The star β Tauri, sometimes called Nath, from the Arabic al-nátih, the butting, is a bright star between Capella and γ Orionis (Bellatrix). It is on the tip of the horn in the ancient figure of Taurus, and “therefore” (says Admiral Smyth) “at the greatest distance from the hoof; can this have given rise to the otherwise pointless sarcasm of not knowing B from a bull’s foot?”[404] Al-Sufi says that an imaginary line drawn from the star now known as A Tauri to τ Tauri would pass between υ and κ Tauri, which is quite correct, another proof of the accuracy of his observations. He also says that the star ω Tauri is exactly midway between A and ε, which is again correct. He points out that Ptolemy’s position of ω is incorrect. This is often the case with Ptolemy’s positions, and tends to show that Ptolemy adopted the position given by Hipparchus without attempting to verify their position in the sky. Al-Sufi himself adopts the longitudes and latitudes of the stars as given by Ptolemy in the Almagest, but corrects the positions in his descriptions, when he found Ptolemy’s places erroneous.
The famous group of the Pleiades is well known; but there is great difficulty in understanding Al-Sufi’s description of the cluster. He says, “The 29th star (of Taurus) is the more northern of the anterior side of the Pleiades themselves, and the 30th is the southern of the same side; the 31st is the following vertex of the Pleiades, and is in the more narrow part. The 32nd is situated outside the northern side. Among these stars, the 32nd is of the 4th magnitude, the others of the 5th.” Now, it is very difficult or impossible to identify these stars with the stars in the Pleiades as they are at present. The brightest of all, Alcyone (η Tauri), now about 3rd magnitude, does not seem to be mentioned at all by Al-Sufi! as he says distinctly that “the brightest star” (No 32 of Taurus) is “outside” the Pleiades “on the northern side.” It seems impossible to suppose that Al-Sufi could have overlooked Alcyone had it the same brightness it has now. The 32nd star seems to have disappeared, or at least diminished greatly in brightness, since the days of Al-Sufi. More than four stars were, however, seen by Al-Sufi, for he adds, “It is true that the stars of the Pleiades must exceed the four mentioned above, but I limit myself to these four because they are very near each other and the largest [that is, the brightest]; this is why I have mentioned them, neglecting the others.” A full examination of the whole question is given by Flammarion in his interesting work Les Étoiles (pp. 289-307), and I must refer my readers to this investigation for further details.
According to Brown, Simonides of Keos (B.C. 556-467) says, “Atlas was the sire of seven daughters with violet locks, who are called the heavenly Peleiades.”[405] The name is by some supposed to be derived from the Greek πλείων, full. The Old Testament word Kimah (Job ix. 9 and xxviii. 31) and Amos (v. 8) is derived from the Assyrian Kimta, a “family.” Aratus describes the Pleiades in the following lines:—
“Near his[406] left thigh together sweep along
The flock of Clusterers. Not a mighty span
Holds all, and they themselves are dim to see,
And seven paths aloft men say they take,
Yet six alone are viewed by mortal eye.
These seven are called by name Alkyonî
Kelainî, Meropî and Steropî
Taygetî, Elecktrî, Maia queen.
They thus together small and faint roll on
Yet notable at morn and eve through Zeus.”[407]
The Pleiades are mentioned by Ovid. According to the ancient poets they were supposed to represent the children of Atlas and Hesperus, and on this account they were called Atlantids or Hesperides. From the resemblance in sound to the word πλείας, a pigeon, they were sometimes called “the doves,” and for the same reason the word πλεῖν, to navigate, led to their being called the “shipping stars.” The word πλείας was also applied to the priestesses of the god Zeus (Jupiter) at Dordona, in the groves of which temple there were a number of pigeons. This is, perhaps, what Aratus refers to in the last line of the extract quoted above. According to Neapolitan legends, the name of Virgil’s mother was Maia. The mother of Buddha, the Hindoo avatar, was also named Maia. In Italy the Pleiades were called Gallinata, and in France poussinière, both of which mean the hen and chickens, a term also given to them by Al-Sufi. The old Blackfoot Indians called them “The Seven Perfect Ones.” The Crees and Ojibway Indians called them the “Fisher Stars.” The Adipones of Brazil and some other nations claimed that they sprang from the Pleiades! The Wyandot Indians called them “The Singing Maidens.”
Photographs show that the brighter stars of the Pleiades are involved in nebulosity. That surrounding Maia seems to be of a spiral form. Now, there is a Sanscrit myth which represents Maia as “weaving the palpable universe,” for which reason she was “typified as a spider.” This seems very appropriate, considering the web of nebulous light which surrounds the stars of the group. Maia was also considered as a type of the universe, which again seems appropriate, as probably most of the stars were evolved from spiral nebulæ.
The name Hyades is supposed to be derived from the Greek word ὑεῖν, to rain, because in ancient times they rose at the rainy season.
In ancient Egypt, Aldebaran was called ary; and the Pleiades chooa, a word which means “thousands.” The name Aldebaran seems to have been originally applied to the whole of the Hyades group. Aldebaran was also called by the Arabians al-fanik, the great Camel, and the Hyades al-kilas, the young Camels. The two close stars υ and κ Tauri were called al-kalbaïn, the dogs of Aldebaran. La Condamine states that the Indians of the Amazon saw in the Hyades the head of a bull.
Gemini, the Twins, is the third constellation of the Zodiac. It was also called Gemelli, etc. According to Dupuis it represents the 11th “labour of Hercules”—his triumph over the dog Cerberus.[408] But some of Dupuis’ ideas seem very fanciful. The Twins are usually called Castor and Pollux, but they were also called by the ancient writers Apollo and Hercules; Jason and Triptolemus; Amphion and Zethus; and Theseus and Peritheus. In Egypt they represented the deities Horus and Hippocrates. Brown thinks that the “Great Twins” were originally the sun and moon, “who live alternately. As one is born the other dies; as one rises the other sets.”[409] This applies to the full moon, but does not seem applicable to the other lunar phases.
Gemini was the constellation to which Dante supposed himself transported when he visited the stellar heavens.[410] He says he was born under the influence of this “sign.”