http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/EleusiniosTriptolemos.html



http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanPrometheus.html



man with a lyre. he lyre was represented by the ad$acent constellation 'yra. I2yginus J.@K

2A7GLS A bard who was blinded by the 7uses as punishment for daring to challenge them toa musical contest. 2e was placed amongst the stars as a man bent down on one knee in supplicationalong with his lyre. I2yginus J.@K

2+S+QS he Athenian hero was set amongst the stars in the pose of a kneeling man, theconstellation +nnosagin. n this way he was depicted lifting the stone at roe!en under whichAegeus had laid the sword as proof of his paternity. Some say, the ad$acent constellation 'yra washis. I2yginus J.@ on 2ergesianaxK

C++QS A Eing of Arcadia who was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Eneeler. 2ewas depicted kneeling in lamentation with a hand reached out to his daughter 7egisto, theconstellation Qrsa 7a$or, who had been transformed into a bear. I2yginus J.0 V J.@ on Araethus of egeaK


H2DA4 C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 2ydra Ithe (ater SerpentKreek 4 2ydra Ithe (ater SerpentKSummerian 4 7QS2 Ithe SnakeK

'+L%A+A% 2G/LA A monstrous nine-headed serpent which haunted thesprings of 'erna. 2eracles slew it as one of his twelve labours, along with itsally the crab. 2era placed the pair in the heavens as the constellations 2ydraand Cancer. I2yginus J.BK

S+L&+% D* A&D''D A water-serpent was placed amongst the stars by the god Apollo in theform of the constellation 2ydra, to guard the heavenly bowl Crater, preventing the crow Corvusfrom drinking. I2yginus J.BK


+./4 6/D)AC C/!ST.++AT)/!'atin 4 'eo Ithe 'ionKreek 4 'eon Ithe 'ionKSumerian 4 QL.Q.'A Ithe 'ionK

%+7+A% 'D% A lion whose hide was impervious to weapons whichterrori!ed the countryside of %emea. (hen 2eracles was commanded todestroy it was one of his twelve labours, he throttled the beast to death with his

bare hands. he lion was then placed by 2era amongst the stars as the constellation 'eo. I2yginusJ.JK

E% 'D% he lion, king of all the beasts, was set amongst the stars as the constellation 'eo inrecognition of his supremacy. I2yginus J.JK

+.$0S4 C/!ST.++AT)/!

2G/LA

'+D

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakonHydra.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/LeonNemeios.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakonHydra.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/LeonNemeios.html



S t a r M y t h s

flammarion-woodcut

Hello!Introduction:

I am going to introduce you to some of the ancient myths and folklore of thenightsky.

Before we get into the mythology, let’s start off by giving you a littlebackground about what a constellation’ is. onstellations are the invention ofthe human imagination, and are not natural. Basically, a constellation is like aconnect-the-dots’ "icture, with the stars being the dots. #hey are a humanattem"t to organi$e the wilderness of the %ight &ky. 'ncient "eo"les had"lenty of reasons for doing so: &eafarers and caravan travelers needed a wayto find their destinations. (armers and Herders needed a way to kee" track of the seasons to hel" them figure out when to "lant ) harvest their cro"s, ormove their animals from summer to winter "astures. #herefore "eo"ledevised sky "ictures’ or constellations’ to hel" them remember these thingsand as an attem"t to e*"lain the natural "henomena of the night sky. &oconstellations really tell us the stories and myths of the "eo"les who inventedthem.

I+ve focused on four general catagories of nightsky myths and legends, thoseassociated with the Big i""er rsa /a0or1, 2rion the Hunter, the 3leiades

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hermes.html



http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Astraia.html

http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Tykhe.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Skorpios.html




star cluster, and the /ilky 4ay.

The Legend of Ursa Major:

'mong all the stars of the heavens, there is none so well known as thisseven-starred figure. #his constellation is "robably the most easilyrecogni$able star "attern in the entire sky. 'lmost every culture around theworld throughout the ages had stories about the seven stars that we call theBig i""er’.

