The Constellation of CAPRICORN

Another name for this fascinating creature is CAPRICORNUS. The modern symbol of this sign is usually shown as a Goat like animal. But since ancient days, this creature was like Sagittarius, in that it was combined by two animals. Capricornus legends and myths are to be found among the myths of the Sheppard (nature God) Pan. Actually Pan is really an Akkadian God, which the ancient Greeks and Romans took as their own. Pan is a very famous character from ancient days, poets and authors gave him many attributes, even some as cruel as being the Devil himself (This is the perception which the old popes chose to teach people...) There are various versions, as to how Pan changes into the constellation of Capricorn. The fascination of Pan is most intriguing because of his mean and yet very playful nature. He is a teaser of nature and yet a son of the great Zeus. He had the total embodiment of a real human, because of his Lust and his inner duality.
Pan Capricorn
Pan is watching out over his Kingdom
The great Pan is also known under other names like, Aix, Aigipan and Amaltheia.
THE BATTLE BETWEEN TYPHOON AND ZEUS:
Zeus in battle with Typhoon. Zeus darting his lightning at Typhoon, Chalcidian black-figured hydria, ca. 550 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Inv. 596)
The story between Zeus and Typhoon seem rather important, yet finding much about this story, is another thing… Typhoon was the son of Gaia, and he was a sort of revenge upon the new gods. His head reached and touched the stars, and his arms were as long that they reached around the earth. Hundred of snakes grew out of his upper body, and their screams were like a thousand animals gathered together in one scream. Not only that, he also had a thousand wings. Gaia had made Typhoon the greatest among her Earthly children. He went into war as soon as he was born. Zeus was off course sent forth to battle this huge creature. Zeus gathered the lightning and shoots them towards Typhoon, he was forced to his knees. Typhoon saw his chance to take Zeus’ power, which he supposedly hid (The power was located in the knees, or so one story states). Pan and Hermes are sent out to retrieve Zeus’ power, which they also did, but this turned Typhoon’s anger towards them, and they were forced to flee. They ran down to Egypt where they changed their forms so that Typhoon couldn’t find them, Pan changed his lower body to a Fish tail, and swum away in the Nile. Zeus showed Pan his appreciation by placing him among the heavens as the Capricorn. Picatrix MSS states: ”And there ascends in the first face of Capricorn holding a pipe in his right hand but a hoe in his left hand. And this is a face of happiness, joy, and the scattering of tasks and laziness with weakness and unceasing evils. And this is its form” “And there ascends in the second face of Capricorn a man having before him half of a monkey. And this is a face of seeking matters which can in no way be, nor does anything prevail to touch upon these matters. And this is its form.” Ptolemy states: “In the first face there ascends the middle of the body of the small Bear and its neck, and the end of the body of the falling Eagle.”

Comments

  1. Anonymous7:20 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Anonymous1:33 AM

    Pan was the son of Hermes, not Zeus. And Amaltheia was the goat that nurtured Zeus when he was an infant as well as the goddess of birth; she has nothing to do with Pan.

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  3. Dear
    Anonymous.

    I have never claimed that I know everything, nor do I think so. I only state what I have read, in the various forms which I have read, again no human can and will ever be possible to read and know everything.
    What I stated in this post, is what I have found when I looked in books, here and there. I don’t know if they or 100% correct, how could I possibly? Apparently here some believe Pan and Amaltheia are one and the same character, I don’t know I use the Greeks history to reach the older civilization of the ancient Egyptian mindset.
    I do know that Pan is seen as the son of Hermes, but I think of this, like with the ancient Egyptian, in how they used the characters. Some times we find Thoth having one wife, then suddenly in another context this wife becomes a mother/sister/even god, which seems to be relating to the texts context.
    This posts states what some old manuscripts found, says. Picatrix MSS 10th 11th century, and from a manuscript from Germany 1800 century.

    But let me be the first to say, that I did not know that Amaltheia was the goat that nurtured Zeus when he was an infant. And that she had nothing to do with Pan.
    I use the old texts/manuscripts, I feel like they give me the old ways of thinking about the topic ‘of the constellations and their mythology’, what and which is right and wrong, I declare that I do not know.
    I thank you for making me that much wiser, I will see what I can learn more about this.

    Sincerely,
    WindBlower - KL

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous12:49 AM

    I thought it was helpful for my project

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous1:03 AM

    thats true I searched it and pan was the son of hermes. But thanks anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  6. For the First Anonymous,

    I am indeed glad that this blog was helpful for you :)
    Sincerely,
    WB
    ---

    For the second Anonymous,
    One advice from me, never use the internet as either the foremost scours or as the primary scores.
    I did do my research!
    “Gods and heroes in ancient Greece”, by David Bellingham ISBN 87-11-225224-6, upon page 117 it states [word for word];
    Capricorn:
    The Goat-god Pan was the son of Zeus and a goat who’s name was Aix, who’s skin Zeus brought as aegis, when she died. In the battle against the monster Typhoon, Zeus lost his powers, which Typhoon had hidden. Pan and Hermes found their fathers power, but Typhoon forced them down towards Egypt, where they changed their shapes; Pan transformed his lower body to that of a fish lower body, so he could swim away in the Nile. Zeus showed his gratitude by placing Pan among the stars as Capricorn. He still has the goat upper body and the fish’ lower body.

