Ev is Back with Greek in the Round

Well, the plans we make! Over the holidays (I can barely remember them), I spent time planning this year’s Blog postings. It looked wonderful on the calendar. I felt organized and ready to go. What are the sayings…, “Laugh, fool, laugh” and, “The plans of mice and men”? Well, I’m laughing. I hope you are, too.

I was called away to Montreal and most likely will be gone again in the near future. Blog postings will be sporadic until things settle down. I am just so grateful to the wonderful and generous people who send me articles, narratives, information, websites, and interesting tidbits to follow up on. This Whole Earth Care Blog is yours to create. Thank you.

Ev Rilett is one of those wonderful people and she is back with Greek in the Round.

So many people told me how Ev single-handedly had them looking up into the skies and marveling at what they saw up there. With her help and enthusiasm, we all discovered Taurus, Aldebaran and the Pleiades. This week, Ev introduces us to myth of Orion.

GREEK IN THE ROUND

In ancient times although the constellations in the sky were not named proper, the figures were nevertheless prominent in the sky world wide. These stories have been handed down since the time of the ancients, Greeks and Romans. Stories (not written by a select group of screenplay writers) were told by soaring imaginations, believed and handed down from generation to generation. Each culture had its own variations and names, but it is surprising how many stories were similar and how their lives were affected, particularly in the agricultural aspects.

In 150 AD., Claudius Ptolemy named 48 northern constellations and incorporated most of the European lore surrounding them. Starlore is a very important facet of astronomy. It is almost impossible to reference stars or constellations, and some of the naked eye objects without finding out some of this lore. Mythology has a very important influence on our lives because much of our culture and heritage is based upon the myths of these times. Unfortunately, with today’s media (mainly internet, television and radio) we find ourselves in a world where our imaginations are not often called upon to entertain ourselves.

Light pollution has seriously curbed the curiosities of the heavens. Fear of the night has limited the time we allow ourselves the beauty of the quiescent blackness of night. We have grown away from starlore in the sense that many of the stories have become fragmented and we now regard them as only fascinating stories. However, we hopefully retain as much of the legends as possible and the insights of our ancient ancestors. We will continue to pass them on to future generations to be enjoyed and cherished.

In this series of articles, or rather the stories of our ancient ancestors, I hope to rekindle some of the marvel, beauty and to a great degree the beliefs and superstitions that shrouded the intricacy of their daily lives.

So without further ado, try to imagine yourself in their time. As your day comes to a close and you sit resting outside, feel the brisk evening and look up to greet the setting Vega and rising Capella gracing the dusk sky. As it gets darker the “Greek in the Round sky-theatre” curtain rises, the stage is set, and your imagination takes hold.

I will begin the series with ORION, the Hunter. Looking at the constellation, you can imagine him - very tall with broad shoulders and his sword at his side. You will find him prominent from November through March along the equator in the south east to south west skies. The belt stars are close to 0 RA. and 0 DEC.

It is said that Orion was the most handsome and tallest of all men and also a great hunter. When very young, he married Side (whom Sidereal Time is named for), who died young but gave him three daughters. Orion had many affairs after Side, notably Eos, goddess of Dawn, the Pleiades sisters (whom Zeus saved by turning them into doves that flew to heaven, and whom Orion now chases across the heavens), and eventually Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, who was just as keen a hunter as Orion himself.

Artemis (renowned as a beautiful icy deity) had finally found someone worthy of falling in love with. Orion gave himself up to the delights of hunting with Artemis and soon their affair attracted notice.

Artemis' brother was Apollo, chariot-driver for the Sun. Apollo saw that Artemis was so taken with Orion, she was neglecting her duties and had let weeks pass without once carrying the Moon across the sky. Arguing with her got him nowhere, so Apollo concocted a plan to get rid of Orion.

One day while Artemis was away, Apollo spoke to the Earth Goddess, who sent a gigantic scorpion from out of the ground to challenge Orion. Being extremely vain of his hunting skills, Orion was delighted to fight the scorpion. Back and forth the battle raged yet neither was able to deliver a decisive blow.

Unfortunately, Orion was mortal and eventually grew tired, while the creature came on and on. Finally Orion had to run for his life. He raced to the shore, dove in, and began to swim powerfully out to sea. Soon he was only a distant speck, among the wave tops.

At this point Apollo unfolded the second half of his plan. Calling his sister's attention to the unrecognizable black dot far away, he tauntingly told her that although she was good with her bow, even she had her limits, and it was unlikely that she could hit the little target. Stung to the quick, Artemis promptly fitted an arrow to her silver bow, drew to full reach, and sent the arrow flying. Her aim was perfect. Pierced through the head, Orion died instantly.

When his body washed up on shore, Artemis was horrified to discover what she'd done, and wept bitterly. Hastily, she took the body to Aesclepius the doctor, and begged him to restore Orion to life. Before Aesclepius could perform the miracle however, a reluctant thunderbolt from Zeus destroyed him. Accepting at last that Orion was gone forever, the heart-broken goddess set her lover among the stars. But, not just anywhere.

In bitter tribute to the creature that started the fateful chain of events, Artemis carefully placed Orion in the winter sky - where half the heavens lay between him and his nemesis, the Scorpion.
Ev Rilett

(If you click twice onto the photos, they will enlarge)

Thank you, Ev. Be assured that we will be out there greeting Orion on these clear nights.

Video:

The following video is from The Rubin Museum in New York City via KarmaTube.

This museum has a great website. Go to: http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/373

The video is spell bounding. It is worth every second of the six minutes and one half minutes of your time. Really!

The Known Universe http://www.karmatube.org/videos.php?id=1834

We are still looking for a Naturalist to help us better understand the world around us. It would require very little time. The pay may not be great, but our Virtual Community is great to work for. If you are interested or know of someone, please contact me for more information at: moczero@sympatico.ca

More narratives and short articles and/or essays will be happily received. I think we are due for one from Tom, don’t you think?

And, send in those Ecology questions you have for Katie, The Answer Lady.

Also wanted are your photos for the Rogues’ Gallery

The Whole Earth Care Virtual Community is growing. We received a lovely comment from someone who wrote their message in Chinese. Unfortunately, the characters refused to show up on our Whole Earth Care Blog, but Vicky translated the message for us. In reference to the last Whole Earth Care posting on Haiti, the message was, “Romantic love is blind, but marriage recovers the power to see.” Worth a ponder.

And it's Groundhog Day - Tuesday, February 2nd. Here's a poem from Joe Riley at Panhala. Panhala is a really good way to greet each day.

Groundhog Day

Celebrate this unlikely oracle,
this ball of fat and fur,
whom we so mysteriously endow
with the power to predict spring.
Let's hear it for the improbable heroes who,
frightened at their own shadows,
nonetheless unwittingly work miracles.
Why shouldn't we believe
this peculiar rodent holds power
over sun and seasons in his stubby paw?
Who says that God is all grandeur and glory?

Unnoticed in the earth, worms
are busily, brainlessly, tilling the soil.
Field mice, all unthinking, have scattered
seeds that will take root and grow.
Grape hyacinths, against all reason,
have been holding up green shoots beneath the snow.
How do you think spring arrives?
There is nothing quieter, nothing
more secret, miraculous, mundane.
Do you want to play your part
in bringing it to birth? Nothing simpler.
Find a spot not too far from the ground
and wait.
Lynn Ungar
(Blessing the Bread)
Web version: www.panhala.net/Archive/Groundhog_Day.html

Earth Family First,
maureen
(Photos from Google Images and personal albums)