There are more than 80 constellations in the sky, each of which has its own name. At first glance, the names seem strange, because in the arrangement of the stars it is very difficult or even simply impossible to see what the name says. However, the reasons for giving this or that name to the constellation are easily and simply explained by ancient myths.
Crippled warriors and frozen heroes
The patterns of stars in the sky have attracted the attention of people since ancient times. So, about five thousand years ago (it was in Sumer), bright stars, groups of two or three stars and large characteristic configurations were highlighted throughout the sky. They served for navigation, determining the time of the day, the seasons, as well as for the predictions of the priests.
According to Kalmyk beliefs, the number of stars in the sky is equal to the number of people on earth, and the appearance of a meteor speaks of someone's death. In Armenia, the cult of ancestors was closely connected with the stars. According to local folk beliefs, each person has his own star in the sky, which fades when he is in danger. In Ket mythology (a small indigenous people of Siberia), the stars are considered to be the roots of trees that grow in the "upper sky". But according to the legends of the Nenets, visible to man the sky is a “heavenly skin” that covers the real sky, the stars shining through the holes in it.
In Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, each god had its own heavenly body. Particular importance was attached to the planet Venus, she was revered as the deity of Astara, associated, in particular, with fertility and love. His cult influenced many peoples, as evidenced by the penetration of the Semitic word into neighboring languages (in particular, Indo-European: Hittite haster - "star", Greek aster - "star", astron - "constellation"). At the same time, the cult of stars and constellations developed independently in various regions of the world. So, in ancient Korea there was a belief in sacred stars: large ones were considered symbols of giants, heroes, sages, and small ones were considered symbols of mere mortals. The stars and constellations among the Paleo-Asian peoples (Chukotka-Kamchatka group) are often represented by people: Arcturus is the leader of the stars, Altair is one creature that used to be the ancestor of the tribe, Orion is a hunchbacked archer, and the constellation Leo is his wife; The sun is a rich white deer rider, and the moon is the sun of evil spirits.
A lot of attention in myths and legends was paid to the constellations. Thus, in the myths of the Indians of America, the constellations Orion and the Pleiades are presented as parts of the body of a dismembered hero. And in the legends of the South American Indians (in Guyana), each of the constellations embodies the soul of one of the animals. However, the constellations were often compared to animals. A very characteristic example in this regard is the representation of the Evenks (a small Siberian indigenous people living on the territory of Russia, China and Mongolia). In their mythology, the sky is the taiga of the upper world, in which the cosmic elk Heglun lives, every evening stealing and taking the Sun into the thicket. The four stars of the Ursa Major bucket are understood as the legs of Heglun, and the three stars of the bucket of this constellation are understood as a hunter, sometimes the same constellation was described as the mythical Mangi bear hunting for an elk. Ursa Minor in one version of the Evenk myth appears as a calf, and the Milky Way as a trace of the skis of a hunter-bear, who gorged himself on elk meat.
The ancient Ingush also remembered the Milky Way. In myths, they associated its origin, as well as three stars (Vega, Deneb, Altair), which make up a triangle in the sky, with the daughter of the god of thunder and lightning Sel, a girl of extraordinary beauty who married a celestial. The Milky Way is a trace of the straw that she carried for the marriage bed. Before leaving the house for straw, she made a triangular bread from the dough and put it in the ashes and coals to bake it. While she was walking, two corners of the bread were burned, only one survived. And now three stars are visible in the sky, of which one (Vega) is much brighter than the other two. According to the Selkup myth, the Milky Way is “the road of heavenly Iya”. Representatives of this people living in the north of Western Siberia tell their children about a hero named Iy, who once set off on a journey when a cold east wind blew. Iy, poorly dressed, completely froze and, walking across the sky, he left traces that formed the Milky Way.
Hidden mistresses of the gods
Constellations in the sense that was accepted a couple of centuries ago, formed in Ancient Greece. The ancient Greek constellations are groups of stars into which the entire visible sky is divided. Usually they include the "skeleton" of stars that form the figure of the constellation, and all the small stars in this area. Between the constellations, the Greeks had " empty seats- there were also stars, but they remained homeless. The Greeks spoke of them, for example, "a star west of Orion" or "the area between Cygnus and Lyra." The culmination of both Greek astronomy in general and the description of the sky, Uranography, in particular, was Ptolemy's Almagest. It described the constellations now called "classic".
Many myths and legends of the Greeks are dedicated to Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Here is one of them. Once upon a time, King Lycaon, who ruled the country of Arcadia, had a daughter named Callisto. Her beauty was so extraordinary that she dared to compete with Hera - the goddess and wife of the almighty supreme god Zeus. Jealous Hera took revenge on Callisto: using her supernatural power, she turned her into an ugly bear. When the son of Callisto, young Arkad, one day returning from a hunt, saw a wild beast at the door of his house, he suspected nothing, almost killed his mother bear. Zeus prevented this - he held Arcade's hand, and Callisto forever took him to heaven, turning into a beautiful constellation - Ursa Major. At the same time, Callisto's beloved dog was also turned into Ursa Minor. Arkad did not remain on Earth either: Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes, doomed to forever guard his mother in heaven. The main star of this constellation is called Arcturus, which means "guardian of the bear."
The history of the constellation Cancer is interesting - there are several rather exotic explanations for the origin of its name. So, for example, it was seriously claimed that the Egyptians placed Cancer in this region of the sky as a symbol of destruction and death, because this animal feeds on carrion. About two thousand years ago in the constellation of Cancer was the point of the summer solstice (ie, the longest daylight hours). The sun, having reached its maximum distance to the north at that time, began to “retreat” back like a cancer. According to the classical ancient mythology a huge sea Cancer attacked Hercules when he was fighting the Lernaean Hydra. The hero crushed him, but the goddess Hera, who hated Hercules, placed Cancer in the sky.
There is no other constellation in the entire sky that would contain as many interesting and easily accessible objects for observation as Orion, located near the constellation Taurus. Orion was the son of Poseidon - the god of the seas - and a famous hunter. Once he cleared the island of Chios from wild animals and began to ask the king of this island for the hand of his daughter, but he refused him. Orion tried to kidnap the girl, and the king took revenge on him: after getting drunk, he blinded Orion, after which the hero was bitten by Scorpio. Zeus placed Orion in the sky in such a way that he can always get away from his pursuer, and indeed, these two constellations (Orion and Scorpio) are never visible in the sky at the same time.
It seems strange that among the animals and "semi-animals" in the Zodiac there is a sign of Libra. Over two thousand years ago, this constellation was the point of the autumnal equinox. The equality of day and night could be one of the reasons why the zodiac constellation was named Libra. One of the myths explains the appearance zodiac constellation Scales as a reminder to people of the need to strictly observe the laws. The fact is that Astrea was the daughter of the almighty Zeus and the goddess of justice Themis. On behalf of Zeus and Themis, Astrea regularly “inspected” the Earth (armed with scales and blindfolded in order to judge everything objectively, supply Olympus with good information and mercilessly punish deceivers, liars and everyone who dared to commit all kinds of unjust acts). So Zeus decided that Libra's daughter should be placed in the sky.
Over time, the classic list of constellations changed: new constellations were added for various reasons, then they were forgotten. But most of the constellations, like their name, have come down to us. And, having become acquainted with the myths about them, you can clearly see the hero Orion in the sky or the Hero of Cancer hidden by the goddess.
Prepared by Maria Borisova,
based on materials
Pleshakov had a good idea - to create an atlas for children, by which it is easy to determine the stars and constellations. Our teachers picked up this idea and created their own key atlas, which is even more informative and visual.
