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Autumn Constellations Folklore

 

Andromeda:  Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus in Greek mythology.  She was rescued by Perseus after she had been chained to a rock to be eaten by Cetus (the latter is now usually interpreted as a whale, but a sea monster is more appropriate in this context).

 

Aquila:  Means eagle.  From Greek mythology – Zeus changed into a black

 eagle in order to carry off Ganymede (also the name of one of Jupiter’s moons) to become the cup-bearer to the gods.

 

Cassiopeia:  From Greek mythology – Cassiopeia was an Ethiopian queen, wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda.  As punishment for boasting of her own and of her daughter’s beauty, a monster (Cetus) was sent to plague the country.  To save themselves, Andromeda had to be sacrificed to the monster, however she was rescued by Perseus who turned the monster to stone by revealing the head of Medusa.

 

Cygnus:  Means swan.  From Greek mythology – either the swan into which Zeus (Jupiter) metamorphosed himself in order to ravish Leda, or the boy Cygnus who was metamorphosed into a swan to search for the body of his friend Phaethon.  Phaethon had been drowned in the river Eridanus by Zeus after losing control of the chariot of the Sun.

 

Hercules:  From Greek mythology – Hercales (Hercules) the fabled strong man who was set twelve labours as p inance for killing Megara, the wife of Eurystheus, during a fit of madness. 

 

Lyra:  Means Lyre.  From Greek mythology – the Lyre of Orpheus.

 

Pegasus:  Means flying horse.  From Greek mythology – conceived of Poseidon and Medusa, Pegasus was released from the Gorgon’s dead body after she had been decapitated by Perseus.  Later Bellerophon rode Pegasus to attack and kill the Chimaera, a fire-breathing monster with the tail of a snake, the body of a goat, and the head of a lion.  Bellerophon then attempted to fly Pegasus to Olympus, but Zeus caused a horse fly to bite Pegasus so that the horse bucked and flung Bellerophon off to fall back to Earth.  Pegasus, however, continued the journey to Olympus, and duly took his place in the sky.

Perseus:  From Greek mythology – Perseus undertook to slay Medusa in order to prevent an unwanted marriage being forced upon his mother Danae.  He obtained winged sandals, a magic bag to contain Medusa’s head and a helmet of invisibility from the Stygian Nymphs, a brightly polished shield from Athene (Minerva), and a diamond sickle from Hermes (Mercury).  He avoided the petrifying look from Medusa, by watching only her reflection in the shield, and cut off her head with the sickle.  Pegasus and the warrior Chrysaor sprang from the dead body fully grown.  The invisibility helmet enabled Perseus to escape Medusa’s sisters, Stheno and Euryale.  On his return journey, Perseus rescued Andromeda from the Hydra by decapitation the latter with the sickle.  Perseus was promised Andromeda as his wife by her parents Cepheus and Cassiopeia as a reward for the rescue.  When they tried to back down from the arrangement afterwards, Perseus used Medusa’s head to turn his opponents to stone.  In the same fashion he rescued his mother from her unwanted suitor Polydectes.  Later Perseus was to kill his own grandfather with a discus while competing in funeral games.

 

Sagitta:  Means arrow.  Possibly Eros’ (Cupid’s) arrow, or the arrow that killed Orion, or an arrow from the centaur Cheiron aimed at the scorpion (Scorpio), or the arrow shot by Apollo to kill the Cyclops, or the arrow shot by Heracles (Hercules) to kill the griffon – vulture that was tormenting Prometheus.

 

Triangulum:  Triangle.

 

Ursa Major:  Great Bear.  From Greek mythology – Callisto, a handmaiden of Artemis (Diana), was seduced by Zeus.  For punishment, Artemis (goddess of chastity as well as of hunting) transformed Callisto into a bear, and set her pack of dogs to the bear to death.  Zeus saved Callisto by placing her, still in bear-form, in the sky.  Her son by Zeus, Arcas, joined her as Urasa Minor.

 

Ursa Minor:  Little Bear.  From Greek mythology – the son of Callisto.

 

 

Excerpts from Photo-Guide to the Constellations, by Chris Kitchin.  Springer-Verlag.  London. 1998.