the Orion story

According to legend, Orion was the mightiest hunter of all time. One day he boasted of being able to defeat any animal on Earth. His constant bragging was overheard by Mother Nature who, fearing that he could destroy every creature on Earth, sent a poisonous scorpion to sting Orion and kill him. Diana, goddess of the hunt, felt sorry for dear Orion. To honor him, she placed Orion among the stars. (The scorpion, Scorpius, was also places in the sky. It may be found directly opposite Orion in the sky so that it would never harm him again). In Maldives, either one, Orion or Scorpius, will always be visible in the night sky throughout the two quarters of the year. This is because the Maldives lie on the Celestial Equator (the projection of Earth's equator up into the sky). Some countries in the Northern and Southern hemisphere is known to see both constellations at the same time during certain times of the year.

It seems that there is no rest for the weary. Even in the sky, we find Orion doing battle again, this time with Taurus the Bull. To locate Taurus, draw a ling through Orion's belt and extend it to the upper right (north west). You will come to the bright orange star Aldebaran, marking the Bull's eye. The head of Taurus is formed by a V-shaped group stars called Hyades. Extend two lines to the two stars above its head to create Taurus's long horns. Names like Aldebaran and Hyades might seem foreign to those who don't hear them often. Yet, once you start seeing and hearing them enough, it is surprising how mystically beautiful these words sound (maybe even more so to our Maldivian ears, as most names such as Aldebaran have Arabic origins).

Orion is depicted in the night sky as trying to club the Bull over the head in order to save the Seven Sisters, who were kidnapped by Taurus. The Seven Sisters is the tiny cluster of stars known as Pleiades. Most people can spot six or seven stars, though apparently, on an extremely clear night, some can see up to fifteen (in the northern hemisphere). The seven sisters in Dhivehi is known as "Kethi". It is said in Maldivian folklore that a person to spot seven stars in Kethi is a person who someday will rule our islands. Now, a good telescope or binoculars will reveal that nearly a hundred stars lie in the Pleiades cluster. Maybe our ancestors didn't have good eyesight?

Returning to the belt of Orion, continue the line in the opposite direction down toward the southern horizon to spot Sirius, brightest star in the night sky. Sirius can also sometimes be known as the Dog Star, as it belongs to the constellation Canis Major, the Large Dog. Take Sirius as a jewel on the dog's collar. The star Mirzam marks a front paw, Adhara a hind paw, and Aludra the tip of the hound's tail. Canis Major is but one of Orion's two faithful companions. His small dog, Canis Minor, can be found to the north which consists of only two easily visible stars, the brighter one named Procyon. Canis Major and Canis minor are Orion's two hunting dogs, who is said to have never failed him through his hunting quests.

Watching Orion battle Taurus are the twin brothers Gemini. Their heads are marked by the bright stars Castor and Pollux. In ancient mythology, Castor was a famous horse trainer and soldier, while Pollux is said to be Sparta's leading boxer.

These myths have deep meaning and men have believed them fiercely for hundreds of years, so much so they are mostly intertwined with the Greek Gods and Goddesses.



Note: Click the image above to view a bigger, better version of the constellations and their names.