What are constellations?
If you raise your eyes to the sky on a clear night, you can see a lot of sparkling lights of various sizes, which, like a scattering of diamonds, adorn the sky. These lights are called stars. Some of them seem to be collected in clusters and after a long examination they can be divided into certain groups. These groups are called "constellations". Some of them may resemble the shape of a bucket or the intricate outlines of animals, however, in many ways, this is just a figment of the imagination.
For many centuries, astronomers tried to study such clusters of stars and gave them mystical properties. People tried to systematize them and find a common pattern, and so the constellations appeared. For a long time, the constellations were carefully studied, some were broken into smaller ones, and they ceased to exist, and some were simply corrected after clarification. For example, the constellation Argo was divided into smaller constellations: Compass, Carina, Sail, Korma.
The history of the origin of the names of the constellations is also very interesting. To facilitate memorization, they were given names united by one element or a literary work. For example, it was noticed that during heavy rains the Sun rises from the side of certain constellations, which were given the following names: Capricorn, Whale, Aquarius, the constellation of Pisces.
In order to bring all the constellations to a certain classification, in 1930, at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, a decision was made to officially register 88 constellations. According to the accepted decision, the constellations do not consist of groups of stars, but are sections of the starry sky.
What are the constellations?
Constellations differ in the number and brightness of the stars that make up its composition. Allocate 30 most noticeable groups of stars. The largest constellation in terms of area is Ursa Major. It consists of 7 bright and 118 stars visible to the naked eye.
The smallest constellation located in the southern hemisphere is called the Southern Cross and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It consists of 5 bright and 25 less visible stars.
Little Horse is the smallest constellation northern hemisphere and consists of 10 faint stars that can be seen with the naked eye.
The most beautiful and brightest constellation is Orion. It consists of 120 stars visible to the naked eye and 7 of them are very bright.
All constellations are conventionally divided into those located in the southern or northern hemisphere. Those who live in the southern hemisphere of the Earth cannot see the clusters of stars located in the northern hemisphere and vice versa. Of the 88 constellations, 48 are in the southern hemisphere and 31 are in the northern. The remaining 9 groups of stars are located in both hemispheres. The northern hemisphere is easy to identify by the North Star, which always shines very brightly in the sky. She is the extreme star on the handle of the Ursa Minor bucket.
Due to the fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun, which does not allow seeing some constellations, the seasons change and the position of this luminary in the sky changes. For example, in winter, the position of our planet in the circumsolar orbit is opposite to that in summer. Therefore, only certain constellations can be seen at any time of the year. For example, in the summer, a triangle formed by the stars Altair, Vega and Deneb can be seen in the night sky. In winter, there is an opportunity to admire the infinitely beautiful constellation Orion. Therefore, sometimes they say: autumn constellations, winter, summer or spring constellations.
The constellations are best seen in the summer and it is advisable to observe them in open space, outside the city. Some stars can be seen with the naked eye, while others may require a telescope. The constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as well as Cassiopeia, are best seen. In autumn and winter, the constellations Taurus and Orion are clearly visible.
Bright constellations that are visible in Russia
The most beautiful constellations of the northern hemisphere visible in Russia include: Orion, Ursa Major, Taurus, Canis Major, Canis Minor.
If you peer into their location and give free rein to your imagination, you can see a hunting scene, which, like an ancient fresco, has been depicted in the sky for more than two thousand years. The brave hunter Orion is always depicted surrounded by animals. Taurus runs to his right, and the hunter swings a club at him. At the feet of Orion is the faithful Great and Lesser Dogs.
Constellation Orion
This is the largest and most colorful constellation. It is clearly visible in autumn and winter. Orion can be seen over the entire territory of Russia. The arrangement of its stars resembles the outlines of a person.
The history of the formation of this constellation originates from ancient Greek myths. According to them, Orion was a brave and strong hunter, the son of Poseidon and the nymph Emvriala. He often hunted with Artemis, but one day, for defeating her during a hunt, he was hit by an arrow of the goddess and died. After his death, he was turned into a constellation.
The brightest star in Orion is Rigel. It is 25 thousand times brighter than the Sun and 33 times its size. This star has a bluish-white glow and is considered supergiant. However, despite such an impressive size, it is much smaller than Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse adorns Orion's right shoulder. It is 450 times the diameter of the Sun, and if you put it in the place of our luminary, then this star will take the place of four planets before Mars. Betelgeuse shines 14,000 times brighter than the Sun.
The constellation Orion also includes a nebula and asterisms.
Constellation Taurus
Another large and unimaginably beautiful constellation of the northern hemisphere is Taurus. It is located northwest of Orion and lies between the constellations Aries and Gemini. Not far from Taurus are such constellations as: Charioteer, Keith, Perseus, Eridanus.
This constellation in mid-latitudes can be observed throughout almost the entire year, with the exception of the second half of spring and early summer.
The history of the constellation goes back to ancient myths. They talk about Zeus, who turned into a calf in order to kidnap the goddess Europa and bring her to the island of Crete. This constellation was first described by Eudoxus, a mathematician who lived long before our era.
Aldebaran is the brightest star not only in this constellation, but also in other 12 groups of stars. It is located on the head of Taurus and used to be called the "eye". Aldebaran is 38 times the diameter of the Sun and 150 times brighter. This star is located at a distance of 62 light years from us.
The second brightest star in the constellation is Nat or El Nat (bull horns). It is located near the Auriga. It is 700 times brighter than the Sun and 4.5 times larger than it.
Within the constellation are two incredibly beautiful open clusters of stars Hyades and Pleiades.
The age of the Hyades is 650 million years. They can be easily found in the starry sky thanks to Aldebaran, which is perfectly visible among them. They include about 200 stars.
The Pleiades got their name from the nine parts. Seven of them are named after the seven sisters of Ancient Greece (Pleiades), and two more are named after their parents. The Pleiades are very visible in winter. They include about 1000 stellar bodies.
An equally interesting formation in the constellation of Taurus is the Crab Nebula. It was formed after a supernova explosion in 1054 and was discovered in 1731. The distance of the nebula from the Earth is 6500 light years, and its diameter is about 11 light years. years.
This constellation belongs to the Orion family and borders on the constellations Orion, Unicorn, Canis Minor, Hare.
The constellation Canis Major was first discovered by Ptolemy in the second century.
There is a myth that Big Dog used to be Lelap. It was a very fast dog that could catch up with any prey. Once he chased a fox, which was not inferior to him in speed. The outcome of the race was a foregone conclusion, and Zeus turned both animals to stone. He placed the dog in heaven.
Constellation big dog very visible in winter. The brightest star not only in this, but in all other constellations is Sirius. It has a bluish luster and is located quite close to Earth, at a distance of 8.6 light years. By brightness in our solar system it is surpassed by Jupiter, Venus, the Moon. The light from Sirius reaches the Earth after 9 years, and it is 24 times stronger than the sun. This star has a satellite called "Puppy".
Sirius is associated with the formation of such a thing as "Vacation". The fact is that this star appeared in the sky during the summer heat. Since Sirius in Greek is called "canis", the Greeks began to call this period holidays.
Constellation Canis Minor
Small Dog borders on such constellations as: Unicorn, Hydra, Cancer, Gemini. This constellation represents the animal, which, together with Big Dog follows the hunter Orion.
The history of the formation of this constellation, if you rely on myths, is very interesting. According to them, the Small Dog is Mera, the dog of Ikaria. This man was taught to make wine by Dionysus and this drink turned out to be very strong. One day his guests decided that Ikaria decided to poison them and killed him. The mayor was very sad for the owner and soon died. Zeus placed it in the form of a constellation in the starry sky.
