

Compiled by Gary D. Thompson
Copyright © 2001-2012 by Gary D. Thompson
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Books/Pamphlets:
Ackermann, Silke. (2009(2010?)). Sternstunden am Kaiserhof: Michael Scotus und sein Buch von den Bildern und Zeichen des Himmels. [Note: In this book, Silke Ackermann (curator at the British Museum) presents an edition of the Liber de signis et imaginibus celi, an influential treatise on the constellations and their astrological associations compiled by Michael Scotus (circa 1175-circa 1235), court-astrologer of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II of Sicily. The book contains a comprehensive biographical introduction on Michael Scotus' life and his works, an edition of the Liber de signis et imaginibus celi with a parallel German translation followed by a detailed commentary referring to the sources used by Michael Scotus. The extant manuscripts are discussed in detail as well as the books influence on later medieval astrological works.]

Allen, Richard. (1899, Reprinted 1936 (in France), and 1963 (in USA)). Star-Names and Their Meanings. [Note: The 1963 reprint title was "Star-Names: Their Lore and Meaning." The 1963 reprint was unrevised and included only grammatical corrections. (I am one of the very few to acknowledge the 1936 reprint.) At the time of his death the author was working on a revised edition but it remained unfinished. (The original edition is now very scarce.) The book should not be used as it is an uncritical compilation from out-dated secondary sources and contains numerous errors; especially regarding Arabic, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian constellations and star names. (As example: Regarding his discussion of Arabic star names. Allen had no knowledge of Arabic and he uncritically relied upon Ludwig Ideler's outdated book "Untersuchungen über den Ursprung und die Bedeutung der Sternnamen." He never made any attempt to check the accuracy of this secondary source he used with any primary sources - as Paul Kunitzsch did in the 1950s for his doctoral thesis.) Though a number of his bibliographical references are obscure it is possible to successfully identify most of his main sources. In the "Introduction" to his book Richard Allen indicates the main core of his sources as comprising "Untersuchungen über den Ursprung und die Bedeutung der Sternnamen," by Ludwig (some sources have Ludewig) Ideler (1809) (main source of Arabic and other European material); "The Cycle of Celestial Objects," by William Smyth (the edition used is not identified but either 2 volumes 1844, or the revised one volume edition by George Chambers, 1881) (the main source of Western historical star lore and general material); "The Dawn of Astronomy," by Norman Lockyer (1894) (the main source of Egyptian material); "Observations of Comets: from B.C. 611 to A.D. 1640: extracted from the Chinese Annals," by John Williams (1871) (a main source of Chinese material); "A Dictionary of the Chinese Language," by Robert Morrison (3 Parts, 1815-1823) (a main source of Chinese material); and unspecified publications by Johann Strassmaier and Joseph Epping, Archibald Sayce, Robert Brown Junior, Peter Jensen, and Fritz Hommel (the main sources of Mesopotamian material, generally circa 1895 latest). It is likely that publications by François Lenormant were also used. Paul Kunitzsch has demonstrated the unreliability of Ludewig Ideler as a reliable source for Arabic material. The historical chapters dealing with the solar zodiac and the lunar zodiac need to be ignored entirely. For Western constellations and star names use of Richard Allen's "Star-Names" should be replaced with: "Planetarium Babylonicum," by Felix Gössmann (1950) (but now becoming outdated with two-thirds of his sources pre-dating 1920); "Egyptian Astronomical Texts," by Otto Neugebauer and Richard Parker (3 Volumes, 1960-1969); "Gestirnnamen bei den indogermanischen Völken," by Anton Scherer (1953); (importantly) "Le vocabulaire latin de l'Astronomie," by André Le Boeuffle (3 Volumes, 1973) (who traces both Greek and Babylonian antecedents for Latin constellation/star names); and "Arabische Sternnamen in Europa," by Paul Kunitzsch (1959); and for star lore its use can be replaced with "Mythen der Sterne," by Friedrich Norman (1925); "The New Patterns in the Sky: Myths and Legends of the Stars," by Julius Staal (1988); and (importantly) "Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets," by Ed. Krupp (1991). Note: The most recent and the most satisfactory likely identifications of ancient Egyptian constellations (with modern Western constellations) is set out in Table 6.1 (Pages 162-163) in Lull, José. and Belmonte, Antonio. (2009). "The constellations of ancient Egypt." In: Belmonte, Juan. and Shaltout, Mosalam. (Editors). In Search of Cosmic Order: Selected Essays on Egyptian Archaeoastronomy. Identifications are made for 31 ancient Egyptian constellations. See the (English-language) article "Richard Hinckley Allen." by Lucy Morris in Popular Astronomy, Volume 14, 1906, Pages 592-594. Life dates: 1838-1908.]