(or e*am"le, the hinese viewed the 5 stars as the images of the 5 celestial"alaces of the 6&tar 7od of 8ongevity9 &hou 8ao on the heavenly mountain of #ien &han.

#he Hindu see these bright stars of the 7reat Bear as the homes of the 5ishi or sages who are the masters of the reality of heavenly influences.

#he &umerians thought of these stars as a elestial 4agon’ or chariot. 'ndthey weren’t the only ones to "icture some ty"e of cart among these stars.

'cross ;uro"e, you’ll find these stars called by the old name 6harles+ 4ain9<wagon<1 and according to folktale that it was named after the great =ingharlemagne.

In the %orthern ;uro"ean > &candinavian countries of ?iking descent, it wascommonly called 2din+s 4ain’, after the %orse king of the gods. #he dim star 'lcor, double to /i$ar1, is called the 4agoneer and is considered to be thedriver of the great wagon.

In ;ngland this "attern is still commonly called the 3lough’ referring to afarmer’s "lough used to break the ground for "lanting cro"s.

In eltic legend, the 7reat Bear is associated with =ing 'rthur whose name isderived from the 4elsh language 'rth’ or Bear’ and thyr’ or 8uminous’. sothe name 'rthur’ means luminous bear’1.

In modern Ireland the figure is known as the &tarry 3lough’ and has been

used as a "olitical symbol meaning that a free Ireland would control itsdestiny f rom the "lough to the stars’.


http://www.theoi.com/Ther/HipposPegasos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Asklepios.html


http://www.theoi.com/Ther/HipposPegasos.html

http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NympheMelanippe.html



#oday, in %orth 'merica, it is universally known as the Big i""er’ becausethe ma0or stars can be seen to follow the rough outline of a large ladle ordi""er. #his figure actually comes from 'frica, where it was sometimes seenas a drinking gourd. In the @Ath century, "re-ivil 4ar era1 runaway slavesused the celestial rinking 7ourd’ to "oint the way to the north and freedom.

#he conductors of the nderground ailroad would teach a folk song called6(ollow the rinkin+ 7ourd9 as a guide for the fugitive slaves to follow in thes"ring when they would attem"t esca"e.

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&everal %ative 'merican legends e*ist concerning the stars of rsa /a0or as

a bear. 2ne of my favorites is from the Irouois.

#he Bear is re"resented by the four stars of the bowl in the Big i""er. Bearis being hunted by three warriors named after birds, obin, hickadee, andowbird, as re"resented by the stars of the handle of the Big i""er.hickadee star /i$or1 carries a 3an, the tiny star 'lcor1, in which he is"lanning to cook the meat of Bear. #hese three stars are sometimes referredto as the hunters who are always hunting’.

's Bear awakens from hibernation in the early s"ring, she leaves her en insearch of food. #he en is re"resented by the circle of stars in oronaBorealis. #he Hunters s"ot her fresh tracks in the snow and begin the "ursuit.Bear is stalked by the Hunters throughout the s"ring and summer, slowlyfollowing her u" thru the sky country and back down the other side. In lateautumn, the Hunters finally catch u" to Bear near the bottom of the skycountry, close to the ;arth. Bear rises u" on her hind legs to fight the Hunters,but obin takes careful aim and shoots her with an arrow and Bear falls overdead on her back. Blood from Bear’s wound s"rinkles down on the forests ofthe land below and stains the leaves red. #his is why tree’s leaves change

color in the fall. &ome of the blood stains obin’s chest, and this is why thesebirds have red breast today. Bear is cut u" and cooked during the winter tofeed the tribe, with Bear’s skeleton remaining in the sky low on the hori$on,lying on its back. But, her s"irit has already entered another Bear hibernatingin her en in orona Borealis. In the s"ring, she re-awakens and leaves herden. 2nce again the hunt begins anew, re"eating each year for all eternity.

