Wikipedia
R.H. Allen:
Star Names
Ian Ridpath:
Star Tales
Universe Guide
Sea and Sky:
Constellations
IAU
Map
|
Wikipedia |
R.H. Allen: Star Names |
Ian Ridpath: Star Tales |
Universe Guide |
Sea and Sky: Constellations |
IAU Map |
 |
LyraStar Lore |
 |
| Lyra is a small constellation in the northern sky that can be seen in the South up to about the 40th parallel south. Its name is the Latin word for lyre. |
 |
Greek Mythology
Ian Ridpath tells us that the first lyre ever made, was "... invented by
Hermes, the son of Zeus and
Maia (one of the Pleiades). Hermes
fashioned the lyre from the shell of a tortoise that he found browsing outside his cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Hermes cleaned out the shell,
pierced its rim and tied across it seven strings of cow gut, the same as the number of the Pleiades.
|
|
|
|
Wikipedia tells us, that "...Orpheus's music was said to be so great that even inanimate
objects such as trees, streams, and rocks could be charmed. Joining Jason and the Argonauts, his
music was able to quell the voices of the dangerous Sirens, who sang tempting songs to the Argonauts.
At one point, Orpheus married Eurydice, a nymph. While fleeing from an attack by Aristaeus, she stepped on a snake that bit her, killing her. To reclaim her, Orpheus entered the Underworld, where the music from his lyre charmed Hades. Hades relented and let Orpheus bring Eurydice back, on the condition that he never once look back until outside. Unfortunately, near the very end, Orpheus faltered and looked back, causing Eurydice to be left in the Underworld forever." Source:Wikipedia |
Orpheus surrounded by animalsAncient Roman floor mosaic Source: Wikipedia
|
 |
Ancient Mesopotamia
In Babylonian Star Catalogues, Lyra is listed as a goat, called
UZA.
Around 12,000 BC, Vega, the brightest star in the constellation and the
fifth-brightest star in the night sky, was the northern pole star. As such, it received
special attention in Mesopotamia.
In Babylonian astronomy, Vega may have been one of the stars named Dilgan, "the Messenger of Light".
|
 |
Ancient Rome
To the Romans, Lyra was knows as Vultur Cadens (Falling Vulture) or Aquila Cadens (Falling Eagle).
|
 |
Arab Astronomy According to Ian Ridpath, the name Vega "... comes from the Arabic words al-nasr al-waqi’ that can mean either ‘the swooping eagle’ or ‘vulture’, for the Arabs saw both an eagle and a vulture here. The constellation was often depicted on star maps as a bird positioned behind a lyre ... It seems that the Arabs visualized Vega and its two nearby stars Epsilon and Zeta Lyrae as an eagle with folded wings, swooping down in its prey, whereas in the nearby constellation Aquila, the star Altair and its two attendant stars gave the impression of a flying eagle with wings outstretched." |
|
|
The two stars at the "bottom" of the constellation have Arabic names.
Sheliak (β Lyr) means "harp", in reference to the constellation as a whole. Sulafat (γ Lyr) id the Arabic word for "tortoise", after the animal from whose shell Hermes made the lyre. Source:Ian Ridpath |
 |
Celtic Mythology
The Celts called Lyra Talyn Arthur, or King Athur's Harp.
|
|
 |
Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology,
Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraţrór are
four stags that eat among the branches of the World Tree Yggdrasill.
|
|
 |
Ancient India
In Hindu Astronomy, Vega is the
main star in the 22nd Nakashtra, called Abhijit,
meaning "the Victorious One" or "the One who cannot be defeated." In the Mahabharata, one
of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, Krishna was born under this Nakashtra.
|
|
|
It has been suggested that the "slipping of Abhijit" and ascension of Krittika might refer to the gradual drop of Vega as a pole star since
12,000 BC.
Source:Wikipedia |
 |
Ancient China
In Chinese, Lyra is written
天 琴 座.
|
|
|
Vega's asterism, the Weaving Girl is also called Celestial Granddaughter, as in Chinese legends, Weaving Girl was the granddaughter of the celestial emperor.
Weaving Girl's husband was Niulang (meaning Cowherd), represented in the sky by the star Altair (α Aquilae). Hong Kong Space Museum tells the story of Weaving Girl and Cowherd: "Weaving Girl worked hard year in year out, weaving colorful brocade for the gods and goddesses. However, she stopped weaving after she married Niulang. Outraged, the celestial emperor ordered the couple to be separated by the celestial river (the Milky Way) and only allowed them 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 |
Cowherd and Weaving GirlSource: Hong Kong Space Museum |
|
All Things Chinese provides an extensive, illustrated version of the tale.
The tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl 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.
|
Cowherd and Weaving GirlSource: All Things Chinese |
 |
Similar festivals take place in Japan (Tanabata Festival) and Korea
(Chilseok Festival).
Source: Wikipedia |
 |
Pacific Islands |
 |
In Hawaii,
Vega is called Keoe,
meaning Sweet Potato.
Source: University of Hawaii |
 |
In Māori,
Vega is called Whānui
meaning broad, wide or extensive.
Sources: Maori Star Names, Maori Dictionary |
 |
In Northern Polynesia,
Vega was called whetu o te tau,
meaning the year star. For a period of history it marked the start of their new year when the ground would be prepared for planting.
Due to Axial precession, this function later became denoted by the
Pleiades.
Source: Wikipedia |
 |
Boorong (Australian Aboriginal)
The Boorong called Vega Neilloan, the Malleefowl.
|
|
 |
Pawnee
To the Pawnee in the North American Plains, Vega was one of the four Direction Stars
that were used to align their dwellings.
|
|
 |
Inca
The Inca saw a llama with a foal in the constellation. They associated Vega with Urcuchillay, a god that was worshiped by Incan herders,
believed to be a llama who watched over animals.
|
 |
Modern Day Applications
Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra was the first star
to have a car named after it. The French Facel Vega was manufactured from 1954 to 1964.
|
Facel VegaSource: Wikipedia |
|
In 1971, Cevrolet launched the Chevrolet Vega,which was manufactured until 1977.
Source:Wikipedia |
Chevrolet Vega CoupeSource: Wikipedia |
 |
Modern Day Fiction In the television series Babylon 5 the Vega Colony is an outpost world of the Earth Alliance in the Vega star system.
In the movie Contact, written by
Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, and directed by
Robert Zemeckis,
SETI researchers, using the
Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, detect a message from an extraterrestrial
intelligence, sent from a transmitter array orbiting Vega.
For a comprehensive list of Science Fiction focusing on Alpha Centauri, see Wikipedia's Vega in fiction. |
|
Back to Star Lore |
Back to Mythology |
 Back to Space Page |
Back to English |
 Back to Start Page |
_-_Foto_G._Dall%27Orto.jpg){kind=link}
