Stars and Mythology
The night sky has been studied for millennia, by people from Mesopotamia, the Egyptians and other aboriginal cultures all over the world. In many myths and legends, individual stars or constellations, groups of stars, have special significance.
In some cultures, the stars represent part of the cosmos, such as the heavens or the home of the gods, or a path between the earth and another world.
For example, the Paiute of North America describe the stars as the children of the sun and moon. Because the sun loves to eat his children, the stars disappear whenever he rises above the horizon. However, the moon, their mother, often dances happily across the sky with the stars. Click here for a Paiute myth explaining why the North star doesn't move in the night.
http://www.indians.org/welker/northsta.htm
However, many of the names of the constellations we have today seem to come from Greek Mythology. Here are two examples.
In some cultures, the stars represent part of the cosmos, such as the heavens or the home of the gods, or a path between the earth and another world.
For example, the Paiute of North America describe the stars as the children of the sun and moon. Because the sun loves to eat his children, the stars disappear whenever he rises above the horizon. However, the moon, their mother, often dances happily across the sky with the stars. Click here for a Paiute myth explaining why the North star doesn't move in the night.
http://www.indians.org/welker/northsta.htm
However, many of the names of the constellations we have today seem to come from Greek Mythology. Here are two examples.
The myth of Perseus and the Gorgon's head.
LoLong ago, Polydectes was king of Seriphos, in a land called Greece. A mother and son, called Danae and Perseus, lived in the palace. The King wanted to marry Danae, but she kept refusing him. Eventually he sent his guards to get her.
Perseus was strong and feared nothing. He fought the guards and defended his mother. The King wanted to get rid of Perseus, so he sent him on a dangerous mission. Perseus had to go and fetch the head of the Gorgon, Medusa. Medusa was one of three monstrous sisters. They could turn men to stone just by looking at them. Perseus had a long and difficult journey to find the Gorgons. The gods gave him two things to help him: a shiny shield and a sickle to cut off Medusa’s head. He tricked the Three Grey Sisters into telling him where to find Medusa. They sent him to the Ocean Nymphs. The Nymphs hated Medusa and agreed to help. They gave him winged sandals so that he could fly to the right place, and a helmet to make him invisible. Perseus reached the land where the Gorgons lived. He heard their terrible snoring and the snakes on their heads hissing loudly. He looked in the shield to see their reflection. Then he cut off Medusa’s head. The other Gorgons woke up, but Perseus put on the helmet and flew away. It was a long and difficult journey. Eventually Perseus got back to Seriphos. He went to King Polydectes and showed him the Gorgon’s head. The King was turned to stone. Perseus and his mother were safe at last! |
Orion and the ScorpionOrion and Scorpius are two of the most easily recognized constellations in the sky. Orion is best seen in the northern winter; Scorpius is a summertime constellation.
Orion was a skilled hunter and he boasted about it. Hera, wife of Zeus, didn't like boastful men, so she decided to teach Orion a lesson. She placed a scorpion on the path that Orion took daily to his hunting grounds. Orion stood on the scorpion, which stung him and killed him. Because Artemis, the goddess of the moon and hunt, wanted Orion to be remembered in the stars, it was decided by Zeus that both the Scorpion and Orion should be in the night sky. However, the two constellations would be on opposite sides of the sky where they cannot bother each other. Even today, you never see both Orion and Scorpius together in the night sky. |
=