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#he 7reeks also saw a sha"e of a bear among the stars of the Big i""er,

http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Perseus.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Ikhthyes.html

http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Perseus.html

http://www.theoi.com/Ther/Ikhthyes.html





and another smaller bear nearby. #hese bears named by the 7reeks are rsa/a0or and rsa /inor. #he story of how these bears got u" into the sky goeslike this.

8ong ago, there was a beautiful daughter of the king of 'rcadia named

allisto. 2ne day, the great king of the gods, Ceus, noticed her accom"anying 'rtemis, the goddess of the hunt. Ceus had the habit of seducing youngmaidens, and eventually he got around to allisto and made her one of hismany lovers. Ceus tried to kee" his affair with allisto hidden from his wife,the goddess Hera. But, in time, allisto gave birth to Ceus+ son 'rcas, andHera learned of it. 's "unishment, Hera turned allisto into a bear andbanished her to roam the wilds. 2ver the years, 'rcas grew into a greathunter as a young man. 2ne day, while hunting far into the woods, he cameu"on an unusual bear in that it didn’t turn and run from him. nknowing to

'rcas, it was his mother allisto. allisto having seeing her grown son,desired to s"eak with him and attem"ted to a""roach him but could onlygrowl. &eeing the bear advance on him, 'rcas grabbed his s"ear and drewhis sword. #o "rotect the son from killing his own mother, Ceus intervened. Hechanged 'rcas into a bear as well so he and his mother could be together. 'sa rebuff to Hera, and to kee" them from further harm, Ceus "laced both of thebears high u" in the sky out of Hera’s reach, but within her sight every nightof the year. It is said that the bears tails are longer than normal because ofthe fact that Ceus grabbed them both by their tails and swung them over hishead flinging them u"ward. #he tails stretched as the bears whirled aroundthe great god’s head. But Hera gets the last word in by forbidding the bearsfrom ever resting beneath the ;arth and that is why they can never set belowthe hori$on like other constellations.

The Legend of Orion:


http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/SatyrosKrotos.html







http://www.theoi.com/Heroine/Io.html

http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiHyades.html



'fter the Big i""er, 2rion is the ne*t most commonly recogni$ableconstellation and is visible from every "art of the globe. 'lmost every ancientculture associated this area of the night sky with a star-god’ or great warrior’.In addition to 2rion’s brilliant first magnitude stars of Betelgeuse and igel, itholds the three euality-bright asterism of the hunter’s belt stars. 2rionmarked an im"ortant "osition in the skies around DEEE B. #he constellationcoincided with the s"ring euino* and marked the first day of the year formany ancient cultures. #his led to many interesting stories being associatedwith this starry area of the sky.

#he Inuit thought of the three belt stars as trio of seal hunters.

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/ZeusLoves3.html#Kallisto


http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiIdaiai.html


http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiPleiades.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Zeus.html






'ccording to the 'ustralian 'borigines, the three stars are the ancing Foung/en’ trying to attract the attention of girls, re"resented by the nearby3leiades.

In ancient India, the Hindu saw this grou"ing of stars as the lord of all

creatures.

#o the ;gy"tians this constellation re"resented the solar god Horus. He isde"icted as riding in a boat with the nearby star &irius as his mother, Isis.

In some /eso"otamian societies, 2rion was known as 'nu the she"herd,whose name meant 8ight of the &ky’, and he was considered the king ofheaven.

