Myths, Symbols and Legends of Solar System Bodies PDF
Preview Myths, Symbols and Legends of Solar System Bodies
Rachel Alexander Myths, Symbols and Legends of Solar System Bodies The Patrick Moore The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series More information about this series at h ttp://www.springer.com/series/3192 Myths, Symbols and Legends of Solar System Bodies Rachel Alexander Rachel Alexander Exeter , UK ISSN 1431-9756 ISSN 2197-6562 (electronic) ISBN 978-1-4614-7066-3 ISBN 978-1-4614-7067-0 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-7067-0 Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London Library of Congress Control Number: 2014950407 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015 T his work is subject to copyright. 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Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law. T he use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Cover illustration by Sarah Young used with permission from Walker Books UK. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Dedication This book is dedicated to Asra Jilani, my best friend, and Milo Powell, Alejandro and Luca Iglesias-Whittaker, and Heather Morgan, astronomers and artists of the future whose enthusiasm is contagious. v Pref ace Astromythology is the mythology, associated language and symbolism of the main bodies of our Solar System. The term is derived from the Greek word a stron, mean- ing “star.” This is not to be confused with cosmology, which is the science or theory of the birth and evolution of the universe. T he term ‘mythology’ can mean different things to different people at different times. Many hark back to a time when celestial bodies themselves were revered, per- haps with deities then being associated with them, by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. A mythology is kept alive by language and memories, as myths are often stories whose original authors remain unknown, and these stories were usually relayed in the oral tradition. The myths were obviously changed, often by their many different storytellers, and were often based on even earlier mythologies. The Romans absorbed ancient Greek myth, and it is from them that we owe our planetary names as well as many of the names of their satellites. A mythology can encompass folklore, fables, stories, allegory and philosophy and can be changed to suit religious and political ideas. Language itself is an ever-changing animal that must impact on the relaying of the myths themselves. T he science in this book is intended to contextualize and co-exist with the mythology. The perceived logic of science and the perceived illogical nature of mythology, with its associated symbolism and superstition, are not natural bedfellows, but they are closer than might be expected. The planet Vulcan, for example, was imagined by scientists to try and explain the inexplicable. Science itself is constantly changing and evolving. The tracking of minute particles, neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light, in October 2011 by scientists at CERN, potentially challenges our existing knowledge of science. (CERN in Europe is at the cutting edge of research in the field of particle physics.) In the end, what vii viii Preface they saw turned out to be an error in measurement, but it does show that science is also ever-changing. Another example is the German-born physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955), who at first rejected the idea that the behavior of electrons could be explained in probabilities. Science and stories can co-exist, be mutually beneficial and even enhance each other, as illustrated by names in the U.S. space program, such as Apollo after the ancient Greco-Roman god of light and the Sun. Astromythology can be seen as an attempt or attempts to provide a narrative to the spiritual and awesome experience of looking up at a clear, night sky. Astromythology and its associated language and symbolism really is everywhere, if you begin to look for it. It is such an integral part of the human psyche that we do not even stop to think about it. Astromythology symbolism features on flags— symbols of entire nations—is in the periodic table, is part of language, is integral in literature, including religious texts, and is found in the names of food, festivals, flora and fauna. Even modern cultural references such as the Disney cartoon character Pluto and popular Western chocolate bars are named after astronomical and astromythical terms—M ilky Way, Mars and G alaxy—i n addition to popular tabloid newspapers such as T he Sun and the D aily Star . The word p lanet originates from the Greek and means “wandering heavenly bodies.” Planets are differentiated from fixed stars, as they appear to have a route of their own. Planets do not produce any light of their own; they merely reflect the light of their nearest star. The classical planets (Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn) were known to the ancients. From as early as the sixteenth century b.c. , court astronomers were appointed in ancient China to watch and follow the activi- ties of the heavenly bodies. The ancient Chinese allocated to each planet an ele- ment. Mercury was given water; Venus, metal; Mars, fire; Jupiter, wood; and Saturn, earth. By 800 b.c. the astronomers of Babylon and China had some early knowledge of the movements of the planets. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the planets themselves were living deities, revealed in the names cho- sen to represent them. The astronomer Johannes Kepler believed that planets had souls and explained their orbital movements by conjecturing that they were being pushed around by angels (Fig. 1). Onions were cultivated by ancient Egyptians. Fig. 1 Angels pushing around the planets Preface ix They worshipped them on altars, as it was their belief that they looked like planets, and they swore oaths by onions. The ancient Greeks believed that the Sun and Moon were also planets. They held the belief that Eurynome, goddess of everything, had assigned the planets, with a Titan and Titaness deity, to rule over them. The order went as follows: the Sun was ruled over by Theia and Hyperion; the Moon by Atlas and Phoebe; Mars by Dione and Crius; Mercury by Metis and Coeus; Jupiter by Themis and Eurymedon; and finally Saturn by Rhea and Cronus . Astromythology shows its relevance to everyone in the names of the days of the week, with Monday being the Moon’s day. Tuesday is associated with Mars, more obvious in the French language, where Tuesday is known as M ardi. Wednesday, Mercredi in French, is associated with Mercury, and Thursday, J eudi in French, is associated with Jupiter. Friday, V endredi in French, is associated with Venus, while Saturday and Sunday are obviously the days of Saturn and the Sun. This book sets out to incorporate mythology and symbology concerning the main players in our Solar System, our Sun, the planets and their moons, and to begin to explore the etymological, political, and philosophical connections with astromythology. Exeter, UK Rachel Alexander
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