Corona Borealis: Difference between revisions

In Greek mythology, Corona Borealis was linked to the legend of Theseus and the minotaur. It was generally considered to represent a crown that was given by Dionysus to Ariadne, the daughter of Minos of Crete, after she had been abandoned by the Athenian prince Theseus. When she wore the crown to her wedding, where she married Dionysus, he placed her crown in the heavens to commemorate the wedding. An alternate version has the besotted Dionysus give the crown to Ariadne, who in turn gives it to Theseus after he arrives in Crete to kill the minotaur that the Cretans have demanded tribute from Athens to feed. The hero uses the crown's light to escape the labyrinth after disposing of the creature, and Dionysus later sets it in the heavens.The Latin author Hyginus linked it to a crown or wreath worn by Bacchus (Dionysus) to disguise his appearance when first approaching Mount Olympus and revealing himself to the gods, having being previously hidden as yet another child of Jupiter's trysts with a mortal, in this case Semele. In Welsh mythology, it was called Caer Arianrhod, "the Castle of the Silver Circle", and was the heavenly abode of the Lady Arianrhod. It was one of the 48 constellation mentioned in the Almagest of classical astronomer Ptolemy.

The Arabs called the constellation Alphecca (a name later given to Alpha Corona Borealis), which means "separated" or "broken up", a reference to the resemblance of the stars of Corona Borealis to a loose string of jewels.Among the Bedouins, the constellation was known as qaṣʿat al-masākīn, or "the dish/bowl of the poor people".