The dawn of astronomy: A study of the temple-worship and mythology of the ancient EgyptiansLockyer, Norman, Sir
Religion
The dawn of astronomy: A study of the temple-worship and mythology of the ancient Egyptians
Lockyer, Norman, Sir
Astronomy, Egyptian; Sun -- Mythology; Sun worship; Temples -- Egypt
"It has already been suggested that the Bull is a symbol of the
Spring-Sun _Marduk_; that he was originally complete; that he at one
time extended as far as the Fish of _Ía_, _i.e._ the western Fish;
that the Fish of _Ía_, out of which the sun emerged at the end of the
year in ancient times to enter Taurus, is to represent _Ía_, the God
of the Ocean, out of which his son _Marduk_, the early sun, rises
daily; finally, that a series of constellations west of the Fish(es) is
intended to represent symbolically this same ocean. _Marduk_ is on the
one hand, as early sun of the day (and the year), the son of _Ía_, the
god of the world-water."
As to the sun-god Marduk, then, he represents the sun at the vernal
equinox, when the sunrise was heralded by the stars in the Bull.
But what, then, are the fish of _Ía_ and the other constellations
referred to? They are all revealed to us by the myth. They are the
Southern ecliptic constellations.
_Tiāmat._
Tiāmat, according to Jensen, means initially the Eastern Sea (p. 307).
This was expanded to mean the "Weltwasser" (p. 315), which may be taken
to mean, I suppose, the origin of the Greek ὠκεανὸς, and possibly
the overlying firmament of waters. These firmamental waters contain
the southerly ecliptic constellations, the winter and bad-weather
signs--the Scorpion, the Goat-fish, and the Fish among them.
It must be pointed out that these southerly constellations were
associated with the God of Eridu _in his first stage_.
_The Constellations referred to in the Myth of Marduk and Tiāmat._
We are indebted to the myth, then, for the knowledge that when it was
invented, not only the constellations Bull and Scorpion, but also the
Goat and Fishes had been established in Babylonia.
This argument is strengthened by the following considerations suggested
by Jensen:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account