This constellation is best observed in January and February.
by the most bright stars of this constellation are Portion and Gomeis. Portion is 11.4 light-years from Earth. It is somewhat brighter and hotter than the Sun, but physically differs little from it.
Gomeisa is visible to the naked eye and glows with a blue-white light.
Constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major, shaped like a bucket, is one of the three largest constellations. It is mentioned in the writings of Homer and in the Bible. This constellation is very well studied and is of great importance in many religions.
It borders on such constellations as: Waterfall, Leo, Hounds Dogs, Dragon, Lynx.
According to ancient Greek myths, Ursa Major is associated with Callisto, a beautiful nymph and lover of Zeus. His wife Hera turned Callisto into a bear as punishment. One day, this bear stumbled upon Hera and their son, Arkas, with Zeus. To avoid tragedy, Zeus turned his son and nymph into constellations.
The big bucket is formed by seven stars. The most striking of them are three: Dubhe, Alkaid, Aliot.
Dubhe is a red giant and points to the North Star. It is located 120 light years from Earth.
Alkaid, the third brightest star in the constellation, expresses the end of the tail of Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of 100 light years from Earth.
Aliot is the most bright Star in the constellation. She represents the tail. Because of its brightness, it is used in navigation. Alioth shines 108 times brighter than the Sun.
These constellations are the brightest and most beautiful in the northern hemisphere. They can be perfectly seen with the naked eye on an autumn or frosty winter night. The legends of their formation allow fantasy to roam and imagine how the mighty hunter Orion, along with his faithful dogs runs after prey, and Taurus and Ursa Major are watching him carefully.
Russia is located in the northern hemisphere, and in this part of the sky we manage to see only a few of all the constellations that exist in the sky. Depending on the season, only their position in the sky changes.
Constellation Ursa Major
Sitting at the stern and with a mighty hand
Turning the rudder, he was awake;
sleep did not descend on him
Eyes, and he did not reduce them ...
from the bear,
there are still chariots in people
The name of the bearer and near Orion
doing forever
Your circle, never bathing yourself
in the waters of the ocean.
With her, the goddess of the goddesses commanded
he is vigilant
The way to agree...
Homer "The Odyssey"
Lat. name Ursa Major, abbr. lat. UM. Making its daily rotation around the North Pole of the world, this constellation of seven relatively bright stars about 2m never sets. The rectangle and three stars, stretched to the west, are shaped like a chariot. One gets the impression that it is rolling along the northern side of the horizon. Apparently, this explains the fact that many peoples of antiquity called this conspicuous constellation: in European countries - the Chariot of David or the Chariot of Arthur, in Ancient Rome - Plasturus (Cart). The Romans, instead of three horses, harnessed three bulls to the cart, and eventually designated this constellation as seven bulls, from where the word septentrion came from, which eventually became the word north and simply means the side of the horizon. The name Ursa Major was given to this constellation by the ancient Greeks: Arktox megalh (sounds like arktos megale), from which the name Arktika is derived.
If a chariot or a cart can somehow be represented by the location of the seven bright stars of this constellation, then Ursa is very difficult, since real bears do not have a long tail, represented here by the stars Aliot (e), Mizar (x) and Akair (h). According to one legend, Zeus was captivated by the daughter of King Lakion, who accompanied the goddess Artemis on a hunt, and seduced the girl. When the time came for childbirth, the goddess saw while bathing that the maid was pregnant and turned her into a bear. Already being a bear, she gave birth to a son Arkad (in the sky he is represented by the constellation Bootes), who began to live among people. One day, hunters led by Arkad attacked her and wanted to kill her, but Zeus, mindful of their union, saved her and placed her among the constellations, calling her a bear in honor of the transformation that had happened to her. When he hastily lifted the bear into the sky by the tail, he stretched out. 
The names of the seven bright stars were taken from the Arabs: Dubhe (a), Merak (b), Fegda (g), Megrez (d), Aliot (e), Mizar (z), and Akair (h). In terms of their physical characteristics, many of the stars of Ursa Major are similar and, moreover, move in the same direction. It is possible that these stars have a common origin, that is, they are a cluster.
The movement of stars across the sky is very imperceptible, and only long-term observations make it possible to detect it. So, it turned out that the projections on the celestial sphere of the stars Benetash and Dubhe quickly move in one direction, while the projections of the other stars - in the opposite direction. The consequence of this is a continuous slow change in the pattern of this constellation.
Next to the middle star z (Mizar) in the tail of the Big Dipper (it is also called the Horse), under good conditions, you can distinguish a weak star of the fifth magnitude, difficult to distinguish against the background of its bright neighbor - Alcor (Horseman). The distance between these stars is about 12", i.e., almost a third of the diameter of the Moon. The ancient Spartans used them to check the visual acuity of warriors. You can do this too if you distinguish Alcor - everything is in order with vision.
Big Dipper is rich interesting objects and now is the best time to study them. If you extend the line through Fegda (g) and Dubhe (a) to a distance equal to the distance between these stars, then in the place where the ancient Greeks drew the face of Ursa Major, you can find two interesting and rather bright galaxies. The bright spiral galaxy M81 (magnitude 7m, size about 19") and its companion, the irregular galaxy M82 (about 8.2m, size 9"). This pair of galaxies is located at a distance of about 10 million light years from us. years. The spiral galaxy M101 with strongly untwisted spirals can be found in a small telescope as a small bright hazy spot 8.2m near Mizar, above the tail of Ursa Major.
In the same constellation between Fegda (g) and Merak (b), with a powerful telescope, one can distinguish a 12m foggy spot resembling a planetary disk - the planetary nebula M97, or, as it is called because of its appearance in photographs, Owl. 
from here
Legends associated with the constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, as one of the most prominent constellations in the northern sky, have many different names in legends. different peoples.
The constellation Ursa Major with the brightest star named Dubhe (Arabic Thar Dubb al Akbar - "Back of the Big Bear") is associated with the following legend:
The beautiful Callisto, daughter of King Lycaon, was in the retinue of the hunting goddess Artemis. Under the guise of this goddess, Zeus approached the maiden, and she became the mother of Arkas; jealous Hera immediately turned Callisto into a bear. One day, Arkas, who became a beautiful young man, while hunting in the forests, attacked the trail of a bear. He already pulled his bow to hit the prey with a deadly arrow, but Zeus did not allow the crime: turning his son also into a bear, he transferred both to heaven. In a rhythmic dance they began to circle around the pole, but Hera, in a rage, begged her brother Poseidon not to let the hated couple into her kingdom; therefore, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are non-setting constellations in the middle and northern latitudes of our hemisphere.
Francesco Petrarca described the Big Dipper in his 33rd sonnet as follows:
Already the dawn was reddening the east.
And the light of a star that disliked Juno,
Still shone in the pale sky
Above the pole, beautiful and far away.
Another version of the legend:
Once upon a time, King Lycaon, who ruled the country of Arcadia, had a daughter named Callisto. Her beauty was so extraordinary that she risked competing with Hera, the goddess and wife of the almighty supreme god Zeus. Jealous Hera took revenge on Callisto: using her supernatural power, she turned her into an ugly bear. When the son of Callisto, young Arkad, returning from hunting, saw a wild beast at the door of his house, he suspected nothing, almost killed his mother bear. Zeus prevented this - he held Arkad's hand, and Callisto forever took him to heaven, turning into a beautiful constellation - Ursa Major. At the same time, Callisto's beloved dog was also turned into Ursa Minor. Arkad did not remain on Earth either: Zeus turned him into the constellation Bootes, doomed to forever guard his mother in heaven. The main star of this constellation is called Arcturus, which means "guardian of the bear".
