Although modern astronomers refer to most stars only by catalog numbering and astronomical coordinates, many people use the name star service to informally name stars. In fact, through history, people from different cultures use the name of their own chosen star: many civilizations interpret their existence through myths that have been passed down from generation to generation, and often associate these stories with the stars in the night sky. As we have seen, even a large car company is named after a star.
To illustrate, let us start with a constellation [a region of the night sky] that modern astronomers named after a role in Greek and Roman mythology - "Orion", the great hunter. Orion is one of the best-known and easily recognizable constellations that can be seen from anywhere on Earth: the best time to watch Orion is in the evening of December to March. Many classical myths tell about Orion and how he was placed in paradise. One of the stories is that Orion is not afraid of any animals, so it threatens to destroy all the animals on the planet. When the Earth goddess Gaia heard the news, she became angry and sent a donkey to kill Orion. When Orion encounters a scorpion, he can't kill the scorpion. The scorpion stabbed the Orion and let him fall to the ground, causing a fatal injury. To commemorate this story, Orion was placed in the night sky as a constellation, and the scorpion was called the constellation "Scorpio."
Although 21st century astronomers mentioned Orion after the hunters in classic mythology, other cultures have different interpretations of these same stars. A notable feature of Orion is a row of three bright stars that form the so-called "Orion belt." The ancient Egyptians believed that these three bright stars were the resting place of the god Osiris. The Dogon people in West Africa regard these three stars as the ladder to heaven. The same three stars are related to Christmas and are considered to represent the magician - the "three wise men" [three kings] in the Bible. The people of the Marshall Islands regard the star of Orion as an octopus and fisherman: it is about a fisherman attacked by an octopus. The fisherman stabbed the head of the octopus with stones and defended himself. Although the octopus was injured, he was able to spray ink, then he hid it and was able to escape. Peruvian Chimu Indians believe that the middle star of the Orion belt represents a thief or mischief who is punished by the moon goddess. The moon goddess punishes the wrongdoer by sending two stars to capture him and send him to four to eat only his vultures. This myth is a warning to the perpetrators.
Another interesting example of classical mythology is a group of beautiful stars in Taurus called Ple Pleiades or Seven Sisters. From about November to April, these stars are visible in the evening sky and are often confused with the "Little Big Dipper" [in another constellation] because the bright stars of the Ple comet are like a very small Big Dipper or ladle. The story in classical mythology is the Hunter Orion, obsessed with these seven beautiful women, and ruthlessly pursue them around the world. Poor young women, Zeus put them in the sky, Orion continues to chase them in the night sky.
Many cultures also associate Ple with female or feminine temperament. Australian Aboriginal people see this group of stars as a group of musicians. These girls play musical instruments for a group of young boys, represented by the stars on the Orion belt. Some Native American tribes see the Ple Pleiades as seven mothers looking for seven lost sons: According to California's Chumash Indians, these seven sons have become the stars of the Big Dipper. The Kiowa Indians regard these stars as young women who are placed in heaven by the Great God to save them from attacking the bears. In Norse mythology, they are the hens of love, beauty and fertility goddess Freia. In Japan, Ple Pleiades was called "Subaru" and later a Japanese car company was named.
Therefore, naming stars is an ancient custom that has been practiced by different civilizations around the world.
Orignal From: Name the stars in different cultures
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