Mythologies of Constellations

Having cloudynights? Take a sip of coffee and let's chat about other things around us. From food to games, this is for all the off-topic chat.
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

Grievous wrote:
IceAngel wrote:ooh.. ok.. sorry.. :(
Nvm la, if you can find other versions of the mythologies, do tell me! So far, i've found Greek (the dominant), India, Hindu, Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, 17th Century Christian, Assyria, Arabic, Australian Aborigines, Shawnee, Aztecs, Celtics, Mayans, Basques of northern Spain.

Will apperaciate if anyone can point me to where i can find Mayan and Aztec versions!

Charlie
maybe this can help u
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/ ... p_new.html
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
Grievous
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 4:46 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Post by Grievous »

Apus - The bird of Paradise

It is known from sixteenth century voyagers. It has also been called Apus Indica or Bird of India. Some say it comes from the Greek apous, meaning without feet, as a reference to a Greek myth about a swallow, which was said to be legless in flight.
It is also one of the small constellations adapted from others in 1603 by Johann Bayer, desgined to fill up the southern hemisphere night skies. In 1603, Johann Bayer included it in Uranometria (The best atlas there is!), his sky atlas, and it's been with us ever since.
The gentle light of a distant galaxy
must needs pour into mine eye.
Or i shall with bent and turned,
fall me down, distraught..To die.
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

Andromeda
In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, king of Ethiopia. Andromeda's mother claimed that they were more beautiful than the sea nymphs, the Nereids. The Nereids felt insulted by this and complained to the sea god Poseidon.
Poseidon threatened to send a flood and a sea monster to destroy the kingdom of Ethiopia. The king consulted the oracle of Ammon who advised him to sacrifice his daughter. Andromeda, dressed only with few jewels, was chained to a sea-cliff. At this time, Perseus, a Greek hero, was traveling along the coast to the north. He noticed the beautiful naked woman chained to a rock and immediately fell in love with her.

Perseus offered to rescue Andromeda in return for her hand in marriage. Andromeda had already been promised to a man named Agenor. However, hoping to save their daughter from the approaching sea monster, Cepheus and Cassiopeia -in bad faith- consented to Perseus'request.

Perseus was a valiant warrior and possessed some powerful weapons. He used the head of the Gorgon Medusa, which had the capability to turn everything into stone. Perseus slew the monster and freed the young woman. On Andromeda's insistence, the wedding was then celebrated. Her parents, who had forgotten their promise to Perseus, informed Agenor of the wedding. He interrupted the ceremony with an armed party.

A violent fight took place, with Cepheus ad Cassiopeia siding with Agenor. Perseus prevailed, using the Gorgon's head to petrify his opponents. Finally, Andromeda left her country to live with Perseus who later became the king of Tiryns and Mycenae. The goddess Athena placed the figure of Andromeda among the stars as a reward for keeping her parents'promise.
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

The Nemean Lion

More than two thousand years ago, Greeks believed the god Zeus placed the figure of a gigantic lion in the sky with the rest of the stars. This lion lived in the city of Nemea. The people who lived in that region were terrorized by the Nemean Lion. Several times they tried to destroy the beast.
Heracles, the most famous Greek hero, was ordered by the king, Euryshtheus, to kill the Nemean lion. Heracles was an incredibly strong man. The Romans called him Hercules.

Heracles had to perform a number of difficult tasks to show that he was sorry for a crime he had committed years before. The killing of the Nemean Lion was his first task. When Heracles reached the cave where the beast was living, he realized all his weapons were useless against the lion. The lion's pelt was so thick that all of Heracles' arrows and sword bounced back without doing any harm. In the fight against the beast, Heracles lost one of his fingers, but nonetheless succeeded in killing the lion by strangling it with his bare hands.

Triumphant, Heracles took the carcass of the lion to Mycenae to show King Eurystheus. The king was so frightened by the vision of the lion that he forbade Heracles to enter the city again. Heracles used the lion's razor-sharp claws to flay the beast--its pelt as a coat and the head as a helmet, both to be worn in future battles.
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
Grievous
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 4:46 pm
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Post by Grievous »

Thats one of the many endings of Andromeda's myth, good work there Leslie!

Charlie
The gentle light of a distant galaxy
must needs pour into mine eye.
Or i shall with bent and turned,
fall me down, distraught..To die.
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

In Roman mythology, Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology) was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. He was also known as the god of justice. He was named king of the gods in the special meeting that followed his overthrow of the god Saturn (Cronus in Greek mythology) and the Titans. In the council of the gods that followed Saturn's overthrow, Jupiter was crowned Lord of Heaven and Earth and of all the gods. He granted Neptune dominion over the Sea, and his other brother Pluto dominion over the underworld. Jupiter's wife was Juno (Hera in Greek mythology), who was very jealous of the attention that Jupiter paid to other goddesses and women.
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

Following the defeat of the Titans by the Jovian gods, Pluto obtained the kingdom of the underworld. One day, while he was riding through the field of battle, the goddess Venus had her companion, Cupid, playfully shoot an arrow into the heart of Pluto.
Struck by Cupid's arrow, Pluto fell in love with the first young lady he saw, who happened to be Persephone. Pluto promptly carried her off into the underworld to be his bride.

Dead souls were escorted to the shores of the River Styx by Mercury , where they were received by the boatman Charon, who rowed them across the River Styx to Pluto's kingdom.

Many characters throughout Roman myth crossed the path of Pluto. Ulysses, the famous greek hero, entered the realm to speek to lost souls. He spoke to his dear friend Tiresias, who told him his destiny. He also came across his dead mother, Anticlea, and the great warrior, Achilles. Ulysses was the only one to successfully make a trip to Hades and return to Earth.
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

Hermes was the god of eloquence, games of chance, commerce, and story telling, and was the messenger-god of Zeus. He was the offspring of Zeus and Zeus' mistress-goddess, Maia, who in turn was the daughter of the titan Atlas. Hermes was known to the Romans as the god Mercury.

Hermes was very clever, and he used this to his advantage against more powerful gods. When he was just a baby, Hermes stole Apollo's cattle. He made them walk backwards, so as to make the footprints lead away from the hiding spot. When confronted by Apollo in front of Zeus, Hermes agreed to show Apollo where the cattle were hidden.

Eventually, Apollo and Hermes became great friends. Hermes was a very good lyre player. He gave his instrument to Apollo as a gift, forming a permanent bond between the two. Hermes had a son named Pan.
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

Grievous wrote:Thats one of the many endings of Andromeda's myth, good work there Leslie!

Charlie
:mrgreen:
thank you~!
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
Post Reply