Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning
Encyclopedia
Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning is a book by Richard Hinckley Allen, published in 1899.
It discusses the names of star
s and constellation
s and their origin.
—1908, Northampton, Massachusetts
) was a gifted polymath
and amateur
naturalist
; his wide range of interests caused his friends to nickname him "the walking encyclopedia." His youthful ambition to pursue astronomy
was thwarted by poor eyesight, and he became a moderately successful businessman instead. He continued in scientific pursuits as a hobby
for the rest of his life.
s from a panoply of sources, some primary but most secondary; also telling briefly the various myths and folklore connected with stars in the Greco-Roman tradition; as well as in the Arabic, Babylonian, Indian and Chinese traditions, for which, however, some modern criticism having taken it to task, claiming it to be largely superseded.
The book also provides some cursory details about astronomy
as the knowledge level of the end of the 19th century. Similarly, astrology
and its history are dealt with briefly in the introduction, and some other basic astrological references are scattered throughout the book, although downplayed.
deals with traditional Greek and Roman constellation mythology, while Short Guide to Modern Star Names by Paul Kunitzsch and Tim Smart (Otto Harrassowitz, 1986) is an authoritative source on the origin of star names.
It discusses the names of star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s and constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
s and their origin.
Author
Richard Hinckley Allen (1838, Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
—1908, Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
) was a gifted polymath
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
and amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
; his wide range of interests caused his friends to nickname him "the walking encyclopedia." His youthful ambition to pursue astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
was thwarted by poor eyesight, and he became a moderately successful businessman instead. He continued in scientific pursuits as a hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
for the rest of his life.
Content
First published in 1899 as Star-Names and Their Meanings, this work collected the origins of the names of stars and constellationConstellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
s from a panoply of sources, some primary but most secondary; also telling briefly the various myths and folklore connected with stars in the Greco-Roman tradition; as well as in the Arabic, Babylonian, Indian and Chinese traditions, for which, however, some modern criticism having taken it to task, claiming it to be largely superseded.
The book also provides some cursory details about astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
as the knowledge level of the end of the 19th century. Similarly, astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
and its history are dealt with briefly in the introduction, and some other basic astrological references are scattered throughout the book, although downplayed.
Reception
The book has been criticized by Paul Kunitzsch and more recently by Gary D. Thompson for using obsolete sources, and thereby being unreliable on star names and their derivation. Thompson maintains that the discussion on star names is especially unreliable as regards to Arabic star names, and otherwise also to Mesopotamian, and Egyptian constellations and star names.Further reading
There is no direct modern equivalent, although Ian RidpathIan Ridpath
Ian William Ridpath is an English science writer and broadcaster made famous for his investigation and explanation of the Rendlesham Forest Incident of December 1980....
deals with traditional Greek and Roman constellation mythology, while Short Guide to Modern Star Names by Paul Kunitzsch and Tim Smart (Otto Harrassowitz, 1986) is an authoritative source on the origin of star names.
Editions
| Year | Title | Published | Publisher | Binding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | Star-Names and their Meanings | New York | G. E. Stechert | HB Hardcover A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers... (Cloth) |
original edition |
| 1936 | Star-Names and their Meanings | New York / Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing... / Paris |
G. E. Stechert & Co. | HB (Cloth) | sound copy of 1899 edition |
| 1963 | Star-Names: Their Lore and Meaning | New York | Dover Publication Inc. | PB Paperback Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples... |
reprinted, widespread |
| 1990 | Star-Names: Their Lore and Meaning | Gloucester | Peter Smith Publisher Inc. | HB | |
| 2003 | Star Names and Their Meanings | New York | Kessinger Publishing Co. | PB | reprinted of 1899 edition |
| 2009 | Star-names and their meanings | General Books | PB | printed on demand | |
| 2009 | Richard Hinckley Allen: Star Names — Their Lore and Meaning |
Internet | Bill Thayer | Web site | Public Domain |
| 2010.3 | STAR NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS | Nabu Press | PB | printed on demand | |
| 2010.8 | Star-names and Their Meanings | The Lost Library | PB | printed on demand | |
External links
- Allen's Star Names at LacusCurtiusLacusCurtiusLacusCurtius is a website specializing in ancient Rome, currently hosted on a server at the University of Chicago. It went online on August 26, 1997; in January 2008 it had "2786 pages, 690 photos, 675 drawings & engravings, 118 plans, 66 maps." The site is the...