Those three little stars, all in a row (More folklore-for-all)

[capri0mni]

Or, as most of us know it: Orion's Belt.

But I just learned here on Wikipedia that it was also known as Frigg's Distaff, for the ancient Norse. This is backed up, here, in an article by E. C. Krupp of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

Mr. Krupp claims that we cannot know what meaning the distaff, itself, has. But, in her book O Mother Sun! A new view of the Cosmic Feminine (1994), Patricia Monoghan makes a strong case for solar Goddesses that magically create sunlight through spinning, especially for those in the Baltic and Scandinavian cultures:

Fiber and whorl-- both of these spinning symbols are connected to the sun goddess. The round sun is like a spindle, anchoring the strands of light; light rays jut from the sun like hair or yarn. The many injunctions against dancing widdershins or anti-sunwise in circle dances, as well as magical solstice prohibitions of various sorts [i.e spinning], are clearly designed with the image of the spindle-sun in mind; worshippers did not want the spinning sun to untwist, and break the skein of light.
(page 106)

So, I think it's really appropriate that those three stars in a row are thought of as Frigg's Distaff, which, on the night of the Winter Solstice, points to where the sun will rise the next morning.

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Also, if we extend the image, that fuzzy cluster of light hanging down from the distaff becomes, not a hunter's dagger, but the spindle, around which is the fuzzy, carded-but-not-yet-spun wool. And isn't this an appropriate metaphor for what we modern folk know that cluster to be: a gaseous nebula, wherin new stars are created?

Yes.

Well, I think so.

---

Oh, and in other parts of Germany, that constellation is called Freya's Distaff. Freya's chariot is pulled by cats (this could be why all cats love yarn, and to play in trees decorated for the sake of the sun). Fraya's brother/husband is Freyr. His chariot was pulled by golden boars. Freyr was the god that Terry Pratchett based the Hogfather on.

Happy Hogwatch Night, Ever'buddy!!

Comments

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

In some times and places Frig(ga) also span clouds so a gaseous nebula would be doubly appropriate.

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Yes, Patricia Monaghan mentions many folklore examples where the white puffy clouds in the sky after the rain is the Sun Goddess's newly-washed linens, spread out to dry.

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

Er, "Appropriate", my dear. Check your spelling by googling, like I do.

I like the idea of Freya's Distaff. In Finnish, that would be Freyjankehrä. Or Freyjanvärttinä, (värttinä=distaff) I think.

I think my Noki is the sort of cat that'd be able to pull Freya's chariot!

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

er... *rereads that section a couple of times*

I spelled it correctly the second time.

...But ... Um, it looks like my right hand got a little over enthusiastic with the p-r-o combination the first go-round, and just didn't know when to quit. Sorry about that.

Oh, and yes. Noki is definitely a chariot cat. No wonder she has that attitude!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

My HP calls Orion 'Elvis'; you can tell it's him by his rhinestone belt. ;)

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

He's even got the pose right: that arm raised over his head isn't a raised club, it's on of Elvis's signature dance moves. ;-)

[nexstarman.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome.

Mostly, I'm just glad to have an alternate myth to go with that consellation. I was never very happy with the story that "he" was a hunter who had tried to kill every wild animal on Earth, for the sake of machismo. Elevating him to the heavens hardly seems like a punishment, you know?

I'm much happier looking to that beautiful arrangement of stars and be able to tell myself a beautiful story to go with it -- a story about how stars are born, to begin with.