Ancient Chinese Star Lore Part 4

Milky Way In Chinese, the Milky Way is called Tianhe, written 天 河, meaning Celestial River or River of Heaven. Where the Milky Way crosses the constellation Cygnus, the Great Rift, is a group of dark dust clouds, significantly obscuring parts of the Milky Way for observers on Earth relates to a Chinese asterism called Tiānjīn (天 津), the Celestial Ford. The dark patches are seen as a particularly shallow ford across the Celestial River. Source: Ian Ridpath

Creation of the Milky Way, Guo Xu, 1503 Sources: Shanghai Museum, localiiz.com

The Celestial River is also part of one of China's most popular myth, the tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Vega's asterim, the Weaving Girl is also called Celestial Granddaughter, as in Chinese legends, Weaving Girl was the granddaughter of the celestial emperor. In this story, Niulang, a poor Cowherd, represented by the star Altair (α Aql) falls in love with Zhi Nü (Weaving Girl) a celestial princess represented by the star Vega (α Lyr). The celestial emperor (in some versions the celestial empress) did not approve of the relationship and ordered the couple to be separated by a celestial river (the Milky Way). They were only allowed to meet once a year. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the magpies would spread their wings together to form a bridge, enabling the tragic lovers in heaven to meet that night." Source:Hong Kong Space Museum, Wikipedia extensive, illustrated versions of the tale can be found at All Things Chinese and localiiz.com.

Cowherd and Weaving Girl Source: Hong Kong Space Museum

The tale is considered one of China's greatest folk tales. The Qixi Festival, commemorating the two lovers has been celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month for the last 2,000 years, dating back to the Hab Dynasty. Similar festivals take place in Japan (Tanabata Festival) and Korea (Chilseok Festival). Source: Wikipedia

Cowherd and Weaving Girl Source: All Things Chinese

Orion In Chinese, Orion is written 獵 戶 座 In Chinese astronomy, the western constellation Orion covers seven asterisms in four Lunar Mansions. The three stars of Orion's Belt are called Shen, which literally means three. The Three Stars are the 21st mansion of the Chinese star chart. Later, the four corner stars were added to the constellation, making it the center of a hunting scene. During the November-December hunting season, the full Moon was in this part of the sky. Orion's head star and the stars of the bow form the Turtle Beak, the 20th mansion in the Chinese sky. A few faint stars in the very south of the constellation extend into the 19th and 22nd Lunar Mansion, Bì, the Net and Jǐng, the Well. Sources: Ian Ridpath's Star Tales and Wikipedia.

Three Stars and Turtle Beak Chart based on Sea and Sky

Orion and Scorpius A Chinese legend shows a stunning similarity to the Greek myth of Orion and Scorpius, which were placed on opposite sides of the sky: Legendary emperor Gaoxinshi, who - as legend tells us - ruled China from c. 2436 BC to c. 2366 BC had two sons, Shichen and Ebo, who were always fighting. Eventually, the emperor had only one solution to the feud: He placed his sons in the sky. Shichen became the ruler of the lunar mansion of Shen in present-day Orion, while Ebo was sent to rule the lunar mansion mansion Xin, in present-day Scorpius. Like the two fighting brothers, the two lunar mansions could never be seen at the same time. Sources: Hong Kong Space Museum and Ian Ridpath's Star Tales

Shichen and Ebo Source: Hong Kong Space Museum

Pisces In Chinese, Pisces is written 雙魚座. In Chinese astronomy, the constellation forms nine asterisms, belonging to four Lunar Mansions, located in two quadrants. Ian Ridpath (partially quoted in the following paragraphs) provides an extensive and graphic description of the main asterisms: Chinese astronomers knew the line of seven stars from α to δ Piscium Wàipíng, a fence to screen off the cesspit of Tiānhùn which lay south of it in Cetus. (Wikipedia calls Tiānhùn the "Celestial Pigsty".)

Chinese asterisms in Pisces Map based on seasky.org

Wàipíng is part of the 15th Lunar Mansion, called Kuí (Legs). The 15th Mansion is named after an the loop-shaped figure called Kuí in the north of the constellation, consisting of seven stars including χ, φ, υ and τ Piscium. The largest part of Kuí is located in Andromeda. The 16th Lunar Mansion is called Lóu (bond). The formation of the same name is represented in Pisces only by two faint stars, 107 piscium and VY piscium. Also located in the 16th Mansion is Yòugèng, a formation of five stars including ρ, η, π and ο Piscium representing a livestock manager.

The 15th and 16th Lunar Mansions are in the quadrant of the White Tiger of the West. With one small exception, all other asterisms (see below) are located in the Azure Dragon of the East. The very faint star 20 Piscium in the southwesternmost part of the constellation is part of an asterism called Chuánshě, the Guest House, which is part of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure.

A group of stars in southernmost Pisces , including 27, 29, 30 and 33 Piscium mark the eastern end of the constellation Lěibìzhèn, a chain of fortifications, which crossed Aquarius into Capricornus. Lěibìzhèn is part of the 13th Lunar Mansion, called Shì, the "Encampment."

A zig-zagging chain of five stars from Beta to Iota or Omega Piscium formed Pili, a thunderclap or thunderbolt; to its south, four stars including Lambda and Kappa Piscium formed Yunyu, cloud and rain (Leidian, representing thunder and lightning, lay over the border to the north in Pegasus, completing the stormy scene). Sources: Wikipedia and Ian Ridpath

Rain and Lightning Source: amazon.com

Pleiades In Chinese astronomy, the asterism we know as the Pleiades is called Mǎo 昴, meaning "Hairy Head." It is part of the 18th Lunar Mansion, which carries the same name Mǎo - Hairy Head. The 18th Mansion is part of the White Tiger of the West. Source: Wikipedia The star cluster of the Pleiades is part of the constellation Taurus, but given the amount of Star Lore related to them, they deserve a separate entry.

Hairy head of the White Tiger statue by Ai Weiwei Source: Wikipedia

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