The music of the spheres : $b A nature lover's astronomyGrondal, Florence Armstrong
Science
The music of the spheres : $b A nature lover's astronomy
Grondal, Florence Armstrong
Astronomy
The constellation of Pegasus, the Winged Horse of the Muses, is marked
by a great square formed by four bright stars. This "square" lies
against the horse's neck and wings, while his head, adorned by the star
Enif, hangs downward from one corner and stretches toward the west.
[Figure 37]
Enif lies about 10 degrees west of a small but conspicuous
diamond-shaped constellation called The Dolphin, or Job's Coffin.
Although Pegasus is close to Perseus in the sky, this winged horse was
not with the hero either at the time he met Andromeda or at any other
period of his life. Since only half of his body is represented on
his star square it is sometimes said that the remainder is hidden behind
the rocks to which Andromeda is chained. The reason that artists so
often draw Pegasus beside the hero Perseus must be that they take the
astronomical picture instead of the mythological version of the story as
a basis for their theme, although his unnatural position of being upside
down is studiously ignored;--even the ancient poets refrained from
comment upon this point.
Mr. Clark, in "Astronomy from a Dipper," aptly remarks that "the square
suggests a box-stall in which a horse could be kept rather than a portion
of a great flying horse." There is certainly "more truth than poetry" in
this idea and just about all of the constellations look most like "what
they are not." Not possessing the vivid imagery of the Greeks, most of
us must be content with looking at the bright Square which marks the
place of the great Winged Horse in the darkness.
It will be recalled that when Perseus swooped down and cut the head off
the Gorgon, its life-blood crimsoned the foam on the sea. Neptune,
seeing this, spun it into silver with the wind and waves, and formed, in
a moment, the wondrous horse.
Born full-grown, gifted with immortal life and blessed with incredible
speed, Pegasus lifted his silvery wings and sprang toward the clouds. He
then rushed headlong toward Mount Helicon where he flew about the
mountain, alighted in its sacred groves, and was petted by the Muses.
According to all accounts the hoofs of this beautiful creature must have
possessed not only miraculous strength but also some of the properties
of a divining-rod, for, when thirsty, all that he needs must do was to
strike his magic hoof upon the ground and up would spout a fountain or a
spring—crystal clear and delightfully cool.
"He it was, men say, that brought down from lofty
Helicon the bright waters of bounteous Hippocrene."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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