Glossary entry for
Orion
Orion, the Hunter, is one of the most conspicuous and easily recognizable
constellations in the night sky. From ancient times it has been mentioned in the
literature and mythology of many peoples. In Greek mythology Orion was the son of
Poseidon, who governed the waters, by Eurale, one of the Gorgons who inhabited
the Western Ocean near the region of night. Orion was a giant of a man and a
great hunter. In one story, he profanely boasted that he could conquer any animal
on earth. Hera, wife of Zeus, decreed that a huge scorpion rise out of the
ground, and it fatally bit him. Artemis requested that Orion be placed in the sky
in such a location that he might escape in the west each time his slayer, Scorpius,
also lifted into the heavens, rose in the east.
Contributed by Alan Pert, Sydney, Australia
Van references in:
- "Daring Night"
(on Avalon Sunset)
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