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Constellation Stories: Orion

 

The story of Orion was best told by Hesiod in his lost work Astronomia. Fortunately, excerpts of this lost text can be found in Eratosthenes’ Catasterismi. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find a free translation of this text online. It is a bit less mainstream than other classical texts, and as such, is more difficult to come by. 

The gist of it is that Orion, a son of Neptune, had the ability to walk on water. After many journeys and adventures traversing from island to island, he eventually joins Diana and her mother, Leto, on various hunting trips. He one day vows to hunt and kill every animal in the world. Gaia, upon hearing this vow, is very upset with him and in order to protect the Earth from his indiscriminate slaughter, sends a giant scorpion to kill Orion.

The scorpion is successful. Diana and Leto are sad to lose Orion, so they ask Jupiter to place Orion in the heavens as a constellation. Jupiter complies, and the constellation Orion appears in the sky. However, Jupiter also wants to memorialize his death, so he places the giant scorpion in the sky as well. The scorpion becomes the constellation Scorpio.

Orion is easily identifiable due to his iconic belt made of three stars in a row. He can be seen holding a shield and his club raised over his head. On very clear nights, the Orion Nebula can be seen with the naked eye as a fuzzy glow just below his belt. Orion is also notably flanked by his trusty hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. Orion is most visible in the Northern Hemisphere during winter. 

As always, there is a version of this story for kids which can be viewed here. Be sure to subscribe to the channel so you never miss a constellation story. Comment below with your thoughts about Orion!


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