Ursa Major culminates at midnight in March - May, and Ursa Minor - in early June. Its brightest star is currently 1.5 ° from the celestial pole and is called Polaris. The brightest stars of both Ursa bears form bucket-like shapes, so they are easy to find in the sky.
Here is another legend about circumpolar constellations:
Fearing Kronos, who devoured his children, his wife Rhea hid the newborn Zeus in a cave, where he was fed, in addition to the goat Amalthea, by two bears - Melissa and Helis, who were subsequently placed in heaven for this. Melissa is sometimes referred to as Kinosura, which means "tail of the dog". Indeed, bears do not have such long tails as we see in any image of the constellations of the circumpolar region.
IN Ancient Rus' this constellation had different names- Wagon, Chariot, Saucepan, Ladle; the peoples who inhabited the territory of Ukraine called it the Cart; in the Trans-Volga region it was called the Big Bucket, and in Siberia - Elk. And until now, in some areas of our country, these names have been preserved.
Dolon eburgen (“seven elders”), Dolon darkhan (“seven blacksmiths”), Dolon burkhan (“seven gods”), in the mythology of the Mongolian peoples the constellation Ursa Major, its seven stars are sometimes ranked as tengeri. In shamanic hymns, Dolon eburgen is the giver of a happy fate (cf. zayachi). In Buryat mythology (in the epic about Geser), the constellation appeared from the skulls of seven black (malicious) blacksmiths, the sons of the black blacksmith Khozhori, hostile to people. There are plots (in the Tibeto-Mongolian editions of the collection "Magic Dead" and in oral stories dating back to them) that connect the origin of the Big Dipper with the myth of a man with a cow's head, called "White-faced bull" or "White bull", as well as Basang (in Tibetan mythology - Masane, a bull-headed character). It was crushed with the iron mallet of the witch-Shulmas into seven parts, which made up the constellation; was taken to heaven by Khormusta for defeating the black poroz (bull), who fought with the white, who, according to some versions, was the embodiment of the supreme deity himself (the solar theme of the change of day and night, cf. the myth of Bukhanoyon Babai). According to another version, one of the stars of Ursa Major, located on her shoulder (option: in the tail), was stolen from Michita (Pleiades constellation), who is chasing the kidnapper.
The Greenland Eskimos unanimously tell the same story about the Big Dipper, the coincidence of all the details of which for each of the narrators makes us assume that this is pure truth, and not at all an idle fiction of walrus hunters bored during the long polar night.
The great hunter Eriulok lived in a snow hut. He lived alone, because he was very proud that he was a great hunter and did not want to know other Eskimos, also hunters, but not great. Alone, Eriulok went out in a fragile leather canoe into the stormy sea and with a long, heavy harpoon with a sharp bone tip, he got not only walruses and seals, but also a whale. How you can get a whole whale alone, let's leave it to the conscience of the Eskimos themselves. In the end, Eriulok was a great hunter for that. Never in his snowy hut was the fat needed in the seal economy, which has long been filled with Eskimo lamps and greased faces and fingers so as not to freeze. On any given day, he had enough delicious jerky, and the ceiling and walls of his snowy dwelling were covered with the best walrus skins that could be found all the way from Greenland to Labrador. Solitary Eriulok was rich, well-fed and satisfied.
But over time, some anxiety began to pester the great hunter. It can be seen that happiness is not in hunting alone, once he realized that he no longer wanted to return to his lonely hut, where he could not hear either children's laughter, or words of greeting and gratitude. In short, the great hunter realized that it was time for him to start a family and live like all people. But it's easier to understand than to do. Other Eskimos for a long time no longer accepted a too proud fellow tribesman, once and for all refusing him from home, which sometimes happens in a more civilized world, when someone does a better job than everyone else.
Since no one but the Eskimos lived either nearby or in the farthest distance, the Eskimos, on the other hand, have always been distinguished by their great integrity and sense of elbow: as they decided not to deal with a lonely arrogant, they never had. In the end, Eriulok went to the very shore of the Arctic Ocean and turned to the very mistress of sea waters, fish, spirits and animals, to the main Eskimo goddess Arnarkuagssak. He told about his problem and asked for help in the hope that the goddess would not refuse such a famous person as he.
The Eskimo goddess really did not refuse and promised to send a good bride to the local storm of seals and walruses, and if necessary, two. But, as usual with gods and goddesses, she appointed a test. It was necessary to go to some distant island, find an ice cave there, defeat or deceive a huge polar bear and steal from him a ladle full of magic berries that give youth. The old sea goddess needed such berries very much, but it was not possible to find a madman who would go after them. And just then Eriulok turned up.
In general, the hero got to the island, found a cave, put the bear to sleep and stole a ladle with magic berries. And besides, he safely delivered both the ladle and the berries to their destination. However, a really good hunter.
The most interesting thing is that the sea deity did not inflate the ingenuous hero at the last moment. No, they parted honestly: Eriulok got a silver seal, who immediately turned into a beautiful girl and declared that all her life she had only dreamed of marrying Eriulok. So soon the great hunter for even greater envy of his neighbors also became the father of an extensive and happy family. The sea goddess, having eaten the magical berries and dropped a couple of thousand years, in joy threw an empty ladle up so that it caught on something, and hung overhead
IN Ancient Egypt the constellation Ursa Major was called Meskhet, "The hip that lives in the great Lake of the northern sky" (cf. the idea of the barque Ra).
In the mythology of the Ingush, it is believed that the theomachist Kuryuko stole from the god of thunder and lightning Sela to give people sheep, water and reeds for building dwellings. In this he is helped by the seven sons of Sela, who were supposed to guard the entrance to him. Enraged, Sela chained Kuryuko to a mountain rock, and hung his sons to the sky as punishment, and they made up the constellation Ursa Major.
In Tibetan folklore, a demoness pursues the bull-headed creature Masang, the son of a cow and a man, and throws a ball that tears Masang into seven pieces, which become the Big Dipper. In this capacity, this character (as Basang) entered the mythology of the Mongolian peoples.
According to Armenian myth, the seven stars of Ursa Major are seven gossips, turned into seven stars by an angry god.
The Sioux Indians associated the Big Dipper with the Skunk.
In Ancient Mesopotamia, this constellation was called "Cargo Cart" (Akkadian sambu, eriqqu). The idea of the Big Dipper as a chariot was common in the Ancient Mesopotamia, among the Hittites, in Ancient Greece, in Phrygia, among the Baltic peoples, in Ancient China(Ursa Major - "a chariot pointing south"), among the South American Bororo Indians. The names of the constellation Ursa Major, like this one, are found among many peoples, there are other variants of the name: Old High German wagan - “chariot”; ancient Roman Septemtriones - "Seven stars"; Middle Dutch woenswaghen, woonswaghen - "Wotan's wagon"; Sogdian ‘nxr-wzn - “circle of the Zodiac”; Mitanni Aryan uasanna - "circle in the hippodrome"; the ancient Indian vahana - "the animal that the gods ride" - and ratha - "chariot"; Tocharian A kukal, B kokale - "chariot"; German Grosser Wagen - "Big Cart".
In India, the head of the Elk (Ursa Major) faces east.
