| Cosmology (Corvus-Crater-Hydra) |
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| IPTC INFO | | Caption | Apollo was about to make a sacrifice to Zeus and sent the crow to fetch water from a running spring. The crow flew off with a bowl in its claws but it rests lazily on the journey because it sees a fig tree by the pond. "What matter if I wait only a few days until the fruit ripens?" the raven asked itself. And it waited. When the fruit ripened the raven then stayed several more days eating the fruit until it was all gone. He then filled the cup with fresh spring water but realized that his master would be angry for the long delay. Then he noticed a water-serpent nearby and grasped it in his claws. So with cup in mouth and serpent dangling from his claws the raven flew up to Heaven. He explained to Apollo that the serpent had attacked him and that is what caused the delay. But Apollo one of whose skills was the art of prophecy saw through the lie and condemned the crow to a life of thirst – which is perhaps one explanation for the rasping call of the crow. He was so angry with the bird that he flung him cup and serpent out of Heaven. Today we see them together in the sky as Crater the Cup and Corvus the Raven perched on Hydra the serpent's back. The raven is depicted pecking at the water snake’s coils as though attempting to move it so that the crow may reach the cup to drink. This myth gave rise to two alternate manes for Corvus as a constellation: Avis Ficarius or "the Fig Bird " and Emansor or "One Who Lingers Too Long." For the Greeks this story explains why of all birds the raven does not carry water to its young. The crow was the sacred bird of Apollo who changed himself into one to flee from the monster Typhon when that immense creature threatened the gods. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy who only counted 7 stars although today we say there are 11 visible to the naked eye. | | Headline | Corvus and Crater on the back of Hydra- part of Mithra's Tauroctony | | Copyright Notice | Uranographia of Johann Bode | | URL | www.carnaval.com/tauroctony/ |
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| Corvus-Crater-Hydra.JPG |
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11/06/2007 |
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