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Star Lore Orion Part 5 - The Americas

Xiuhtecuhtli

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.

Aztecs The Aztecs called the stars of Orion’s Belt and Orion’s Sword the Fire Drill. Their rising in the winter sky signaled the beginning of the New Fire ceremony, a ritual Aztecs performed to postpone the end of the world. Source: Constellation Guide

Xiuhtecuhtli, God of Fire Source: Mexicolore

Bororo The Bororo people in what is now the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso had a massive constellation representing a caiman, showcasing the prominence of caimans in daily Amazonian life. The body of the animal was formed by the stars of Orion, its head was in Lepus. The tail was made of the eastern stars of Taurus, ending in the southern stars of Auriga. Sources: Wikipedia, Staal: New Patterns in the Sky

Caiman of the Bororo Source: fairbanksmuseum.org

Chinook To the Chinook people, the stars forming Orion's Belt and Sword are two canoes vying to be the first to catch a salmon in the Big River, which is the Milky Way. The little canoe is winning the race and is closing in on the fish, which is Sirius (Alpha CMa), the bright star in the middle of the river. Source: indiancountrytoday.com

Cree In Cree mythology, Orion is generally seen as Wisakaychak, the benevolent culture hero of the Cree tribe, among other deeds credited with the creation of the Sun and the Moon. Wisakaychak is generally seen as a trickster character whose adventures are often humorous and never dangerous or destructive. However, in the rather complex Sweat Lodge Myth, Orion is used to illustrate Mistapew, an evil giant who could capture spirits and transfer them from one spirit being to another. Sources: Wilfred Buck, Atchakosuk, Lance Cardinal

Wisakaychak on the Cree star map © Native Skywatchers

Mistapew & Wisakaychak Sources: Wilfred Buck; Atchakosuk

Wisakaychak creates the Sun and the Moon Source: Lance Cardinal

Inuit The Inuit in northern Canada call Orion's Belt "The Runners." Alnitak is seen as a polar bear and Alnilam and Mintaka are dogs. Source: Wikipedia

Lakota To the Lakota, Orion's Belt is the spine of a bison, called Tayamnicankhu. The surrounding rectangle of the constellation forms the ribs. Rigel (β Orionis) is called Tayamnitchuhu (Animal outer rib), Betelgeuse (α Orionis) is called Tayamnituchuhu (Animal inner rib). The tail, called Tayamnisinte is formed by Sirius (α CMa) and the head, called Tayamnipha is represented by the Pleiades. Source: Mark Hollabaugh: The Spirit and the Sky: Lakota Visions of the Cosmos, p. 65

Lakota Buffalo Drum Source: horsekeeping.com

Another Lakota story symbolizes the harmony between the gods and the people with the help of the younger generation. In that story, the bottom half of Orion is called Napé, representing the hand of a great Lakota chief. Orion's Belt forms the Chief's wrist, the thumb is formed by Orion's Sword. Rigel is the tip of the index finger, and Cursa (β Eridani) is the tip of the little finger. The tale tells us how the gods wanted to punish the Lakota chief for his selfishness and made the Thunder People rip out his arm. To help her father, the chief's daughter offered to marry whomever would recover her father's arm. One man made a long and perilous journey through the sky and the Earth. Fallen Star, a young warrior born of a mortal mother and a celestial father, returned the lost arm to the chief and married his beautiful daughter. Source: Mr. Scienceut

The Chief's hand Source: Mr. Science

Maya Maya constellations are widely disputed, but Ysgrifen and Milbrath see evidence that the Maya may have seen a turtle in the constellation Orion. Sources: Constellations of the Ancien Maya, Susan Milbrath: Star Gods of the Ancient Maya

Cosmic Turtle Altar in Copan ruinas © Peter W. Wendelken

Navajo The Navajo add another facet to the world-wide picture of Orion as the big hunter. The costellation is depicted as Átsé Ets’óz, First Slender One - a young man in the prime of life. He carries a bow and arrow and is a warrior protecting his people. Like Dilyéhé, this constellation is related to planting and is seen every season except for part of the summer. Átsé Ets’óz is often spoken of as the son-in-law to Átsé Etsoh, which includes part of the constellation Scorpius. In accordance with Navajo tradition of mother-in-laws and son-in-laws not meeting or speaking, Átsé Ets’ósí and Átsé Etsoh are never seen in the sky at the same time. Sources: Navajo Skies, grandcanyon.org, Navajo Astronomy Legends of Orion and Scorpius representing antagonistic characters that can never be seen together in the sky are also part of Greek and Chinese mythology.

Átsé Ets’óz © Navajo Curiculum Center

Ojibwe On the Ojibwe Star Map, Aldebaran (α Tau), together with Procyon (α CMi) and the stars of Orion, are called Biboonkeonini, the Winter Maker, as their presence in the night sky heralds winter. Wintermaker is a strong Ojibwe canoe man and an important mythological figure in Ojibwe culture. His outstretched arms rule the winter sky. Wintermaker is seen overhead during the winter months. Sources: St. Cloud State University Planetarium, sciencefriday.com Ojibwe artist Carl Gawboy tells a story of parents making bows and arrows for their young children to come out into the late winter night to shoot at Wintermaker, whose sash is the belt of today’s constellation called Orion. The arrows let the children believe that they were hastening Wintermaker on his way and helping to bring spring. For the Ojibwe, the constellations of Biboonikeonini, Mishi Bizhiw, Nanaboujou and Mooz heralded the arrival of winter, spring and summer and fall. Source: Ojibwe Cosmos

Biboonkeonini © Native Skywatchers Shooting the Wintermaker © Carl Gawboy

Seri The Seri people of northwestern Mexico call the three stars of Orion's Belt Hapj, a name denoting a hunter. The three stars are Haamoja, the pronghorn, Hap, the mule deer and Mojet, the bighorn sheep. Hap has been shot by the hunter; its blood has dripped down to Earth and formed Tiburón Island. Source: Wikipedia

Orion © Ashleigh Dyan Bayer

Yokut The Tachi Yokuts in what is now California told a tale of a selfish wolf who didn't provide food for his wife crane and his two sons. Eventually Crane and her sons ran away. Wolf followed them and tried to shoot Crane with his arrow but in the end, Crane stabbed wolf to death with her long sharp bill and flew away into the sky. Her sons followed her and the three became the stars of Orion's Belt. Source: Mr. Scienceut, Stewart, Williamson; They dance in the sky: Native American star myths p. 92

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