Orion's Other Myths & Legends

The constellation Orion location makes it visible from all the inhabited parts of Earth. Consequentially, nearly all cultures had some type of myth or legend related to it. Usually it has been associated with a hunter, warrior or some heroic male figure. However being dominate during the northern hemisphere winter, it was frequently associated with storms. Some of these earliest storm legends started with the Babylonians. The Romans referred to Orion as the “bringer of clouds” or the stormy one”. During the first Punic war (264BC-241BC) the destruction of a Roman fleet was attributed to the fact that it set sail with Orion rising – thus “the stormy one” sent a devastating storm.

The sky was man’s earliest calendar. Combining myths with the stars made it easier to remember which stars represented which season. The Navajo called it “The First Slender One”. When it set at dusk, in May, they planted their crops. The Aztecs called it the "Fire Drill" as it marked the start of the New Fire Ceremony which postponed the end of the world (winter solstice). In Southern hemisphere, the belt is referred to as the “Three Kings”, “The Sisters” or “Three Mary’s”. Its appearance marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

The Egyptians associated it with the Osiris, the god of rebirth and the underworld. When a pharaoh died he was transformed into a god in the sky. The Giza Pyramids mirror the pattern of Orion and the air shaft in the Great Pyramid King’s chamber was aligned with the star Alnitak within it – thus providing the king a direct pathway to heaven. (Photo credit: Matthew Spinelli -http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030207.html)