Star Lore

Siren & Ceneus

Siren, Caeneus

Sirens and Ceneus were two constellations designed by an unknown author in the early 16th century.

On a map of the constellations of the southern hemisphere, on display at the Bodel Nijenhuis Collection of the Leiden University Library, an unknown author replaced the constellations Chamaeleon, Musca and Triangulum Australe, designed by Dutch navigators Keyser and de Houtman with two creations of his own.

Siren, most likely referring to the Sirens of Argonautica and Odyssey is depicted as a mermaid. The constellation covers the location of in the location of Triangulum Australe and parts of Musca.

Ceneus, probably referring to Greek hero Caeneus, is shown as a female figure in the location of Chamaeleon and Musca.

According to R.H. Vangent, the map is very similar to a map designed in 1603 by Dutch cartographer Willem Blaeu. For example, in the same way as Blaeu, the unknown author used the unusual name Lang for the constellation Toucana.

The map at the Leiden University is the only one in existence, showing these two constellations.

Sources: science.uu.nl, astrocultura.uai.it Ceneus and Sirens in a 16th century map
(highlighted by the author)
Source: Leiden University Library

Siren

In Greek mythology, the Sirens were creatures with women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet. Passing sailors were not able to resist their enchanting music and singing voices and were lured to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

Jason and the Argonauts safely passed the siren's island thanks to the legendary musician Orpheus, who sang louder and more beautiful than they could.

Odysseus was warned about the sirens by Circe. Following her advice, he plug the ears of his sailors with beeswax and had himself tied to the mast of the ship. In some later versions of the myth, Odysseus condemned the sirens to death as he was able to hear their song, but safely escaped. Odysseus and the Sirens, ca. 480-470 BC
Source: Wikipedia

In the Middle Ages, the perception of the sirens had changed from that of a bird-woman to that of a mermaid, which is how the siren in this star map is presented.

Source: Wikipedia

Ceneus

In a chapter in book XIV of his opus Metamorphoses, Roman poet Ovid describes the transformation of Greek hero Caeneus.

Growing up as a woman named Caenis of Thessaly, she was raped by Poseidon who later regretted the act and in reconciliation offered to grant her anything she wished. In order to never have to live through a rape, Caenis asked Poseidon to turn her into a man. Poseidon granted her wish and as a bonus throw in an impenetrable skin and thus, the woman Caenis became the man and hero Caeneus who was victorious in many a battle but was eventually killed by the Centaurs who got around his invulnerable skin by driving the hero into the ground with rocks and timber.

Metamorphoses was written in 8 AD, but the adventures of the hero Caeneus, had been part of Greek mythology for century, dating back all the way to the Iliad. Poseidon and Caenis in a 1667 issue of Metamorphoses
Source: maicar.com

The story of his gender change, however, appeared first in Metamorphoses and - since the constellation is presented as a woman - seemed to have been the most important part of the myth for the unknown creator of this short-lived constellation.

Sources: Wikipedia, VoVatia

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