228 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Oct., 1904. 



work of primitive constellation-making was carri^'d out 

 on an organised plan, and came to a conclusion at a 

 definite epoch. The date of that conclusion was, 

 roughly speaking, 2700 or 2800 B.C. ; the place some- 

 where not far from Sj. Lat. 40°. For there, and there 

 only, did the portion of the heavens covered by the 

 traditional figures correspond precisely to that rising 

 at some time or other in the year above the Imrizon of 

 the place. 



Fig. 2.— Circumpolar Constellations, B.C. 2685. Zenith of N. Lat.io^. 



If we take a precessional globe, move the pole back 

 some 64° or 65" of precession, corresponding, say, to 

 about 2700 B.C., and adjust the globe for N. I^at. 40° 

 — in other words, set it to the time and place when the 

 constellation figures were first defined — what do we 

 find? First of all the Great Dragon (see Fig. 2) clearly 

 is arranged so as to link together the north pole of the 

 heavens and the north pole of the ecliptic. It is as 

 nearly as possible synunetrical with regard to the two ; 

 it occupies the very crown of the heavens. With the 

 single exception of the Lesser Rear which it almost sur- 

 rounds, Draco is the only constellation that never sets. 



Next Hydra. Here we have an arrangement even 

 more striking. As Fig. 3 will show. Hydra at this 

 time lay right along the equator, extending over about 

 1050, or seven hours of Right Ascension. Thirdly, 

 .Serpens. As Fig. 4 will show, the snake carried by 

 Ophiuchus not only writhes itself for some distance 

 along the equator, but struggles upwards, straight 

 along the autumnal colurc, reaching and marking the 

 zenith by its head. It is scarcely conceivable that this 

 threefold arrangement, which is not suggested by any 

 natural grouping of the stars, should have been carried 

 out as a matter of pure accident. It must have been 

 intentional. l'"or some reason or other — possibly for 

 the simple one that a snake was the animal form that 

 best lent itself to such a purpose — the equator, the 

 colure, the zenith, and the poles were all marked out 

 by these serpentine or draconic forms. Possibly in this 

 striking but immistakable relation we may find an 

 explanation of the old myth that a total eclipse of either 

 sun or moon was caused by a dragon ; of the adoption 

 of the Dragon's Tail as the sign of the nodes of the 

 moon's orbit with the ecliptic ; and of the term 



" draconic " or " draconitic " month for the period 

 taken by the moon to pass from the ascending node 

 round to the ascending node again. It may be noted 

 that in Fig. i in the second row of figures, just succeed- 

 ing the Capricorn, there is a little house or altar sur- 

 mounted by a symbol identical in form with the 

 Dragon's Tail symbol, which we use to-day for the 

 descending node. 



l.?ut now let us turn to the boundary stones and see 

 where and how the serpents are presented to us there. 

 In Fig. 5, which is a photograph of No. 90,829 in the 

 British Museum, and shows another boundary stone of 

 The reign of Melishikhu, the dragon is seen on the 

 very top of the stone, coiled in an attitude much like 

 that of Draco of the sphere. In Fig. i, we find the 

 snake stretched out straight at the base of the stone 

 like Hydra along the equator. In Fig. 6 (No. 90,840 

 in the British Museum), \\e have the snake bent sharply 

 at right angles, lying partly, therefore, at the base of 

 the sculptures, and partly up the side, in an attitude 

 recalling that of Serpens along the equator and up the 

 colure. The snake in Fig. 7 (No. 90,835 in the British 

 Museum, of presumed date about iioo B.C.), rises 

 straight up the stone, and it is not certain whether we 

 should identify it with Hydra or with Serpens. But 

 the positions of the snakes or dragons in the first three 

 instances are sufficiently striking as to suggest that 

 some 1,500 years after the original designing of the 

 constellations, and when both colure .and equator had 

 mo\ed from their primitive positions, the tradition of 

 the original purpose of these serpentine figures still 

 remained. 



There arc three symbols, \crv clearly seen on the 



FiK. ?. — Equatorial Constellations, near the Summer Solstice, 

 B.C. 2085. Zenith of N. Lat. 40 . 



boundary stone from the Louvre (Fig. i), and on the 

 actual stone No. 90,840, though partly hidden on the 

 photograph through the effect of foreshortening, which 

 are of very considerable interest. They are present, 

 though less distinctly seen, on the other two stones ; 

 indeed, with but one or two exceptions they are a 

 feature of all stones of the class. These are a crescent 

 moon " on its back," and two stars, usually of different 

 forms. The first is an eight-rayed star, the second a 



