|
|
|
Story Behind Constellation Sagittarius
They were a part of religion in ancient Greece. Without male assistance Gaia gave birth to Uranus (the Sky) who then fertilised her.
Aires
Aires is the first sign of the zodiac. In Greek mythology, the story of the Ram begins in Thessaly. The King of Thessaly had two children named Phrixus and Helle who were beaten by their stepmother. The god Hermes became angered by this and sent a ram to carry the two children to safety. Tragically, Helle lost her grip and tumbled from the ram into the narrow strip of water between Europe and Asia, which was named Hellespont in her honor. It is now the Dardanelles. Phrixus, on the other hand, arrived safely to the shores of the Black Sea where he sacrificed the ram and gave its fleece to a sleepless dragon for safe-keeping. Later, Jason and his intrepid Argonauts recovered the prized fleece and returned it to Thessaly .
Amphilochus
Amphilochus, the son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle was asked by his father to avenge his father's forthcoming death along side his brother Alcmaeon. His ridiculous mother had been talked into making her husband, Amphiaraus take part in the Seven Against Thebes raid by Polynices, who offered the silly woman the necklace of Harmonia.
During the fated battle, Amphiaraus sought to flee from Poriclymenus, the son of Poseidon, who wanted to kill him, but Zeus threw his thunder and the earth opened, enveloping Amphiaraus together with his chariot.
The sons parted ways, Alcmaeon killed his mother and went into exile. Amphilochus evolved into a talented seer, finding many oracles, in particular the oracle of Apollo at Colophon.
Ares
Ares (who some claim was the father of Eros or Cupid)was more than just the god of War...he was a brutal warmonger. He was often portrayed in Greek art as an older bearded warrior in battledress or a beardless youth in a helmet and carrying a spear.
He was never trusted by the Greeks because of his ruthlessness and bloodlust. His half-sister Athena was also thought of as a warring diety, but she based her wars on strategy and not just blind violence.
He came from the warlike Thracians and returned after his affair with Aphrodite.
Eros
Eros was often the focus of artists and poets in ancient times...but he had a lot of influence on god and goddesses as well. Stories abound about his interference in their lives. He's supposedly the son of Aphrodite and Ares..his more common name is Cupid. More than bein a heart throb himself, because he was a constant companion to his mother,
Aphrodite, he became pictured as a the cute, cuddly cherub - Cupid.
He linked up with Psyche..whose name means 'soul' and this became the beginning of how love and soul became permanently united.
Gemini
Gemini-Greek Mythology: According to the Gemini myth, the stars in the constellation are that of twin brothers Castor and Pollux. Leda was their mother but Castor was the son of her mortal husband and so was also mortal and Pollux was the son of Zeus and therefore immortal.
They were also brothers to Helen of Troy. It is said they were hatched from an egg, and grew into very kind, well educated men, healers and protectors of mankind.
They sailed with Jason as two of the Argonauts, searching for the Golden Fleece. A fierce storm threatened the mission but abated as a pair of stars appeared over the heads of the twins. Since that time, seamen have called upon the brothers for protection from peril and the eerie lightning phenomenon often called Saint Elmo's Fire has long been
regarded as the spirits of the twins playing in the sails and protecting sailors.
The brothers fell in love with sisters..daughters of Leudippus. But the girls were already betrothed to other brothers Ida and Lynceus, who were actually cousins of the twins by virtue of Poseidon, who was supposed to be the suitors father. The twins battled their cousins and killed them, but Castor was mortally wounded. Pollux was overcome with
grief and would have done himself in, but being immortal..this could
not be done.
Zeus placed both their immortal souls together in the sky as symbols of brotherly love. But like all miracles..this did not come without a price. Throughout eternity they would have to spend one day on Olympus and the next in Hades.
Leo
In Greek mythology,Leo was identified as the Nemean Lion which was killed by Hercules during one of his twelve labours, and subsequently put into the sky. Leo contains many bright stars, such as Regulus, the lion's heart; Denebola and Leonis.
Libra
Mythology of Libra-The Greek myth of Tiresias, the blind prophet, also has some relation to Libra. It's a curious myth, and we'll deal here with only part of it, the part that really pertains to our curious subject.
