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From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (Gordon A. Moffett)
Newsgroups: net.astro,net.nlang.greek
Subject: Re: Orion and the Scorpion (myth)
Message-ID: <430@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 16:07:22 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.430
Posted: Mon Oct 29 16:07:22 1984
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> The story goes that Orion boasted that he was such a great hunter he
> could kill all the animals on the surface of the Earth.  The goddess of
> Earth was alarmed at this statement.  She thought that the world would
> be sad and lonely without its many kinds of animals.  So she sent a
> giant scorpion to sting and kill Orion -- and after a brief battle, the
> scorpion did just that.  Afterwards the two were placed in the sky --
> but in such a way that they would never meet.

There is more to this myth: a great mythical doctor, Asclepius, actually
revived Orion.  Pluto, seeing this as an infringement on HIS territory
had the gods strike both of them dead; but, for their exceptional
skills both Orion and Asclepius were put in the sky.

Near Orion is Canis Major, the Big Dog, who is Orion's hunting companion.
At Orion's feet is a dim Lepus (Rabbit), in hiding.
-- 
"... and it's coming right here, to beautiful "

Gordon A. Moffett		...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!gam

[ This is just me talking. ]