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#he 4asco and 4ishram %ative 'merican tribes of the 3acific %orthwest sawin the stars of 2rion a great struggle between 4inter’s old 4ind’ from theeast, and &"ring’s warm hinook 4ind’ from the west. 'ccording to legend,long ago when all stars were human beings, there lived an old grandfatherwho was a renowned salmon fisherman. 2ld 7randfather had threegrandsons’, the strongest of which was named hinook 4ind’. 't thebeginning of s"ring, the three brothers left on a 0ourney to visit farawayrelatives. 'll summer long and throughout the fall, the tribe always had "lentyto eat, thanks to 2ld 7randfather’s fishing skills. But then late in the fall,another fisherman from the east named old 4ind’, began stealing the fishfrom the r iver, so 2ld 7randfather caught less and less, leaving the tribe littleto eat over the winter. (inally, in the midst of winter, the three brothersreturned u"river in their canoe. &eeing how old 4ind was stealing the fishfrom the "eo"le, hinook 4ind ste""ed forward to "rotect his tribe andordered old 4ind to sto" stealing fish. old 4ind refused to give back the

fish, so the two wrestled. hinook 4ind fought longer and harder and won thestruggle. old 4ind was banished back to the east. #o this day, hinook4ind is stronger than old 4ind and every s"ring forces old 4ind to leave.Fou can tell that the time is near for hinook 4ind’s return when you can seehim and his two brothers "addling their canoe u" the celestial river.re"resented by the stars of 2rion’s belt and sword!1

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#he modern constellation that we know today from the 7reeks, actually






http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Demeter.html




http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/ApotheothenaParthenos.html








http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Hera.html



originated from the ancient &umerians, who saw in it their great hero7ilgamesh. #he e"ic of 7ilgamesh is "robably the most com"lete legendconnected with this constellation. ating to over DEEE years ago, the e"ic wasdiscovered inscribed on clay tablets found in the library at the ruins of thegreat 'ssyrian city of %ineveh. 7ilgamesh was noted for being a strong

warrior, a leader, and a lady’s man. even the goddess Istar fell in love withhim1. 8isted among 7ilgamesh’s feats are the slaying of an undefeatible giantwho terrori$ed a local forest, and battling and defeating #aurus, the mightycelestial Bull of Heaven’ sent to destroy 7ilgamesh after he refused tobecome the goddess Istar’s husband. In "ursuit of immortality, 7ilgameshundertook an e"ic 0ourney to the end of the world, where he had to crossmountains, deserts, and oceans, fighting off scor"ion-men and variousenchantments, finally re-discovering the lost 7arden of ;den’. In the end7ilgamesh failed to achieve immortality, but learned that ha""iness for man

was to be found in music, dance, festivities, and family. brG

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#he ancient 7reeks named this grou"ing of stars after their hero 2rion, wherewe get our classical re"resentation of the great hunter kneeling with hisraised right arm holding a club, and a shield made from lion skin in his lefthand.

'ccording to mythology, 2rion was born to a "oor she"herd whose wife haddied childless. Fou might wondering how a man could have a child without awife! #he answer of course is the gods! 2ne evening the king of the godsCeus, along with his brother 3oseidon and /ercury, were traveling thru thecountryside. It was getting late, and they were far from any town, so theydisguised themselves and sto""ed for the night at a she"herd’s house. %otreali$ing the identity of his guests, the old she"herd offered what he had,made them comfortable, and sacrificed and cooked his last cow for theirdinner. #he gods, being greatly im"ressed by the old man’s hos"itality, asked

what one thing in the world that he wanted the most. #he old she"herdre"lied that he wished he could have had a son. #hen Ceus, 3oseidon, and/ercury revealed their true selves and "romised to fulfill the she"herd’s wish.#he gods gather around the hide of the cow that they had 0ust eaten,"erformed a mystical ceremony, and bundled u" the cow skin. ' few months’later 2rion was born! 's 2rion grew he became a great hunter, and friendand lover of the goddess 'rtemis. Before he met 'rtemis, 2rion had fallen inlove with the seven sisters of the 3leiades, "ersuing them such that Ceus hadto "lace them u" in the sky out of reach of 2rion’s unwanted affections! 'fter

