ig6 The Story of the Constellations. [Sess. 



cases out of twelve, all the ascending signs of the Zodiac 

 faced towards the east, all the descending towards the west. 

 This arrangement suggests that the signs of the Zodiac 

 at least, and probably the remainder of the 48, were 

 mapped out at one time and in one place. The people who 

 did this work must have been already fairly advanced in 

 astronomy ; the ecliptic or apparent path of the sun during the 

 year was well known to them. The supreme importance 

 of the ecliptic in the astronomy of these unknown people 

 is evident, because the twelve signs by which they marked 

 it have come down to us by numerous independent paths. 

 Egypt, Arabia, Babylon, Persia, and India, alike show us 

 practically the same twelve designs. "A further note is 

 supplied by the care with which the pole of the ecliptic 

 is marked by the folds of the Dragon. The pole of the 

 ecliptic is the point in the heavens furthest removed from 

 the path of the sun, the lord of light. Here there is fixed 

 the fabled creature which stands for darkness, cold, eclipse, 

 and night, and with these evil and death." 



The twelve signs of the Zodiac are so well known that 

 it is hardly necessary to mention them in detail. Their 

 names and order can be readily learned by the following 

 lines : — 



The Ram, the Bull, the Heavenly Twins, 



And next the Crab, the Lion shines, 

 The Virgin and the Scales ; 



The Scorpion, Archer, and the Goat, 



The Man that pours the water out, 

 The Fish with glittering scales. 



On an examination of the star groups represented by the 

 above twelve forms, only four are found whose outlines 

 suggest a resemblance to the originals. These are the Bull, 

 the Twins, the Lion, and the Scorpion. The remainder are 

 nearly hopeless, and might have been made to represent any- 

 thing else. This in itself shows an evident design in im- 

 posing the particular forms, adopted so long ago, upon the 

 star groups of the Zodiac. As to their real meaning number- 

 less theories have been advanced, and I do not propose to 

 enter upon a discussion of any of them, but would refer 

 inquirers to the extremely interesting suggestions in Mr 