    “Greek Gods and hero’s”, by Leo Hjortsø ISBN 87-567-3869-2 upon page 138 it states [word for word];
    Capricorn:
    The constellation in the shape of a Buck with a fish tale. In some myths its Aegipan, the buck, that delivered the skin to Zeus’ aegis. Aegipan is also said to have suckled the goat Amalthea, and thereby being Zeus’ Milk-brother. As thanks for the brotherly love, Zeus placed him upon the heaven.
    - Just some books.

    There is more than one Pan, like in the case of Aries, or even Taurus.
    Capricorn is a creation of curtain events. And actually Pan could be seen as a son of Zeus, in that Zeus is the ‘King of the Gods’

    ReplyDelete
  7. hi, yes this surely is useful.I read while casually brousing, some time back, about why Capricorns really stuggle to be successful and why the name Sagittarian is given to the babies, children od God, and they grew up on their own. Not getting the references, so would like to request to throw some light on the understanding of the symbols and ancient history. I too will search and if I get pass on the information.
    thanx anyway.

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  8. Dear drneupaney,

    Okey..

    Karima - WB

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous1:55 AM

    Dear Annonymus.

    I agree.
    I love sagiittarius
    its my favourite :)
    my friend thinks so too.
    iam cool ;D
    so is my friend.
    this site is very interesting.
    i like it.
    goodbye new friend ;D
    xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous2:01 AM

    hey hot stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous5:11 PM

    omg i never new the story behind capricorns.i think its soo awsome

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Anonymous,

    Yes there is indeed much more behind the curtain of a constellation or Zodiac sign.
    Thank you.
    Have a wonderful evening,
    Sincerely,
    Karima

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous5:01 AM

    Hi Love your graphics but the Mesopotamian God Ea or EN.KI was related to the sea-goat, not sure how that links to pan, Certainly the ancient people borrowed from each other!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Anonymous,

    Capricorn is only seen as Pan in some cultures, and there seems to be no facts to prove these authors theories. Some say that an old story that is reported to be 'Egyptian' makes a connection between Pan and Capricorn (Gaius Juilis Hyginus if I am not mistaken). First of this story should not be referred to as Egyptian, but it rather belongs to the Greeks whom conquered Egypt around 332 B.C., or even the later Romans. again if I am not mistaken then one part of people believe Pan to be equal to Aix, Aegipan and Amaltheia, just portraying different aspects of Pan, others believe that Pan is the father to Capricorn, in that Zeus raped Aix, whom was the wife of Pan, and Aix bore a child that was named Aegipan. Zeus loved this child so much, that he placed Aegipan like he did with others. I will not be the one to judge which is right or wrong.
    http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Aigipan.html
    http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusAstronomica2.html#28
    - search Capricorn

    Speaking about the Mesopotamian god Ea or Ea-Ham or Enki or SUḪUR.MAŠ is a creature which I think belongs under the constellation of Cetus. About this god there is a lot of speculation, such as his name and more. This god seem to be a very ancient god, I personally think this god is another version of the ancient Sumerian god known also as Ea or Ea-Han (the Sumerian people are much older than the people of Babylon). The first astrological record (that has survived in other older authors writings) is the Chaldean priest astrologer Berossos, and it is widely accepted that he was copying much older texts, which scholars have concluded to be of the Sumerian's knowledge (the sons of Ham).
    But yes surely the ancient people borrowed from each other.

    Sincerely,
    Karima

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous6:40 AM

    these storys are very complicated..and very complexted ...every other sign has a definte story to them but cappricorn .. ..which one is right ..who knows????....i myself am a capppricorn and theses differant storys makes it harder to understand my own sign.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear anonymous,

    You are absolutely right, these stories are indeed very complicated (but not impossible)
    The problem here is that you are searching for information about your Zodiac sign (the personal information about Capricorn) but this is a blog about the Historical mythology behind the Constellations.
    Actually anything horoscopy is a long way away from being Real astrology, there is a lot of misunderstanding about these topics. Astrology (where it began) has nothing to do with modern (today’s) Horoscopes and modern (today’s) astrology. This is something this blog draws attention to. I am in search for the ancient truths, not modern based theories upon an individual personality, as horoscopes are. I look for the ‘All’ – The ‘connected’ not anything individual.
    You will not be able to place these mythological stories upon your self or anyone else, because it was never supposed to be an individual subject in the manner that we use today.

    -This is nothing to do with personal zodiac signs.

    I hope that this was of some help?
    Sincerely,
    Karima

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thunderkat7:19 PM

    Wow! Love the information and the discussions on this site. I a truly enjoying reading the older histories that you and the others have read and shared, and wanted to thank you for that!
    This gives so much color and depth to ancient stories and ancient peoples and their beliefs. Peace~

    ReplyDelete

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