2rion got over his love for the 3leiades, he went on to "erform many deedsand feats and thru his love of hunting, he eventually met 'rtemis, goddess ofthe hunt. #he god '"ollo, brother of 'rtemis1, became 0ealous of 2rion and

http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanisRhea.html



killed him with a scor"ion. In her sorrow 'rtemis begged Ceus to "lace him inthe sky among the most brilliant stars, where he could remain for all eternitywith his hunting dogs anis /a0or ) /inor, chasing the hare 8e"us. &o Ceushonored 2rion thus, de"icting him as facing the snorting charge of #aurus thebull. 'fterwards, '"ollo insisted that the scor"ion also be "laced in the sky to

commemorate the great hunter+s downfall. Ceus agreed, but "laced thescor"ion on the o""osite side of the sky so as one rises, the other alwayssets. Ceus also "laced &agittarius the 'rcher ne*t to the scor"ion, with drawnbow aimed at the scor"ion+s heart, should the scor"ion try to advance toward2rion and sting him again.

The Legend of the Pleiades:

7littering like a swarm of fireflies, there is a grou"ing of small stars that are sodistinctive, that many cultures regard it as it’s own mini-constellation. #he

3leiades or &even &isters’ is actually an o"en star cluster located within theconstellation of #aurus the bull.

#here are ancient tem"les erected all over the world that are aligned withthese stars. &ome cultures have considered them the center of the universeor the destination of the soul when a "erson died.

#he 3leiades are mentioned by numerous authors from down the ages. #e*tsfrom ancient ;gy"t, 7reece, ome, hina, and elsewhere link this fu$$y

"atch of stars to all sorts of religious matters and even more "ractical thingssuch as when to "lough the fields and "lant cro"s to their harvest, and evenwhen to sail on the sea.



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#he start of winter was marked in some cultures by the 3leiades firsta""earance in the evening sky. #he elts thought this marked a "eriod

centered on the date around %ovember @st where 3leiades culminated, orreached their highest "oint at midnight1 where the boundary between theliving world and that of the dead crossed. 8ike a doorway o"ening, thisallowed visitors to either side. In the /iddle 'ges, this became known as thefearsome 4itch’s &abbath, or Black &abbath. #his lead to our "resent dayholiday of Halloween!

In /eso"otamia: #he stars of the cluster are associated with the seven sonsof the goddess Istar. 3raying to them hel"ed as "rotection against evil

demons.

#he ;gy"tians called the month of %ovember a word that meant the /onth of the 3leiades’. 4ithin the 7reat 3yramid at 7i$a a tunnel directed toward thesouth corres"onded "recisely to the meridian crossing of the 3leiades, andwhose "assing through that o"ening, at midnight, marked the beginning ofthe year, and renewal of the 3haraoh’s soul.

#he /ayan "eo"le watched the sky with great interests and ke"t veryaccurate track of the lunar and solar cycles, and ?enus’s a""earance in theevening or morning skies. ;very years, when the /ayan sacred andsecular calendars synched u", they considered the midnight meridiancrossing of the 3leiades as a very significant and ominous event, as the worldcould come to an end during that crossing! In fact, their sacred history tellsthem that the world has already been destroyed and re-created four se"aratetimes in the "ast! &o to "revent this from ha""ening, they held many greatreligious ceremonies involving numerous human sacrifices to a""ease thegods.

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2ther cultures had a more "ractical use for watching the celestial movementsof the 3leiades. Ja"anese fishermen who called the star cluster &ubaru’, sawa kind of fish net made of stones and bamboo and used rising and setting ofthe bright <net< to determine when to cast their own nets into the sea. #he7reeks referred to the 3leiades as the &ailing 2nes’, as they were visible allnight during the summer sailing season. 4hen the 3leiades disa""eared fromthe sky, the 7reeks knew it was time to beach their shi"s in "re"aration for

the winter storm season.

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2ther common ;uro"ean names for the 3leiades: #he (inns called it the net.#he &wedes had a name that translates as (ur in (rost’. #he 4elsh referredto it as the og 3ack’. In 7ermany, they were called Hen and her hicks’.#he anes called it the ;ve Hen, and ussian farmers named it the &itting

Hen’.

