Skip to main content

Mingling Science (Space Facts) and Myths by Trisha Dey

 Mingling Science (Space Facts) and Myths


Space Mythology

  • The largest constellation in the sky is Hydra, named after the nine-headed serpent of Greek Mythology.
  •  The Hunter, Orion is one of the most well-known and universally recognized constellations. Orion of Roman and Greek Mythology had metal eyes gifted by Hephaestus (Vulcan according to Roman), the Greek God of Blacksmiths. Orion had fallen for Artemis (Greek) or Diana (Roman form), the Goddess of Maiden girls and Archery, who had sworn to be a maiden herself. As a punishment for falling for Artemis (I’m using the Greek name as I’m more comfortable with the Greek version), Artemis’s twin brother Apollo, God of Music and Medicine (also God of Bachelors and God of Archery) indirectly made Orion give up his life by giving him the most difficult hunting tasks. It is said that people who can recognize the Orion constellation, can also make out the outlines of a bow and a quiver among the stars.

Now let me start with the Planets___ 

  • MERCURY

     Mercury is the Roman form of Hermes, the Greek God of travellers, messengers and thieves. He is even said to be the royal messenger of the Olympians (the Greek Gods) so he is in the first position in the solar system. It is also the fastest spinning planet and Hermes is actually the fastest God because he has flying shoes.

  •  VENUS

      Venus, the hottest planet in the solar system, is the Roman form of Aphrodite, who is the Greek Goddess of love and beauty. She is the oldest among all the Olympians as it is said that she was born way back when Kronos (about whom we will discuss a little later) dumped the chopped-up bits of Ouranos (his father) into the sea, the sky god’s immortal blood mixed with the salt water and formed a frothy patch that solidified into a goddess.

  •  EARTH

     Our planet Earth did not get its name from the Greek or the Roman myths. Instead, it has been derived from Old English word ‘erda’ which means ground or soil. Still Earth can be called Mother Goddess Gaea who was even greater than the Titans. She was the oldest of all according to Greek myths. She is the whole world where the mortals live. She is the mother of all beings but she was the worst of all too, not at all like our mother “Planet Earth”. She made her son Kronos kill his father and her husband, Ouranos, to take over the whole world.

[I think it’s good that ‘Earth’ wasn’t officially named Gaea (Greek form) or Terra (Roman form).]

  •  MARS

      Mars is the Roman form of the Greek God of War, Ares. He is the most proud and arrogant God (I have ever heard of), according to the Graeco-Roman myths. Mars has two small moons – Phobos and Deimos. Sometimes it is told that they are named after the horses that pull the chariot of the God of War. However sometimes it is also told that (I will better prefer this one) Phobos and Deimos were minor Gods, sons of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus). The word – phobia comes from ‘Phobos’. Phobos is fear and Deimos is terror. Many think that they are typically same, but no. Deimos is perhaps a bit bigger and uglier, and Phobos is kind of personal. He can get inside your head. I do not think they were ever horses but yes, they were the regular charioteers of Ares and did not like anyone else to drive Ares’ chariot, according to the second concept.

  •  JUPITER

      Jupiter is the largest planet and is the Roman form of Zeus, the Greek God of the sky and the King of all the Olympians but actually he was the youngest but was considered the oldest as he was the only one who did not experience going down Kronos’ throat (you all will get to know).

  •  SATURN

      The second largest planet, Saturn, is the Roman form of Kronos (also sometimes spelled ‘Cronus’). It has the second largest moon in the solar system – TITAN. He was the most powerful but the youngest Titan (Titans were there, before the Olympians). Kronos used to gobble up his children, instantly after their birth as he feared that his father’s curse would come true (Ouranos cursed Kronos just before dying that Kronos will die in the same way he did).  His sister and wife, Rhea hid their sixth child, Zeus, before Kronos came to know about him. When Zeus was not a kid anymore, Rhea decided to take out her other five children from Kronos (as they were all immortal they were still alive and were growing inside Kronos). Zeus killed Kronos and took his siblings out, when they came out, they were fully grown and the siblings considered Zeus to be the oldest among them. Kronos was cut into small pieces by his sons, Poseidon, Zeus and Hades, in exactly the same way in which Kronos killed his father Ouranos (Uranus) to become the Ruler of the Universe. Then Zeus dumped the ‘Kronos artefacts’ into Tartarus (where people like us can go insane or can even die within a minute), the realm of terror.

  •  URANUS

        Uranus, the Roman form of Ouranos – the former God of Sky is the solar system’s third largest planet. When Uranus was discovered, the name was chosen as an addition to the service of Greek and Roman names.  

  •  NEPTUNE

        Neptune is the planet with the fiercest hurricanes because it is the Roman form of the Greek God of sea, earthquakes and hurricanes, the great (and my favourite) Poseidon.

  •  PLUTO

        The last planet to be discovered in the solar system was Pluto. It is the smallest in size and the farthest from the Sun. It only has one moon – Charon. Pluto is the Roman form of the God of the Underworld (i.e. souls and riches), Hades. He was not even an Olympian before, but later he became. His only companion was Charon, Charon used to guide the souls in the Underworld for judgement across the River Styx.





These space myths and facts were contributed by Trisha Dey, a student of Funlish, class VIII.







Connect with us on social media:-



facebook


instagram


twitter


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Accelerating Change to solve the water and Sanitation Crisis with Ancient Indian Technique - A write-up by Funlishian Tuhin Kanti Ghosh

  It is a well known that our Earth, despite having ¾ of its surface covered by water doesn’t have enough water for humans. The reason, also known, is that 97 percent of it is saline water which is unusable. Of the 3 percent we do have, the expanding human population wasted and polluted much of it continuously to make way for water and sanitation crisis. In the recent years we have realized this and started to work to change it. But the change is not being able to keep up with the constant damage. Hence comes the need to accelerate it. While large projects like building dams help in accelerating change, small changes collectively make a much bigger impact. For example, fixing a leaking tap wasting 500 ml of water a day may not seem much but if all millions of citizens fix their taps, then in just a day millions of litres of water and rupees will be saved. There are numerous ways in the internet for saving water that you can do.     Another way to accelerate change c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wonders of Water - A poem by Ishaan Biswas, Grade IX, Funlish Language School

To the transparent water; O’ you nature’s daughter, How are you so calm, so cold? How do you grab the world ahold? Why are you so kind, to show the way to the blind? How are you so noble? Why do you even care for the smallest cobble? O’ the guardian of life, You are why we are alive. Why do you still love us, when we create a fuss? Thus you are our precious mother, you forgive us albeit we inflict disasters one after another. Thus is our oath to your kindness, we shall always be righteous. Hence we shall conserve every loch, for our succeeding flock.
1 comment
Read more

This isn't a Feminist Mark : A poem by Anushka Jana

 However much we think, Or hate the colour pink, Can we be fearless like you? Or be as daring as you? Do you think we’ve purpose, Like delicate flowers, a simple rose? To exhibit when it’s fresh, And throw when reduced to flesh?   Will it be a sin to do? Things that most of you do, Blaming, shaming and curbing us, We wonder how many of us you did curse! And why would you do so? Because we let our ambitions grow? Because we step out of veils And look fabulous in our esteem, Or because we love ourselves And try to look out of kitchen shelves? We dream to invent remedies, To sign important treaties, Pen down novels without pen names And excel in various games. Driving cars and repairing lights And guarding streets on dark nights And to speak, to debate, We want to do things and not wait. And we didn’t sink our hearts, Neither focus only on sewing skirts, Nor on only cooking for your bunch of kids, But we tried to help ...
Post a Comment
Read more