Essay on the Theory of the Earth

by baron Georges Cuvier

[210] Idem, p. 66. et seq.

[211] See, in the Connaissance des Temps of 1809, p. 382, and in M. Delambre’s Histoire de l’Astronomie ancienne, vol. i. p. 391, the extract of a memoir by P. Gaubil, on the Observations of the Chinese.

[212] Thus at Dendera, the ancient Tentyris, a city below Thebes, in the portico of the great temple, the entrance of which faces the north, there are seen on the ceiling the signs of the zodiac marching in two bands, one of which extends along the eastern side, and the other along the opposite one. Each of the bands is embraced by the figure of a woman of the same length, the feet of which are toward the entrance, the head and arms toward the bottom of the portico; the feet are consequently to the north, and the heads to the south. (Great Work on Egypt, Antiq. vol. ix. pl. 20.)

The Lion is at the head of the band which is on the western side; his direction is toward the north, or toward the feet of the figure of the woman, and his feet are toward the eastern wall. The Virgin, the Balance, the Scorpion, the Saggittary and the Capricorn, follow marching in the same line. The latter is placed toward the bottom of the portico, and near the hands and head of the large figure of the woman. The signs of the eastern band commence at the extremity where those of the other band terminate, and are consequently directed toward the bottom of the portico, or toward the arms of the large figure. They have the feet toward the lateral wall of their own side, and the heads in the contrary direction to those of the opposite band. The Aquarius marches first, and is followed by the Fishes, the Ram, the Bull, and the Twins. The last of the series, which is the Crab, or rather the Scarabæus, (for this insect is substituted for the crab in the zodiacs of Egypt), is thrown to a side upon the legs of the large figure. In the place which it should have occupied is a globe resting upon the summit of a pyramid, composed of small triangles, which represent a sort of rays, and before the base of which is a large head of a woman with two small horns. A second scarabæus is placed awry and cross-wise upon the first band, in the angle which the feet of the large figure form with the body, and before the space in which the Lion marches, which is a little behind. At the other end of this same band, the Capricorn is very near the bottom, or at the arms of the large figure; and, upon the left band, the Aquarius is separated to some distance from it. The Capricorn, however, is not repeated like the Crab. The division of this zodiac, from the entrance, is therefore made between the Lion and the Cancer; or if it be thought that the repetition of the Scarabæus marks a division of the sign, it takes place in the Crab itself; but that of the lower end is made between the Capricorn and Aquarius.

In one of the inner halls of the same temple, there was a circular planisphere inscribed in a square, the same that has been brought to Paris by M. Lelorrain, and which is to be seen at the Royal Library. In it, also, the signs of the zodiac are observed among many other figures which appear to represent constellations. (Great Work on Egypt, Antiq. vol. iv. pl. 21.) The Lion corresponds to one of the diagonals of the square; the Virgin, which follows, corresponds to a perpendicular line which is directed toward the east; the other signs march in the usual order, till we come to the Crab, which, in place of completing the chain, by corresponding to the level of the Lion, is placed above it, nearer the centre of the circle, in such a manner that the signs are upon a somewhat spiral line. This Crab, or rather Scarabæus, marches in a contrary direction to the other signs. The Twins correspond to the north, the Sagittary to the south, and the Fishes to the east, but not very exactly. At the eastern side of this planisphere is a large figure of a woman, with the head directed toward the south, and the feet toward the north, like that of the portico. Some doubt might therefore also be raised regarding the point at which the series of the signs ought to commence. According as one of the perpendiculars or one of the diagonals is taken, or the place where one part of the series passes over the other part, the division will be judged to be at the Lion, or between the Lion and the Crab; or lastly at the Twins.

At Esne, the ancient Latopolis, a city placed above Thebes, there are zodiacs on the ceilings of two different temples. That of the great temple, the entrance of which faces the east, is upon two bands, which are contiguous and parallel to one another, along the south side of the ceiling. The female figures which embrace them are not placed in the direction of their length, but in that of their breadth, so that one lies across near the entrance, or to the east, the head and arms toward the north, and the feet toward the lateral wall, or toward the south, and the other is in the bottom of the portico, equally across, and looking toward the first. The band nearest the axis of the portico, or the north, presents first, on the side of the entrance, or east, and toward the head of the female figure, the Lion, placed a little behind, and marching toward the bottom, the feet directed toward the lateral wall. Behind the Lion, at the commencement of the band, are two smaller Lions. Before it is the Scarabæus, and then the Twins marching in the same direction; then the Bull and the Ram, and the Fishes close to each other, placed across upon the middle of the band, the Bull having its head toward the lateral wall, the ram toward the axis. The Aquarius is more distant, and resumes the same direction toward the bottom as the first signs. On the band nearest the lateral wall and the north, we see first, but at a considerable distance from the wall of the bottom, or the west, the Capricorn, which marches in a contrary direction to the Aquarius, and is directed toward the east, or the entrance of the portico, having the feet turned toward the lateral wall. Close upon it is the Sagittarius, which thus corresponds with the Fishes and Ram. It also marches toward the entrance; but its feet are turned toward the axis, and in a contrary direction to those of the Capricorn. At a certain distance before, and placed near one another, are the Scorpion and a woman holding the Balance. Lastly, a little before, but still at a considerable distance from the anterior or eastern extremity, is the Virgin which is preceded by a sphinx. The Virgin and the woman holding the Balance, have also their feet toward the wall, so that the Sagittary is the only one which is placed with its head contrary to the other signs.

To the north of Esne is a small isolated temple, equally facing the east, and having a zodiac also in its portico (Great Work on Egypt, Antiquities, vol. i. Plate 87.) This zodiac is upon two lateral and separated bands. That which extends along the south side commences with the Lion, which marches toward the bottom, or toward the west, the feet turned toward the wall, or the south. It is preceded by the Scarabæus, and the latter by the Gemini, marching in the same direction. The Bull, on the contrary, faces them, having a direction toward the east. But the Ram and the Fishes resume the direction toward the bottom, or toward the west. On the band of the north side, the Aquarius is near the bottom, or the west, marching towards the entrance or east, the feet turned toward the wall, preceded by the Capricorn and Sagittary, both marching in the same direction. The other signs are lost; but it is clear that the Virgin must have marched at the head of this band, on the side next the entrance. Among the accessory figures of this small zodiac, must be remarked two winged Rams placed across, the one between the Bull and the Twins, the other between the Scorpion and Sagittary, and each nearly in the middle of its band; the second, however, a little more advanced toward the entrance.

It was at first thought, that, in the great zodiac of Esne, the division of the entrance took place between the Virgin and the Lion, and that of the bottom between the Fishes and the Aquarius. But Mr Hamilton, and MM. de Jollois and Villiers, have supposed, that, in the Sphinx, which precedes the Virgin, they found a repetition of the Lion, analogous to that of the Cancer in the great zodiac of Dendera; so that, according to them, the division would be at the Lion. In fact, without this explanation, there would only be five signs on one side, while there would be seven on the other.

With regard to the small zodiac of the north of Esne, it is not known whether some emblem analogous to this Sphinx may have occurred in it, because this part is destroyed.—See British Review, February 1817, p. 136; and Critical Letter on Zodiacomania, p. 33.

[213] Description of the Pyramids of Ghiza, by M. Grobert, p. 117.