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%ative 'merican %ava0o children learned that by watching the 3leiades starcluster in the sky, which they call ilyehe1, they can tell when it’s time to"lant, and when to harvest. 'ccording to %ava0o lore, a goddess called &"ider 4oman, taught them about ilyehe and other star figures so they would knowtheir relationshi" with the stars, sun, and all of nature. #he 3awnee tell a story

that the stars that make u" the 3leiades are si* brothers who saved their littlesister from an evil rolling skull. #he herokee tell about seven boys who soloved to "lay a game called chunky’ involving rolling a round stone with astick1, that they forgot all about their chores, their family, and everything else.&o much that they became light headed and rose u" into the sky country,where they are still "laying! #hey call these stars 'nitsutsa a-ni-su-sa1, whichmeans, #he Boys’.

#he heyenne have a legend that connects the 3leiades and the erodedvolcanic mountain core in 4yoming called 6evil’s #ower9. if you everwatched lose ;ncounters’, that’s the mountain1. 'ccording to lore, the 7reat&"irit raised u" the mountain to "rotect seven Indian maidens who werebeing "ursued by giant bears. But the bears were so "ersistent that the 7reat&"irit had to "lace the maidens u" into the sky country to finally save them.#he marks of the giant bear’s claws can still be seen to this day on the sidesof the mountain!

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In 7reek mythology, the 3leiades are the seven daughters of the sea nym"h3leione, the Kueen of &ailing’, and the giant #itan 'tlas, who wascondemned by Ceus to hold the weight of the world on his shoulders.

'll seven sisters are named and each has their own stories:L 'lcyone - Mueen who wards off evil storms+, is the brightest star of thecluster.L 'stero"e - Mstarry, twinkling+, one of the lovers of Ceus.L elaeno

L ;lectra - Mshining, bright+, mother of ardanus, the first king of #roy.L /ero"e - Melouent+, only 3leiad to marry a mortal.L #aygete - Mlong-necked+, mother of 8acedaemon, founder of &"arta.



L /aia - Mthe eldest and most beautiful+ sister, mother of the god Hermes,messenger of Ceus.L In modern times, two fainter members of the star cluster have been giventhe names of 'tlas ) 3leione to honor their "arents.

2nly si* stars are easily visible within the star grou". #he seventh isconsidered the 8ost 3leiad’. #his sister is said to be ;lectra, who veiled herface at the sack ) burning of #roy the great city which founded by her son1,by the 7reeks.

#he short version of how the 3leiades were "laced u" in the sky goes likethis: 2ne day as the sisters were traveling in the countryside, they werechased by 2rion, who had fallen in love with them at first sight. In their frightthey "rayed to Ceus to save them. In "ity he turned the sisters into doves that

flew u" into the sky. Ceus "laced them u" in the night sky where 2rion couldsee them, but never catch them.

The Legend of the Milky-Way:

8iving today in the @st century’s light "olluted skies, we can seldom see thebeautiful s"lendor of the /ilky 4ay, which can be viewed on a clear,moonless night. #he light from any nearby city will obliterate much of the faintha$e like glow in the night sky that we know of today as our own homegala*y. But "eo"le living 0ust a few hundred years ago, before the age ofelectricity or gas lam"s had little trouble viewing the /ilky 4ay. 'cross theages, various "eo"les and cultures attem"ted to e*"lain what the /ilky 4aywas.