The pursuit of the heavenly elk is attributed in the Karelian-Finnish runes to various heroes. One of them is the "sly guy Lemminkäinen", a restless loser hero. Having made wonderful skis, he boasts that not a single creature in the forests can escape him. His boasting is heard by the evil owners of the wild creatures ~ Hiisi and the yuvttahi spirits. They created the Hiisi elk:
Having made a head from a bump,
From deadwood the whole body,
Legs made from stakes,
Ears of lake flowers
And the eyes are from swamps.
The spirits send the elk to flee to the north “through the fields of the sons of the Lapps, to the courtyards of the gloomy Pokhjela”; there he overturns the cauldron with the fish soup, causing tears of girls and laughter of women. Lemminkäinen perceives this laughter as a mockery of himself and rushes in pursuit of an elk on his skis:
The first time he pushed
And he disappeared from sight on skis.
Pushed off for the second time
And he was no longer heard.
The third time he pushed off -
And jumped on the back of an elk.
The successful hunter had already made a cage to keep his prey there, and began to dream about how good it would be to lay his skin on the marriage bed and caress the maiden on it. It was then that the magic elk escaped from the daydreaming earner: in a rage, he broke the cage and sped off. Lemminkäinen rushed after him, but in a hurry he pushed off so that he broke both skis and poles ...
Lemminkäinen's failure is connected with the prohibition that he violated: during the hunt, one should not think about marital pleasures - this scares off the prey. In addition, the skin of a sacred animal created by the spirits cannot be used for domestic needs.
It can be assumed that the hunting myth about a giant deer, which turned into a constellation, in a society that already knew cattle breeding, was transformed into a myth about a huge bull that the gods could not slaughter.
The bear was especially revered among the Finns and Karelians, as well as among other Finno-Ugric peoples. It arose from wool thrown from heaven into the water; according to other myths, he was born near the heavenly bodies in the sky, near the Big Dipper, from where he was lowered on silver straps in a gilded cradle into the forest, where he remained on the silver branches of a pine tree (a similar myth known to the Ob Ugrians will be discussed below). The hunt for a bear is accompanied by a whole cycle of conspiracies in which the beast is persuaded that he was not killed by a hunter, but that he himself came to the house of people “with a honey belly from honey”: for him, as for a dear guest, they clean the hut. The bear is a human relative. He is from the family of Adam and Eve: his father and mother are known - Khongatar (a word related to the name of a pine tree). In some conspiracies, a bear is greeted as a groom, “in a handsome money coat” - they make a bed with a gilded feather bed (we talked about the bear wedding above). The skull of a dead bear was hung on a pine tree - where the first mythical beast came from: they believed that the spirit of the bear would be reborn again.
The name of these two constellations (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor) is very original among the peoples who inhabited the territory of the present Kazakh Republic. Observing the starry sky, they, like other nations, drew attention to the immobility of the North Star, which at any time of the day invariably occupies the same position above the horizon. It is quite natural that these peoples, whose main source of existence were herds of horses, called the Polar Star an “iron nail” (“Temir-Kazyk”) driven into the sky, and in the other stars of Ursa Minor they saw a lasso tied to this “nail”, put on neck of the Horse (constellation Ursa Major). During the day, the Horse ran his way around the "nail". Thus, the ancient Kazakhs combined the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor into one.
The Ob Ugrians believed that the celestial origin was attributed to the elk and other space objects: once the elk had six legs and raced across the sky so fast that no one could catch up with it. Then a certain Son of God or a man Mos, the ancestor of the Ob Ugrians, went hunting on skis from sacred tree. The hunter managed to drive the deer from the sky to the ground and cut off its extra two legs, but the traces of the heavenly hunt were forever imprinted in the sky. Milky Way- this is the hunter's ski track, the Pleiades are the women from his house, the Big Dipper is the elk itself. The heavenly hunter has since settled on a land where there was an abundance of game. Undoubtedly, this myth was duplicated among many northern peoples.
This is far from the whole overview of the ideas of different peoples about the most famous constellation in our sky. But this also makes it clear how diverse the views of our ancestors on the same phenomenon were.
Alexandrova Anastasia
from here 
Even a fleeting glance at the beauty of the clear night sky will tell you that the crystal lights in the sky - the stars - are not arranged in boring geometric rows, but in a picturesque and very free disorder. Many bright and noticeable stars that are visually close to each other form bizarre contours and shapes, which are called constellations. A person with imagination (and only such a person can take his eyes off the earthly firmament and turn them into a dreamy space) will try to create his own amazing world from star ensembles in the sky, populating it with terrestrial and celestial creatures, real and unprecedented phenomena. Since ancient times observers of the sky singled out star groups-constellations and came up with flowery and thoughtful names for them.
The ancient Greeks gave names to the constellations known to them over 2000 years ago. mythical gods, titans, heroes or magical animals. This is how the legend of the constellation Pegasus, Taurus, Cepheus, Centaurus, Hercules, Andromeda, Cassiopeia appeared ... After one and a half thousand years, in the era of great geographical discoveries, travelers to overseas countries gave exotic names to the constellations of their heavens - Toucan, Peacock, Bird of Paradise, Southern Cross , Indian. Now the entire sky, visible from both hemispheres of our Earth, contains 88 constellations. Looking at the stars of a particular constellation, it is sometimes difficult to understand why astronomers called the constellations and their names with such an unexpected name. For example, the constellation Ursa Major consists of 7 bright stars, which are grouped into a bucket contour that does not look like a bear at all. It is not easier to identify a Giraffe or a Lynx in the sky. However, the more exciting it is to look into the old star atlases, where the constellations are depicted as their names sound.
Ancient Ursa of the ancient Greeks
In addition to the well-known constellation Ursa Major, there is also Ursa Minor. Here is an ancient Greek legend about their appearance in the sky. The Arcadian king Lycaon had a beautiful daughter, Callisto, whose beauty was so stunning and unusual that the wayward girl was not afraid to compete with the goddess Hera, the wife of the chief Greek god Zeus, ruler of Olympus. Hera, not only a goddess, but also a jealous woman, in a fit of anger took revenge on Callisto, turning the unfortunate woman into an ugly bear. The son of Callisto, the young man Arkad, upon returning from hunting, saw a wild beast near the house and almost killed his mother in the form of a bear. Zeus intervened, holding the hand of Arcade, and the Olympian god Callisto forever took him to heaven, turning him into the wonderful constellation Ursa Major. Ursa Minor became the beloved dog Callisto. The young Arkad did not stay on Earth either: Zeus turned the son of Callisto into the constellation Bootes, doomed to forever guard his mother among the stars. The brightest star of Bootes is called Arcturus, which means "bear's watchman". Both Ursa are non-setting constellations and are most visible in the sky of the northern hemisphere. There is another legend about these constellations. Fleeing from the evil god Chronos, who devoured babies, the goddess Rhea (mother of Zeus) hid her baby in a cave, where he was fed with milk, besides the goat Amalthea, also two bears: Helika and Melissa, subsequently transferred to heaven for this deed. Sometimes the bear Melissa is called Kinosura, which means "dog's tail". In the legends of other nations, the Big Dipper is called a chariot, wagon or seven bulls. Next to the star Mizar (Arabic for "horse") - the middle star in the handle of the Big Dipper bucket - the star Alkor (Arabic for "horseman" or "rider") is barely distinguishable. By the visibility of these stars, you can check your visual acuity: each star should be visible to the naked eye, without glasses.
