Exploring Antient Skies (13)

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13.3.1 p. 424 Pawnee asterisms

p.

asterism

identity

424a

Wolf

Sirius

424b

2 Swimming Ducks

Scorpius

 

Rabbit

Cassiopeia

 

Bow

Delphinus

 

Chiefs in Council

Corona Borealis

 

2 Stretchers

Ursa Major & Ursa Minor

Chamberlain (1982)

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ritual "telescopes" for observation

13.4.2 p. 428a cited by Le’vi-Strauss

other

"Among the Menomini ..., the Sun stops at midday to contemplate the Earth through a long telescope of copper" (Le’vi-Strauss 1982, p. 132);

Tucano of the Vaupe`s use "magic telescopes" (Le’vi-Strauss 1982, p. 133).

[Kekc^i Maya] C>awa Aatan the sun-god is possessor of blowgun which is used by him as telescope (G&P).

[So>to of Venezuela] The sun-god S^i said : "when you look through the hole in the blowgun ... You see the Earth, ... You see all the people and villages down there" (W, p. 123).

G&P = http://www.ruthenia.ru/folklore/berezkin/eng/061_15.htm

W = Marc de Civrieux (transl. by David M. Guss from the Spanish) : Watunna. North Point Pr, San Francisco, 1980.

copper suit or copper ring or copper hoop

13.4.2

state of Washington

comparative

p. 428a

" "a character dressed in copper ... The son of the sun" – the same term used to refer to a beetle with bright orange color." (Le’vi-Strauss 1982, p. 113)."

{cf. brazen man Talos}

p. 428b

"Among the Cowlitz (inland Salish), the Sun[’s halo, during mist] (and rainbows) originate from a copper ring stolen by a body who is ... covered with sores;

{cf. [Hellenic myth] ring recovered by Theseus; [Kemian myth] ring covered by magician who later visited dragon}

 

among the Skokomish, ... a copper hoop toy was owned ... while ... stolen, "it rises to the sky"" (Le’vi-Strauss 1982, p. 114)."

{cf. Nhus^-tan ‘copper dragon’ = green rainbow [for green corrosion on copper] haloing head of "Antient of Days" in Apokalupsis of Ioannes}

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13.5 p. 429a asterisms of the Micmac in Nova Scotia

asterism

identity

Red-Winged Blackbird

Alioth

Titmouse

Mizar

pot for cooking bearmeat

Alcor

Grey Jay

Alcaid

Pigeon

Seginus

Blue Jay

Izar

Owl

Arcturus

red-feathered Owl

Mufrid

Bear’s Den

Corona Borealis

Dube’ (1996)

p. 429a "the Bear ... is shot ... and blood dripped onto the tree. This is why maple trees turn red in autumn." {cf. Cayuga Iroquois myth : "Each autumn the hunters chase the great bear across the skies and kill it. Then, as they cut it up for their meal, the blood falls down from the heavens and colours the leaves of the maple trees scarlet." http://www.native-languages.org/cayugastory.htm} {similarly as with the Micmac red-winged blackbird, tropical forest South American Indians commonly ascribe the origin of red feathers on birds to blood of a slaughtered mammal; and just as the Cayuga ascribe whiteness of snow to the bear’s fat, so is rendering sins "white as snow" ascribed to S^imo^n (‘fat’).}

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13.6 p. 430, Table 13.3 Eskimo constellations (A = Point Barrow; B = Bering Strait; C = Caribou Eskimo; G = [West] Greenland; H = Hudson Bay; I = Iglulik; N = Coppermine; R = Repulse Bay) {/j/ as in German}

constellation

meaning

identity

band

Aagjuuk

arrow?

a, c Aquilae

I

Akuttujuuk

those far apart

a, c Orionis

I

Kingulliq

one behind, 2nd one

a Lyrae (Vega)

I

Sivulliq

one in front

Arcturus

I

Nanurjuk

spirit of polar bear

a Tauri (Aldebaran)

I

Qimmiit

hounds (attacking Nanurjuk)

Hyades

I

Sakiattiak

breastbone

Pleiades

I

Siqupsiqat

shattered

"

A

Qillugtussat

baying hounds

"

G

Nuutuittuq

never moveth

Polaris

I

Qitirarjuk

spinal chord?

"

C

Ursuutaattiaq

sealskin oil-container

Cassiopeia

I

Pituaq

lamp-stand

a-c Cassiopeiae

I

Quturjuuk

collarbones

a, b Geminorum; a, b Aurigae

I

Sikuliarsiujuittuq

one who never goeth onto newly-formed sea-ice

Procyon

I

Singuuriq

flickering (as flame)

Sirius

I

I-gha-lum Ki-mukh-ti

Moon’s hound

"

B

Kajuqtuq Tiriganniaglu

red fox and white fox [p. 429b trying to get down same hole = double star (cf. 5.8.4)]

"

N

Singoreq

pulsating

"

R

Ubluriakjuak

big star

"

H

Tukturjuit

caribou

Ursa Major

I

Ullaktut

runners

Orion’s Belt

I

Qangimariik

nephews or nieces

M42 (Orion Nebula)

I

MacDonald (1998)

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David H. Kelley & Eugene R. Milone : Exploring Ancient Skies : an Encyclopedic Survey of Archaeoastronomy. Springer Verlag, 2005.