The Constellation
Aquila |
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Mythology and History |
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The Eagle. |
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It is said in the old Greek myths that during the ten-year
war between the followers of Zeus and the giant Titans, a magnificent eagle,
known to us as Aquila, was ever by the side of Zeus waiting to carry his
thunderbolts down to kill the monstrous Titans. It was for his loyalty
that the eagle was given a position among the stars as the constellation
Aquila. |
It is also said that at one time that
gods were in need of a new waiter, a cup-bearer to carry fresh nectar to
the gods. It was only fitting that such a privileged position be
held by the most beautiful youth on Earth. So Zeus summoned his faithful
Aquila, saying: "Go down to Earth and sweep your great wings over the land
until your jewel-like eyes find the most beautiful youth in the land, and
then deliver him to the Great Hall of the Gods."
One day he saw a youth tending a flock
of sheep on a mountain side, surely the most beautiful youth in the land.
The eagle swiftly dropped out of the sky and ever so gently clasped the
youth, Ganymede, in its claws. In spite of being tired from its long
journey, the eagle sped upward through the sky and carried Ganymede to
Zeus. So delighted was Zeus with Aquila's choice of a cup-bearer
for the gods, he reserved a place among the stars for Aquila on his death.
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At least as early as 1200 B.C. this constellation was known
as the Eagle. Stone carvings of that age showing the constellation
have been found. The constellation also has been called the Bird
of Zeus and the King of Birds. |
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The Arabs have called Aquila the Flying Eagle, also the Crow
or Raven. |
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The Persians called Aquila the Falcon and the Flying Vulture
while the Turks called it the Hunting Eagle. |
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The Chinese have a story about a weaving Princess and her
cowherd lover. Chih Nu (Vega) was the daughter of the Sun-God. She
was a most clever and deft weaving and spinning artist and could make the
most exquisite tapestries. One sunny summer day she happened to look out
of the palace window and saw her father's herdsman driving the flock of
the King along the banks of the Milky Way. As so often happens in love
stories, their glances met and both knew that this was love at first sight.
The King who had been worried about his daughter's future was delighted
when he heard about their romance, especially as the herdsman Ch'ien Niu
(Altair) was a very conscientious worker who had always looked after the
royal flock with the utmost care. |
Chih Nu wove her own wedding dress
out of sparkling rays of starlight.
They were very happy together. In
fact, they were a little too happy and too devoted to each other. Consequently
they forgot all about their work. The loom stood still and gathered dusty
cobwebs while the royal cattle roamed far and wide across the heavenly
meadows.
The Sun-King gave them repeated warnings
and every time they promised to amend their ways, but soon they lapsed
into idleness again. This annoyed the King so much that after several warnings
he decided to banish the husband to the other side of the Milky Way again
so that he could tend the cattle there. When he had dispatched Ch'ien Niu
across the one and only ford, T'ien-tsin, the King had both sides closed
by barriers and a guard posted with instructions that neither of them were
allowed to pass along this route.
Chih Nu pleaded with her father but
to no avail. Finally she appealed to the magpies who had pity on the couple.
The magpies decided that once a year on the seventh day of the seventh
month they would help the parted lovers. On that day all the magpies in
China would fly to the Milky Way and make a bridge across it with outspread
wings across which the lovers would rush into each other's arms and spend
the rest of the day together. On that day a soft rain began to fall in
the morning, which were their tears of happiness. But at nightfall the
soft rain became a downpour, caused by the tears of having to part again
for a year. Having done their duty the magpies would fly away again.
When on the following day people saw
the magpies in the fields once more they would rejoice and say: "Yes, look,
the lovers have been together. See how the feathers on the birds are all
worn down where their feet have trampled." If the feathers weren't trampled
down the people would be sad and used to say that bad weather had apparently
prevented the birds from building the bridge across the Milky Way.
It is also said the children are told
to throw stones at any magpies if the saw them in the fields on the seventh
day of the seventh month, because those selfish birds were negligent of
their duty. [Stars of Jade by Julius D. W. Staal © 1984]
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