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Transcript Summary
Hello everyone. I am about to read from "The Stories in the Stars and Atlas of Constellations"Ā by Susanna HislopĀ about the Capricorn constellation.
- The constellation discussed is Capricornus.
- The mention of pan pipes often evokes the Titanic theme song, not its mythological origins with Pan.
- Zeus, associated with Pan, might not appreciate modern interpretations of Pan's music.
- Pan is portrayed as a horned, lusty satyr with goat's legs and hooves in antiquity.
- Medieval depictions show Capricorn with a fish tail and a goat's head.
- Assyrian-Babylonian god Oannes was half fish and half man, similar to the constellation's portrayal.
- Indian astronomers saw a crocodile, hippopotamus, and a goat's head in the Capricorn stars.
- The Romans identified Capricorn as "Neptuni Proles," linked to Neptune, the Roman sea god.
- The brightest star in Capricorn is Deneb Algedi, close to the position Urbain Le Verrier calculated for the planet Neptune
- Pan's myth involves chasing a nymph, Syrinx, who disappears, leading him to craft pan pipes from reeds.
I'm unsure about this book's tone. It feels somewhat pessimistic, and I was hoping for a more magical experience. I wasn't aware that Pan was connected to Capricorn; I thought of him more as a spring or summer god. If you know of a book with captivating mythology about the stars, please recommend it in the comments. I picked this up from the library while getting board books for my daughter, thinking it would be fun to read from. I'd be open to switching to a different book with more engaging stories.
Until next time, that's some information about Capricorn. Goodbye.
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