Saving Andromeda
The names of the constellations reflect the beautiful myth of the hero Perseus. In ancient times, Ethiopia was ruled by King Cepheus with Queen Cassiopeia. They had an only daughter (of course, a beauty) named Andromeda. The queen mother was very proud of her daughter and once inadvertently boasted of the beauty of Andromeda and her beauty in front of the mythical marine inhabitants - the Nereids. They were seriously angry, because they believed that they were the most charming in the world. The Nereids immediately complained to their father Poseidon, who held the responsible position of the god of the seas. The mighty Poseidon decided to roughly punish Cassiopeia and Andromeda. He sent a giant sea monster, Kita, to Ethiopia. This whale was not simple: fire blazed from its mouth, acrid smoke poured from its ears, and its tail was covered with long and sharp spikes. The monster devastated and burned the Ethiopian country, which threatened the death of all people. To appease Poseidon, the royal couple Cepheus and Cassiopeia have already decided to give their beloved daughter to be eaten by a monster. The beautiful Andromeda was chained to a rock near the sea, where she doomedly awaited her fate. However, a little earlier on a very different side of the world, the most famous legendary hero named Perseus performed a truly extraordinary feat. He penetrated a secluded island where gorgons lived - monsters in the form of women, whose heads were teeming with live snakes instead of hair. The look of the gorgons was so indescribably terrible that any person who dared only look into their eyes instantly froze in stone. But this terrible fate could not stop the courageous and inventive Perseus. Having chosen a good moment, when the Gorgons fell asleep, Perseus cut off the head of the most important of them, the Gorgon Medusa, with a sword. Immediately, the magical winged horse Pegasus fluttered out of the huge body of Medusa. Perseus jumped on Pegasus and flew home. Flying over unfortunate Ethiopia, he saw the charming Andromeda chained to a rock, which was about to be eaten by a cannibal whale. The hero Perseus bravely entered into battle with a sea monster. This titanic struggle continued for a long time and its outcome was unknown to the gods. But thanks to flying magic sandals, Perseus rose into the air above the whale and plunged his curved sword into the back of the leviathan. The whale dodged and rushed to attack Perseus. However, he directed the numbing gaze of the severed head of the Gorgon Medusa, attached to his shield, to the monster. The whale froze, petrified and turned into an island. And the victorious Perseus freed Andromeda and took her to the palace of King Cepheus. The happy father gladly offered Andromeda as his wife to Perseus; in Ethiopia began a multi-day fun feast. And in the starry sky since ancient times the memorable constellations of the heroes of this legend have been shining - Cepheus and Cassiopeia, Andromeda and Perseus. You can also find the constellations Cetus and Pegasus on the star chart. This is how the ancient myths were reflected in our sky.
The winged horse Pegasus flew to the stars
Near the constellation Andromeda in the sky is the constellation Pegasus, which is especially well visible around midnight in mid-October. The three stars of this constellation and the Alpha star of the constellation Andromeda are combined into a figure that has long been called the "Great Square" by astronomers. These constellations of the autumn sky are easy enough to spot. The winged horse Pegasus appeared from the body of the Gorgon Medusa, decapitated by the hero Perseus, but did not become a monster (as one might expect); it was one of the magical transformations that ancient Greek mythology is so rich in. Pegasus was a favorite of 9 muses - the daughters of the supreme god Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. On the mountain slope, Helikon Pegasus knocked out the water source of Hippocrene with his hoof, the moisture of which brought poetic inspiration. Here is another legend that mentions the horse Pegasus. Bellerophon, the grandson of King Sisyphus, was supposed to kill Chimera (although in Greek "chimera" means "goat", the mythical Chimera turned out to be a deadly fire-breathing monster with a lion's head, a goat's body and a dragon's tail). Bellerophon defeated the Chimera with the help of the winged Pegasus. Once the hero saw a winged horse and wished to take possession of it. In a dream, the beloved daughter of Zeus appeared to the young man - the wise warrior goddess Athena, who inspired many Greek heroes. Athena gave Bellerophon a magical bridle that could tame any horse. With her help, the young man caught the winged Pegasus and went with him to fight the Chimera. Flying high into the air, the hero threw arrows at the monster until, finally, it gave up its spirit. But Bellerophon was not satisfied with his victorious luck, but wished for much more: on a winged horse to rise quite high into the sky, up to the dwelling of the immortals. The god Zeus, who learned about this, became angry and turned Pegasus into a rage, which is why he threw his rider out of the saddle. Pegasus himself then ascended to the divine Olympus, where he served with the combat lightning of Zeus. The main attraction of the constellation Pegasus is a uniquely bright globular cluster of stars. Through binoculars one can see a very beautiful spherical luminous spot with sparkling edges, similar to the lights of a night metropolis observed from a flying plane. Over six million suns-stars are concentrated in this stellar object!
Hunters and victims of the southern sky
Orion: there is no other constellation in the entire starry sky that would include more interesting and fairly easily accessible objects for observation. The mythical hero Orion was the son of the sea god Poseidon (this is the Greek version, according to the Roman version, the god of the seas is called Neptune). Orion deservedly bore the glory of a wonderful hunter, successfully fought with bulls and boasted: "There is no such beast in the world that I could not defeat!" For this, Hera, the powerful wife of the supreme Zeus, sent a Scorpio to the hunter. Orion, meanwhile, was clearing the island of Chios from wild animals and, after the success of this mission, began to demand that the king of that island marry his daughter, however, he was refused. Persistent Orion tried to kidnap the princess and the king brutally took revenge on him by blinding Orion. The god Helios returned Orion's lost sight, but Orion still dies from the bite of the attacking Scorpion. Zeus tried to place Orion in the sky so that he could always escape from his pursuer Scorpio, and therefore these two constellations are never visible in the sky at the same time.
Where does Veronica's hair come from in the sky?
The Leo constellation is one of the oldest known to ancient astronomers. This constellation in the sky has long had a rather extensive "territory", and the royal Leo himself had an elegant "tassel" on his tail. However, in 243 BC Leo lost this accessory. A very funny story happened, about which such a legend tells: the Egyptian king Ptolemy had a beautiful wife - Queen Veronica. Especially luxurious were her beautiful long hair. When Ptolemy went on a military campaign, his saddened wife swore to the gods: if they protect her beloved husband from military vicissitudes and troubles, she will sacrifice her hair to the gods. Soon the victorious Ptolemy returned home and, seeing his short-haired wife, was extremely upset. The astronomer Konon tried to calm the royal couple, announcing that the gods lifted Veronica's hair straight to heaven, where they would decorate the spring nights.
Constellation Taurus
For many ancient peoples, the constellation Taurus was the most important, since New Year began not in the winter as it is now, but in the spring. In the zodiac ring, Taurus is the most ancient constellation, since cattle breeding played a primary role in the life of young mankind, and precisely the constellation in which the Sun conquered winter and heralded the onset of warmth and spring was associated with the bull (calf). Ancient peoples often revered this animal as sacred. In ancient Egypt, they worshiped the sacred bull Apis, whose mummy was solemnly buried in a magnificent tomb. At the same time, Apis was replaced with a new one every quarter of a century. In ancient Greece, the bull-calf also enjoyed great respect and honor. On the island of Crete, the sacred bull was called the Minotaur. Heroes of Hellas Hercules, Theseus, Jason demonstrated their combat capabilities, pacifying the bulls. The constellation Aries was also highly revered by the ancients. Main egyptian god Amun-Ra was traditionally depicted with a ram's head, and the road to his temple was marked by an alley of sphinxes with ram's heads. It was believed that the constellation Aries was named after the golden-fleeced Aries described in the adventures of the Argonauts. There is a constellation that reflects the legend of the ship Argo. The brightest star of this constellation (Alpha) is called Gamal, which in Arabic means "adult ram", and Alpha Taurus is called Aldebaran.