Tiresias, because he has the favour of the goddess Hera, is given the chance to observe a miracle: two serpents coupling in the goddess' sacred grove. He asks the goddess which of them experiences the greater pleasure; and because she cannot answer, she grants him the boon of spending part of his life as a woman, so that he can experience both. At the end of this ritual of transsexual initiation, he returns to his male form and is called before Zeus and Hera and asked which experiences the greatest pleasure - male or female. At first he tries diplomacy, because whichever answer he gives he knows he is bound to offend somebody. But eventually he tells the truth - that the female experiences the greater pleasure - whereupon Zeus, furious at this insult to masculine vanity, strikes him blind.
Pisces
Pisces-Greek mythology tells of a powerful and menacing god, Typhon, who aimed to overthrow Zeus as king of the gods. Typhon managed to banish all of Zeus' community of gods to Egypt, where they lived in exile.
One day, Aphrodite and her son Eros were strolling along the riverbank when they sensed Typhon pursuing them. They quickly jumped into the Nile and transformed into fishes to escape, binding themselves together by a cord to ensure that they did not become lost. Zeus eventually overcame Typhon's threat, but Aphrodite and Eros continue to flee as
fish in the night sky.
The Greeks and their Roman predecessors also associated Pisces with Poseidon/Neptune, Tyche/Fortuna, Morpheus and Thor, and the constellation is said to have historical links to Helen of Troy and the Trojan War.
Thus every year the world retreats briefly into a cold and forbidding place, until the 21st of March, when Persephone is allowed to emerge from the Underworld, bringing Spring with her.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius The Archer Myth: Sagittarius is the Centaur Archer-Chiron. He was famous for his wisdom and healing abilities. Kings would send their young to him for education as he had great knowledge, being a cross between animal and man.
He was kind and caring and an excellent archer, musician, and physician, and tutored the likes of Achilles, Jason, and Hercules. Chiron was once accidentally shot with an arrow by Hercules. The arrow had been dipped in the poison of the Lernaean Hydra, and inflicted great suffering on Chiron--so great, in fact, that even the talented physician could not cure himself. But because of his wisdom, he had been granted the gift of immortality from the gods..and couldn't die either.
In order to find relief, he offered himself up as a substitute for Prometheus whom Zeus had punished for giving man fire. He was chained to a rock and each day an eagle would eat his liver out. It would regnerate every night and the whole horrible sequence would start over the next day.
Jupiter had agreed, at the request of Hercules to release Prometheus if a suitable substitute could be found. So Chiron replaced Prometheus and for his goodness, Jupiter placed him in the sky...the summer sky.
Taurus
Greek Myth for Taurus - In Ancient Greece, bulls were sacrosanct to Poseidon (Greek God of Sea and Storms), as well as to Dionysus (Greek God of Male Fertility and Wine) and there are a variety of myths associated with Taurus.
In one such legend, Taurus represents the white bull which sired the famous Minotaur, whose mother was the wife of King Minos of Crete. This bull was sent to Minos as a sign that he was the rightful heir to the throne. However, Minos did not sacrifice the bull to Poseidon as he had been instructed to do, so the ever-vengeful Sea God caused Pasiphaë,
Minos' queen, to fall in love with the creature.
Underworld
Underworld Greek Mythology - The mortals who passed, both good and bad, went onto the Underworld. Once there, the spirits awaited judgment. Their fate depended on their bravery and justice in life. Those who had offended the gods might anticipate suffering, but a person's goodness was rewarded with an afterlife of happiness.Unlike a Judeo-Christian concept of the afterlife, time passed in the Underworld, and the dead and living could communicate. Rules there were made, it seemed, to be broken. Many myths were set in the Underworld: the living tried to rescue the dead from their fate, or the gods sent the living there to retrieve an object. From these myths we can learn the layout of the Underworld as well as its rulers and guardians.
Virgo
Myth of Virgo The Virgin: Astrea was daughter Zeus and Temis, being because one titánide and personifying next to its mother to justice. According to other sources, she was daughter of Astreo and Eos.
She was also the last immortal that lived between the humans during the golden Era of Cronos, leaving the Earth last in the Era of the bronze. Zeus raised her to the sky, locating it by near constellation Libra.
Story Behind Constellation Sagittarius
|
|
