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Star Lore Orion Part 4 - Africa and Australia

Wedged-tail Eagle

Orion is one of the most prominent and most recognizable constellations in our winter sky. Located on the celestial equator, the constellation is visible throughout the world. The constellation is named after the hunter Orion in Greek mythology. In addition, there are other myth about Orion in many parts of the world.

Africa

Khoe-Sān Khoe-Sān is a generic term for all of the "non-Bantu" indigenous peoples of Southern Africa. The /Xam describe Orion's Belt as Three Male Tortoises hung on a stick and Orion's Sword as Three Female Tortoises hung on a stick. They also saw Orion's Betelgeuse (α Ori) as a female Hartebeest - the mate of Taurus' Aldebaran (α Tau). The ǀKung people saw Three Zebras in Orion's Belt, a male flanked by two females. To the ǀXu, Orion's Belt was A Man, a Dog, and a Buck. Source: ASSA - African Ethnoastronomy

San painting near Murewa, Zimbabwe Source: Wikipedia

Maasai In Masaai legend, there are three stars that follow one another like cattle, these are the stars of Orion's Sword and they are called The Old Men. Three other stars - the stars of Orion's Belt - pursue them from the left. These are The Widows. The widows have lost their husbands and they are now waylaying the old men. Source: Alfred C. Hollis, Maasai Myths, Tales and Riddles

Nama For the Nama in South Africa, Orion's Belt represented three Zebras. One day, the Khunuseti (the Pleiades) asked their husband Aob [Aldebaran (α Tauri)] to shoot the Zebras. Aob fired his arrow (Orion's Sword) but fell short of his target. he did not dare to retrieve his arrow because of the fierce lion (Betelgeuse) which sat watching the zebras and he dared not return home because he had killed no game. Thus, there he sits forever, shivering in the cold night and suffering thirst and hunger. Sources: Royal Museums Greenwich - South African star myths and Theophilus Hahn, Tsuni-llGoam: The Supreme Being of the Khoi-khoi

Songye The Songye in the Congo call the Belt Stars aspibwe na mbwa na nyama - a Hunter with a Dog and an Animal. Source: ASSA - African Ethnoastronomy

Tswana The Tswana call Orion's Sword dintsa le Dikolobe - three dogs chasing three pigs. The three pigs, called Dikolobe are Orion's Belt. Warthogs have their litters – frequently litters of three - while Orion is prominent in the sky. Sources: RMG - South African star myths and ASSA - African Ethnoastronomy

Warthog piglets Source: San Diego Zoo

Sotho, Tswana The Basuto, Lobedu, Northern Sotho and Tswana had a constellation called Magakgala or Mahakala that was formed by the four bright stars Procyon (α Canis Minoris), Betelgeuse (α Orionis), Rigel (Beta Orionis) and Sirius (α Canis Majoris). When these stars were visible in the early evening, it was time for the corn harvest. Source: ASSA - African Ethnoastronomy

Procyon, Betelgeuse, Rigel and Sirius

Australia

Boorong The Boorong in north-western Victoria (Australia) tell the story of the Kulkunbulla, a group of young men dancing a dance called corroboree. The group is centered around the Saucepan, which consists of Orion's Belt and Orion's Sword. An old man called Gellarlec sings and beats a drum to the dancing. He is represented by Aldebaran (α Tauri). Larnankurrk, a group of young women watching th young men dance, is represented by the Pleiades. Sources: Museum of Victoria and Astroblog

Kulkunbulla Museum of Victoria

Rigel (β Orionis), the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the seventh brightest star in the night sky is called Collowgullouric Warepil, wife of Warepil by the Boorong. Warepil is the name of the wedge-tailed eagle, chief of the Nuh-rum-bung-goo-tyas, the elders who created the land. Her husband is Warepil, represented by the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius (α Canis Majoris). Source: Morieson