Heavenly Twins
In the constellation Gemini, the two brightest stars are very close to one another. The constellation got its name in honor of the Argonauts of the Dioscuri brothers - Castor and Pollux. They are twins whose father god Zeus, and the mother is the frivolous earthly beauty Leda; their sister Helen the Beautiful became the culprit of the epic Trojan War. Castor became famous as an unsurpassed charioteer, and Pollux earned the glory of an invincible fist fighter. The brothers participated in the Calydonian hunt and the campaign of the Argonauts. But it so happened that the Dioscuri quarreled, not dividing the booty, with their cousins, the giants Linkey and Idas. In the battle with them, the twin brothers received many wounds, and when Castor died of wounds, the immortal Pollux did not want to part with his beloved brother and asked the god Zeus not to separate them. By the will of Zeus, since then, the brothers spend half a year in the gloomy underground kingdom of Hades, and half a year - on the divine Olympus. There are periods when the star Castor is visible in the morning dawn, and Pollux in the darkening evening. Probably, this circumstance gave rise to the legend of twins living either in the dead kingdom or in the immortal sky. The twins of Dioscuri were considered from antiquity to be the patrons of sailors who fell into the test of a storm. And the appearance on the rigging of ships before a thunderstorm "Fires of St. Elmo" was considered a meeting of the Twins and their sister Elena. In reality, the "Fires of St. Elmo" are sparkling discharges of atmospheric electricity that occur on pointed objects, for example, on the tops of masts, yardarms, etc. The Dioscuri were also revered as guardians of the stability of the state and patrons of hospitality ceremonies. In ancient Rome, a silver coin "Dioscuri" was minted with the image of twin stars.
How did Cancer get to heaven?
Among the zodiac constellations, one of the most compact and inconspicuous is Cancer. There are several bizarre versions of the origin of the name of this constellation. For example, it was quite seriously claimed that the ancient Egyptians placed Cancer in the sky as a death symbol, since crayfish feed on carrion. In addition, it is known that crayfish move with their tail forward. About 2000 years ago, it was in the constellation of Cancer that the point of the summer solstice was located (that is, the longest daylight hours). The sun, which at that moment had reached its extreme deviation to the north, then began to "backward" to the south - back and the length of the day decreased. And one more thing: according to classical mythology, a giant sea Cancer attacked the hero Hercules when he fought with the Lernean Hydra. The hero crushed the attacking Cancer, but the goddess Hera, who did not love Hercules too much, placed Cancer in heaven in compensation. The Louvre Museum houses the famous Egyptian zodiac circle, in which the constellation Cancer is located above all other constellations.
Is a lion dangerous in the sky?
Even earlier, about 4.5 thousand years ago, the point of the summer solstice was located in the constellation Leo and the Sun reached this constellation in the hottest time of summer. Therefore, among many ancient peoples, the Lion became a symbol of heat, fiery symbol. The Assyrians called this constellation "the great, all-encompassing fire," and the Chaldeans associated the fierce Leo with the no less cruel heat that came to their lands every year at this time. They believed that the Sun is filled with an additional force of heat, moving among the stars of Leo. In ancient Egypt, this constellation was also associated with a hot summer: flocks of lions, fleeing the deadly heat, migrated from the deserts to the Nile River valley, which at this time of the year overflowed, giving life to people and animals. The Egyptians even depicted lion heads on the gates of canal locks, delivering precious water to the fields.
Heavenly Maiden
The Virgo constellation is adjacent to Leo and sometimes this constellation is represented by a mythical sphinx - a creature with a lion's body and a woman's head. Often in ancient myths, the heavenly Virgin was identified with the mother of God Zeus Rhea. And sometimes they saw in her the goddess of justice Themis, who in her classical form holds Libra in her hands (this is the zodiac constellation on the other side of Virgo). There is also evidence that in this constellation the ancients saw Astrea, the daughter of Zeus and Themis, who became the last of the goddesses who left the Earth already at the end of the Bronze Age. Astrea is the goddess of justice, at the same time a symbol of purity and innocence, and she left the sinful Earth because of human treachery. The virgin is usually depicted with an ear and a rod of Mercury. Maybe that's why the brightest star of Virgo is called Spica (in Latin, "ear"). The name of this star and the fact that the celestial Virgin was depicted with an ear in her hand indicates the connection of the constellation with the agricultural labors of ancient mankind. Probably, the beginning of important agricultural work coincided with the appearance of the maiden constellation.
Libra is the only "non-living" constellation of the zodiac
Over 2,000 years ago, the autumnal equinox was located in this constellation. It was the equality of night and day that could be the reason why this zodiac constellation received the name "Libra". The appearance of Libra in the sky in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere showed that it was time to sow, and the ancient Egyptians, in their very favorable climate, could see this as a signal to start harvesting the first harvest. Among the ancient Greeks, the goddess of justice, Astrea, weighed people's destinies with the help of Libra. One of the well-known myths explains the emergence of the zodiac constellation Libra as an indication to people about the strictness in observing the established laws. Recall that Astrea was the daughter of Zeus and Themis - the goddess of justice. On behalf of her parents, Astrea, armed with scales and blindfolded in order to judge everything objectively, regularly visited humanity, checking the purity of people's thoughts and deeds. Apparently, this activity turned out to be very effective and father Zeus decided that Libra's daughter was worthy of being placed in heaven.
What does the constellation Scorpio look like?
The outward resemblance of this constellation to a not the most pleasant poisonous creature, of course, exists. The sun enters this region of the sky already in late autumn, almost in winter, when all nature falls asleep, almost dies. The sun was considered "stung" by a poisonous reptile (by the way, the constellation of the Serpent lives nearby in the sky!) And "sick" all winter, remaining faded and cold. According to classical Greek mythology, the same Scorpio settled in the sky, which stung the hunter Orion and was placed by the goddess Hera away from Orion - on the opposite part of the celestial sphere. It was the celestial Scorpio that frightened the unfortunate Phaethon, the son of Helios, who decided to arbitrarily ride across the sky in his father's fiery chariot. Other ancient peoples gave this constellation their own names. For example, for the Polynesians (Pacific Islands), it was seen as a fishing hook, with which the god Maun pulled the islands of New Zealand from the ocean depths. Among the Maya Indians (America), this constellation was called Yalagau - "Lord of Darkness". In general, according to many historical astronomers and astrologers, the scorpion sign is the most sinister, it is a symbol of death, and it turns out to be especially terrible when Saturn, the planet of disasters and misfortunes, is combined with it. One can take comfort in the fact that Scorpio is a constellation where new and supernova stars often flare up, and it is this constellation that is especially rich in bright and beautiful star clusters.
Who is the celestial archer aiming at?
According to the mythology of the ancient Greeks, the wisest centaur Chiron, the son of Chronos and Themis, created the first model of the celestial sphere, where one place in zodiac circle he destined for his beloved. But Chiron was ahead of Krotos - the insidious centaur, who took this place by deceit and became the constellation Sagittarius as a result. After his death, Zeus turned Chiron himself into the constellation of the Centaur; so there were as many as two centaurs in the sky. Even Scorpio is afraid of the vengeful Sagittarius, at which he aims from his bow. In some atlases, there is an image of Sagittarius in the form of a two-faced centaur: one face is turned back, the other forward, which somewhat resembles the Roman god Janus, whose name is associated with January - the first month of our year. The Sun is in Sagittarius in winter. Therefore, this constellation symbolizes the end of the old year and the start of a new one, which is why one face of Sagittarius looks into the past, and the other peers into the future. In the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, the center of our star system of the Galaxy is positioned. Like Scorpio, Sagittarius fascinates with mysterious nebulae, perhaps it is this constellation that more than any other deserves the name "heavenly treasury", since many of its star clusters are strikingly beautiful.
