The Legend of Sagittarius

The Legend of Sagittarius

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Author: * Neotne Cleisthenes - 2 Posts on this thread out of 658 Posts sitewide. Date: Apr 6, 2005 - 22:54 Sagittarius: This constellation was depicted on old Babylonian monuments and in the early zodiacs of Egypt and India. In India its name simply means Arrow. Eratosthenes described it as a Satyr. It was also depicted as a centaur protecting Orion from Scorpius with his bow and arrow trained on the scorpion's heart, Antares. Cuneiform texts describe the Archer as the Strong One, the Giant of War, and the Illuminator of the Great City. Mesopotamia: Associated with the minor god, Pabilsag, brother of the warrior goddess, Istar. Very little is written of him although he did have a minor cult following during the Old Babylonian period in the city of Larag. Obviously someone in serious need of a good agent! Occasionally represents Enkidu in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The close proximity to the constellation Taurus, the Bull of Heaven, and Orion as Gilgamesh, makes sense here. The coincidental intersection of the spring and autumnal equinoxes where the line of the Milky Way crossed the meridian, the ecliptic and the celestial equator occurred in Sagittarius in the fifth century BC. The constellation was known as the Divine Door through which souls departed with the arrival of the autumnal equinox. Greece: Sometimes, and incorrectly, identified as the centaur Chiron. Sagittarius actually represents the son of Pan named Crotus. Living on Mount Helicon with the Muses, he became their friend and protector. He invented applause as a sign of appreciation for their talents. A skilled hunter and good friend to the Muses, they asked that Zeus give him a constellation fitting his kind nature. With the goat-god Pan as his father, Crotus should be considered a satyr rather than a centaur. His representation as a centaur probably came from his superb riding skills. The representation of the centaur facing the constellation Orion the hunter with his arrow drawn is sometimes described as holding the scorpion at bay and sometimes as protecting the Muses from the unwanted romantic advances of Orion.