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#he ancient 7reek astronomers came u" with all different kinds of theoriestrying to e*"lain this glow u" in the night. &ome saw it as a collection of starswhose light was "artially obscured by the shadow of the ;arth. 2thersthought it was a great mass of luminous va"or higher than the ether but lower than the "lanets. #here were some that claimed it marked the former "ath of

the sun, and still others who thought it was the seam in the sky where the twoseams of the celestial vault didn+t uite fit together. (inally, there were a fewwho s"eculated that it was thousands of suns that were e*tremely far fromthe ;arth and not very bright a "retty accurate theory!1

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&ome of the more non-scientific’ myths of the /ilky-4ay:

/eso"otamian cultures thought of the /ilky 4ay is that of smoke rising to thegods from sacrificial offerings. #he 'ustralian aborigines also saw it as thesmoke of the cam"fires from an ancient "eo"le.

#he ;gy"tians saw it as the 7reat iver %ile e*tended into heaven by thegoddess Isis. In India it was known as the Bed of the 7anges iver.

#he hinese thought of the /ilky 4ay as the iver of Heaven,where the mothers of the &un and /oon bathe their children before theyenter the sky.

'lso, acording to old hinese household folklore, the /ilky-4ay is a wideriver that se"erates two star-crossed lovers re"resented by the stars 'ltairand ?ega. 2nly once a year can the two reunite for one night. #he story goeslike this: ' young cowherd named %iulang the star 'ltair1, came across seven fairysisters bathing in a lake. He stole their clothes and only agreed to give themback if one of the sisters would marry him. #he youngest and most beautifulof the fairy sisters, ChinN the star ?ega1 agreed to his reuest for marriage.

#hey lived ha""ily together and had two children. But the 7oddess of Heavenfound out that ChinN, a fairy girl, had married a mere mortal. #he 7oddesswas furious and forced the fairy back to her former duty of weaving colorfulclouds, a task she had neglected while living on earth with a mortal. 2n ;arth,%iulang was very u"set that his wife had disa""eared, so he carried his twobeloved children off to Heaven to find ChinN. #he 7oddess discovered thisand was very angry. #aking out her hair"in, the 7oddess scratched a wideriver in the sky to se"arate the two lovers forever, thus forming the /ilky 4aybetween 'ltair and ?ega. ChinN must sit forever on one side of the river, sadly

weaving on her loom, while %iulang watches her from afar and takes care oftheir two children re"resented by 'ltair+s two flanking stars1. But once a yearall the mag"ies in the world would take "ity on them and fly u" into heaven to



form a bridge <the bridge of mag"ies<, Kue Kiao1 over the nearby stareneb, so the lovers may be together for a single night, which is the seventhnight of the seventh moon.

?arious /iddle-;astern cultures referred to the /ilky-4ay as the iver of

8ight’.

In northern "arts of the world, the %orsemen saw it as the "ath that souls takeon their way to the afterlife. ' cosmic bridge linking Heaven and ;arth usedby the ?alkries as they carried the souls of warriors slain on the battlefield tofeast in honor in ?alhalla, the halls of the gods. #hey called it 2din’s 4ay’ orsometimes the 'sgard Bridge’ and thought it was created from the Bifrostrainbow’ by the gods.

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#he herokee %ative 'merican tribe saw the /ilky 4ay as a trail of groundcornmeal scattered across the sky by a wayward dog that was stealing it. 'she was chased away, the cornmeal s"ilt out behind him. In southeastern%orth 'merica, the brightest section of the /ilky 4ay is visible in late summer and early fall, right at the time of the corn harvest. #he herokee call it4here the og an’.

#he %ava0o of the southwest desert had a similar creation story involvingBlack 7od and the trickster oyote! 2n the first evening, the gods of creationmet in the first hogan to discuss what they had made in the world that firstday, and to "lan what to "ut in it ne*t day. Black 7od arrived last with aleather bag full of colorful crystals. #he other gods asked him to fill the darksky with his crystals to make it beautiful and to "rovide humans with guidesfor living on earth. &o Black 7od reached into his bag, "ulled out a brightcrystal and carefully "laced it in the northernmost reach of the sky. It becamethe %orth &tar. %e*t he "ulled out seven smaller crystals and "laced them u"in the sky. #he %ava0o call this ilyehe 3leiades1. #hroughout the evening,