Where is the Capricorn going?
A well-known ancient Greek legend says how the son of Hermes, the goat-legged god Pan, the patron saint of shepherds, who was frightened by Typhon, the hundred-headed giant, fled in horror in the water and has since become a water god who has grown a fish tail that is due "by status". This is how Capricorn appeared - a creature with the body of a goat and the tail of a fish. Zeus identified Capricorn in the constellations and appointed the lord of the waters and the harbinger of bad weather. Capricorn sends rain showers to Earth. According to another legend, the role of Capricorn is played by the goat Amalthea, who nursed the god Zeus with her milk. The American Indians called this constellation the Miracle Dragon Makara, which, however, is also half goat and half fish. When the Sun entered the constellation Capricorn, the Indians danced on New Year's Eve wearing ceremonial goat masks. But the native Australians see the Kangaroo constellation here, followed by brave heavenly hunters. For many ancient peoples, the goat was perceived as a sacred animal, even divine services were performed in its honor. At the same time, people dressed in sacred clothes made of goat skins and brought a sacrificial goat as a gift to the gods. It is with these customs and with the constellation of Capricorn that the old idea of \u200b\u200bthe "scapegoat" (Azazel) is associated. Azazel (Scapegoat) is the name of a goat-like desert demon. On the day of the goat, two goats are chosen: the first for sacrifice, and the second for release into the wilderness. Of the two goats presented, the priests selected which animal - to God, and which - to the demon Azazel. First, a divine sacrifice was offered, and then the high priest laid his hands on the second goat and thereby transferred to him all the sins of his people. After that, the goat was released into the desert, which was a symbol of the underworld and a naturally sinful place. The constellation Capricorn is positioned at the bottom of the ecliptic. Perhaps this caused associations about the underground underworld. In the constellation Capricorn 2000 years ago was the point of the winter solstice. The ancient philosopher Macrobius believed that the Sun, having passed the lowest point of its path, then begins to climb upwards, like a mountain goat striving for a radiant peak.
Where does Aquarius pour water?
For almost all known ancient peoples, the name of this constellation meant one thing - a man pouring water, Aquarius, although it sounded differently: Hydrohos (Greeks), Aquarius (Romans), Sakib-al-ma (Arabs). The Greek myth about people who escaped from the global flood is based on the constellation Aquarius. The name of this constellation really leads to the "homeland of the global flood" - to the valley of the Asia Minor rivers Tigris and Euphrates: in some documents of the Sumerians, these two rivers were depicted as flowing from the vessel of Aquarius. The eleventh month of the Sumerians was called the "month of the water curse." According to Sumerian legends, the constellation Aquarius is located in the center of the abundant "heavenly sea", and therefore heralds the rainy season. In Egypt, the constellation Aquarius was observed in the sky just in the days of the greatest rise of water in the great river Nile. Then it was believed that Knemu, the god of water, pours a huge ladle of life-giving moisture into the Nile. It was also believed that the tributaries of the Nile flow from the vessels of that god: the White and Blue Nile rivers. Probably, the myth of Hercules cleaning the Augean stables is also associated with the constellation Aquarius, for which the hero needed to dam three rivers at once.
Celestial Pisces complete the zodiac ring
A rather rare case when the location of the stars in the constellation more or less coincides with its name: a figure in the sky is quite capable of suggesting the image of two fish connected by a rope or ribbon. The name of the constellation Pisces is obviously very ancient and comes from Phoenician mythology. In this constellation, the Sun entered a period of successful fishing. Then the goddess of fertility was portrayed as a woman with a fish tail, which appeared to her when, frightened by a monster, she rushed into the water element with her son. A similar legend existed in the mythology of the ancient Greeks. Only those believed that Aphrodite and her son Eros were embodied in fish: on the banks of the river they were frightened by the evil Typhon and, throwing themselves into the water, they escaped, turning into fish. Aphrodite became the southern Pisces, and Eros became the northern one.
What do you think about when you raise your eyes to the sky? Taking a quick look at the night picture, what do you see?
Every night the stars light up in the sky, and every time they burn the same way, they are in the same location. This is a kind of picture that appears after sunset, and which is drawn by nature itself. What kind of drawings does she create?
There are 88 constellations in the northern and southern hemispheres, and each of them is beautiful in its own way. The constellation of Scorpio, Cygnus, Lyra or Eagle, each captivates our gaze.
So, Orion is very easy to find in the sky, in winter, at night, with fairly good visibility, it is located in the southern part of the sky. If you are well versed in astronomy, then it is located next to Sirius, but if these words do not tell you anything, then take a good look and try to find three stars located almost on the same straight line and at the same angular distance from each other. They are called Orin's Belt. Below and above this trinity are two bright stars. Above are the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix. Betelgeuse has a reddish tint and is located along left side constellations, Bellatrix on the first. Below are the stars Rigel and Saif, but, unfortunately, Saif is not such a bright star, and in order to see it, you need to look closely enough. It is located on the left, just below the Rigel level.
If you think about associations, then for many this constellation evokes the silhouette of an hourglass, and indeed, it looks similar.
Unfortunately, the most beautiful part of the constellation is hidden from our eyes, does not lend itself to human vision. Just below Orion's belt (Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka) are two closely spaced stars, between which is the beautiful Orion Nebula, resembling a wonderful rose bud.
This constellation has a very beautiful legend. IN ancient Greek mythology Orion is a famous hunter, it is no coincidence that the constellations Canis Major and Minor, the Hare and Leo are found next to him. He was distinguished by his extraordinary beauty and such growth that he was sometimes called a giant.
Orion was the son of the god of the seas, Poseidon. He was a slender, handsome and agile man. With his two dogs (Big Dog and Small Dog) he went to hunt wild animals in the forests and mountains, but his heart was kind. Once, on behalf of the gods, he cleared the island of Chios from wild animals. The grateful inhabitants of the island staged a magnificent celebration of the hero, during which he was crowned with a laurel wreath and presented with expensive gifts. The holiday was accompanied by the performance of hymns and dances of girls. Among them, Orion saw the beautiful Merope, the daughter of the local king. The young people liked each other, and Orion began to ask the king for the hand of his daughter. However, the father had other plans, and he refused the hero. Then, with the consent of Merope, Orion kidnapped the beauty. The king went to the trick: catching up with the fugitives, he pretended to give consent to their marriage. But at night, having drunk the hero, he blinded him. Poseidon, having learned about this, was terribly angry and asked Helios to restore his son's sight. It seemed that the issue of the wedding after all the misadventures would be resolved, but Hera intervened in the matter. Once upon a time, Orion accidentally killed the beloved bull of the goddess. Knowing that Orion is a brave and dexterous hunter, who has no equal in the art of capturing the beast, she set a Scorpion on him, whose bite was fatal. Orion died, but at the request of Poseidon, Zeus placed him in the sky and even made it so that he could not meet the terrible Scorpio. Indeed, the constellations Orion and Scorpio are never visible in the sky at the same time.
Also, there is a legend that the famous pyramids in Egypt (Khufu, Khafre, Mikerin) were built precisely on these three stars, and the truth is, if we look at them, we will notice the similarity of the location.
“On the ceiling of one of the burial chambers - the pyramid, a walking man is depicted; above it are the three stars of Orion's belt."
The famous French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote the following phrase in his book The Little Prince:
“I wish I knew why the stars shine. Probably, then, so that sooner or later everyone could find their own again. Each person has their own stars.
Think about it, have you already found your stars?
