"Blazing as the star that cometh forth at Harvest-time, shining forth amid the host of stars in the darkness of the night, the star whose name men call Orion’s Dog." From the Iliad by Homer
The dog star Sirius was said to bring on scorching heat and the malaria season and in Rome every summer. The story of Sirius has a fascinating history. According to Robert G. Bauval in Secret Chambers, thousands of years ago Sirius couldn't be seen in Egypt due to the precession of the equinoxes. Before 12,000 BC, Sirius was below coastal Egypt's horizon. The star made its first appearance in Egypt around 10,500 BC, peeking just one or two degrees above the horizon.
What makes Sirius so bright is the fact it's actually a binary star, or two stars in very close proximity to one another. Today's astronomers refer to them Sirius A and Sirius B. The name Sirius is thought to come from the Ancient Greek word Seirios meaning "scorcher," and besides being the sky's brightest star, the arrival of Sirius heralded the season of hot temperatures and intense volatility. To both the Greeks and Anglo-Saxons to the north, the Dog Days were a time of uncontrolled fire, sharp tempers, societal conflict, wilted crops, spoiled food, fever and illness. Dread diseases such as malaria and rabies seemed more prevalent at this time. Anyone (or anything) suffering the effects of this blistering season was said to be star-struck (in the ancient sense), meaning under the malevolent influence of the stars or one's horoscope.
The belief in Sirius as Dog Star is so ancient and widespread that it may predate human dispersal throughout Eurasia and the Americas. The Chinese called Sirius the Celestial Wolf. The indigenous North American Seri and Tohono O'odham tribes saw it as a dog that followed bighorn sheep. The Inuit called the star Moon Dog; the Blackfeet called it Dog Face. The Cherokee believed Sirius was the dog guardian on the Path of Souls, while the Pawnee, like the Chinese, saw it variously as either the Wolf Star or Coyote Star. A touching tale from India tells of Sirius as Svanta, the dog companion of Prince Yudhistira. Together the pair set out to find the kingdom of heaven. After a long and arduous search, they eventually reached heaven's gate. Lord Indra welcomed Prince Yudhistira inside, but forbade the dog Svanta to enter. The prince was aghast at Indra's refusal, declaring he wouldn't enter even heaven itself without his faithful dog beside him. At last Indra relented, and Svanta and Yudhistira proceeded together into heaven.
In these troubled times I can well imagine the influence of the Dog Star upon us, either in practical or mystical terms. Unfortunately I'm unable to see the rising of Sirius because of the mountains surrounding me, but if you live somewhere with an unobstructed east view and the gift of dark night skies, after the first of August you should be able to watch its magical rising just before dawn.
The illustration of Canis as Greyhound has no known origin and appears to be in the public domain. The image of Sirius at the shoulder of Canis Major was taken by Roberto Mura via Wikimedia Commons.
Comments