Black 7od "ulled crystals of various si$es and colors out and one at a timethoughtfully "laced them in the sky and named them. 'fter Black 7od createdall the known star "atterns, he sat down to admire his handiwork. oyote,arriving late to the meeting, decided he too wanted to hel" "ut stars in thesky. &o while Black 7od was busy looking u" at his creations, oyotegrabbed the bag in his mouth and ran outside. But his shar" teeth caused thebag to tear, s"illing out thousands of tiny crystals all along the way. #hese tinycrystals rose u" in a 0umble into the sky, forming a glowing "ath behindoyote as he ran, obscuring some of the star "atterns Black 7od had 0ust

created. Black 7od scolded oyote for leaving chaos and disorder in thenight sky, but oyote 0ust laughed, giving the now em"ty leather bag backand saying, now the skies are truly beautiful’!



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(inally, classical 7reek mythology describes the /ilky 4ay in a number ofcolorful stories. 2ne story described it as a smear of mother’s milk left after

the infant Hercules nursed milk from the goddess Hera to gain her wisdom.4hen Hera reali$ed that the child was the illegitimate son of Ceus, she"ushed the baby away and s"ilt milk across the heavens to become the /ilky4ay. 'nother "o"ular 7reek e*"lanation says the /ilky 4ay is the burnedscar across the sky formed when 3haOthon, son of '"ollo, tried to drive thechariot of the sun and couldn’t control the horses. '"ollo would take3haethon along with him on his daily tri"s with the sun chariot thru the sky.3haethon longed to drive the chariot himself, but '"ollo forbade him. 2neday, 3haethon’s desire overcame his fear, so he arose before dawn, and

hitched the horses of '"ollo to the sun chariot, which they were use to hisdoing. #hen he mounted the chariot, cracked the reins, and began the ascentinto the heavens. 't first all went well as the horses thought it was theirmaster '"ollo doing the driving. But through 3haethon’s overconfidence, thehorses soon reali$ed it was not '"ollo and began running wildly. 3haethoncould not bring them back under control, as the horses would only obey '"ollo. #he chariot weaved back and forth across the sky, sometimes comingtoo close to the ;arth, turning the lands below into great deserts, other timescoming too close to the dome of heaven scorching it. Ceus, fearing that3haOthon’s uncontrolled flight would even burn u" /ount 2lym"us, the homeof the gods, took out one of his thunderbolts and $a""ed the chariot, killingthe driver. '"ollo was able to regained control of the chariot’s horses’, andreturn the sun chariot to its "ro"er celestial "ath. ;ver since, no one elseother than '"ollo has been allowed to ride in or drive the sun chariot!

onclusion:

#hese myths that I’ve shared with you tonight are re"resented by some of thebrighter stars and constellations. sing starcharts, you can go out and locatethem u" in the night sky. 4hile you’re starga$ing at them, think about themyths and stories behind them, and that for thousands of years, "eo"le 0ustlike ourselves have been ga$ing and wondering about those very same stars,and sharing the stories and myths handed down to us from our ancestors.



redits:

6&cientific 'merican9 %ov EEP Q 2rigin of the 7reek onstellations’ byBradley &chaefer6&tar #ales9 by Ian id"ath6#hey ance in the &ky Q %ative 'merican &tar /yths9 by Jean /onroe and

ay 4illiamson6Burnham’s elestial Handbook9 by obert Burnham Jr.6#he 7lorious onstellations: History and /ythology9 by 7iuse""e &esti6#he &tories in the %ight &ky9 website:htt":>>www.ufrsd.net>&taff444>&tefanl>myths>inde*.htm6#he onstellations9 website: htt":>>www.dibonsmith.com>stars.htm<&tellarium< "lanetarium software: htt":>>www.stellarium.org><hinese Ki*i (estival< htt":>>en.wiki"edia.org>wiki>Ki*iR(estival

Myths of the Stars

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