Wedge-tailed eagle ©: Deb Easton

Aranda The Aranda in Central Australia see an emu in the stars of Orion. Source: Australasian Science

Kaurna The Kaurna in South Australia see the stars of Orion as a group of men called the Tinniinyaranna hunting emus and kangaroos on the banks of a celestial river. Source: Australasian Science

Torres Strait Islanders In the story of creation hero Tagai and his crew mates (see Centaurus), Tagai kills twelve of his crew mates in rage. But since his crewmates were spiritual beings, they could not die, but became stars instead. Tagai hang six of them, on a seg. A seg is anything put in line on a string. He then sent them into the sky and they became Orion. (In his artwork, Tommy Pau calls Orion "Seg", while other publications use the term Utimal). The other six were skewered and became Usiam (the Pleiades). In an uncanny resemblance to the Greek story Tagai and his friend Kareg were then placed far away from their former mates in a canoe outlined by the stars of Scorpius. Sources: deadlystory.com, Wikipedia, Tommy Pau, Hamacher et al.: Astronomy and Music in the Torres Strait

Six men hang on a seg (Orion) Six men skewered (Pleiades) © Tommy Pau

Wardaman In the creation story of the Wardaman people of northern Australia, Wulajabi, the Black Headed Python and his sister Water Python make the rivers all over the world. Orion's star Saiph (κ Ori) is seen as the digging stick used by Wulajabi to carve the canyons. Source: Wikipedia

Yolngu Perhaps the most commonly know Australian Aboriginal star lore is the Yolngu story of the celestial canoe. The Yolngu people in the Northern Territory of Australia call the constellation Orion Julpan, the Canoe. Betelgeuse (α Orionis) and Rigel (β Orionis) are the bow and the stern of the canoe. The stars of Orion's Belt are three three brothers of the Nulkal (King-fish) clan. One time, the three brothers went fishing but all they could catch were king-fish, which, being from the King Fish Clan, they were not allowed to eat but had to throw back into the water. Eventually, one of the brothers became so hungry that he broke the law, and caught and ate a king-fish, represented by the Orion Nebula. Walu, The Sun-woman became so angry at him for breaking the law that she created a waterspout that lifted them right up into the sky, where they can still be seen today. Sources: Wikipedia and Dianne Johnson p. 166

Canoe in the Stars © Ray Norris

The people on Millingimbi Island (which are part of the Yolngu language group) extend the canoe story across several asterims. In addition the the above described canoe with the three brothers, the long paddles are represented by the stars of the constellations Gemini and Eridanus. The wifes of the brothers are the Pleiades and the fish are represented by the Hyades. Sources: Oxford Academy and Dianne Johnson p. 164

Adnyamathanha The Adnyamathanha in South Australia show two asterims in their national flag: The southern part of Orion is called Mirarrityi, meaning The Saucepan and the Pleiades are Artunyi or The Seven Sisters. Mirarrityi (Orion) represents Miru Muda, the Men’s story line, Artunyi represents Artu Muda, the Women’s story line.

Adnyamathanha flag Source: Flags of the World

They are both placed in the sky, called Ngiiarri, while the Sun is placed in the land, called Yarta. A long time ago the Artunyi were the wives of an old Akurra, a giant creation water serpent who created much of the lands and waters upon the land. Akurra was very jealous because the Artunyi were all very beautiful women. One day, while his wives were swimming in an Awi-urtu (water-hole) some men (Yura Miru) came along, saw them and immediately fell in love with them and wanted to take them for their wives. The old Akurra snuck up on the Yura Miru. He then came up from beneath the water hole, swallowed all seven of his wives and immediately spat them out of his mouth high up into the sky, so that his wives would forever be out of the reaches and clutches of the Yura Miru. The part of the sky where the Artunyi now reside is called Wali Vari, meaning home creek. The Adnyamathanha believe it is the spiritual home they return to when they die. Source: Aboriginal Astronomy

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