Aveni, Anthony. (2008). People and the Sky. [Note: Includes some material on star names and constellations. Also includes some common errors on Mesopotamian star names and constellations.]
Barrett, John. (1800). An enquiry into the origin of the constellations that compose the zodiac, and the uses they were intended to promote. [Note: Unreliable. Life dates: 1753-1821.]
Barton, Samuel. (2007). A Guide to the Constellations. [Note: 84 pages.]
Blacket, William. (1883). Researches into the Lost Histories of America: or, the Zodiac shown to be an Old Terrestrial Map in which the Atlantic isle is delineated; so that Light can be Thrown upon the Obscure Histories of the Earthworks and Ruined Cities of America. [Note: Another book about the mythical island of Atlantis. Complete nonsense.]
Bobrova, Larissa. and Militarev, Alexander. (1993). "From Mesopotamia to Greece: On the Origin of Semitic and Greek Star Names." In: Galter, Hannes. and Scholz, Bernhard. (Editors). Die Rolle der Astronomie in den Kulturen Mesopotamiens. [Note: A philological study of constellation and star names.]
Le Boeuffle, André. (1997). Le Ciel et la Mer: l'utilisation de l'Astronomie dens la navigation ancienne. [Note: Monograph on stellar navigation in Graeco-Roman antiquity.]
Boll, Franz. and Bezold, Carl. (1918). Antike Beobachtungen farbiger Sterne. [Note: A study of coloured stars in both Mesopotamia and Greece. See the (German-language) book review by Otto Schroeder in Theologische Literaturzeitung, Volume 44, Number 7/8, 26 April, 1919, Columns 73-74.]
Büchel, Carl. (1905). Über Sternnamen. [Note: 15-page, A4 size pamphlet.]
Calvet, Carlos. (2005). Versunkene Kulturen der Welt - das Kompendium.
Condos, Theony. (1997). Star Myths of the Greeks and Romans: A Sourcebook. [Note: An English-language translation of the "Catasterismi" of the Pseudo-Eratosthenes and the "De Astronomia" attributed to Hyginus. Based on her doctorate thesis and needs to be used with some caution. See the (English-language) book reviews by Roger Ceragioli in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 30, Part 3, 1999, Pages 313-315; by Ken Dowden in The Classical Review, New Series, Volume 49, Number 2, 1999, Pages 587-588; and by John McMahon in Archaeoastronomy: The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, Volume XVI, 2001, Pages 98-99.]
Crossen, Craig. and Tirion, Wil. (1992, 2nd edition 2008). Binocular Astronomy. [Note: See Appendix A. The History of the Constellations (Pages 165-169). Thoughtful but at time mistaken and speculative. Crossen is not well informed on the Mesopotamian material. The 'authorship' and exact nature of the 2nd edition is apparently controversial. Crossen and Tirion may not have been involved.]
Davidson, Norman. (2004). Sky Phenomena: A Guide to Naked-eye Observations of the Stars. [Note: Contains a lengthy discussion of the lore of the zodiacal constellations.]
Davis, Junior., George. (1944; republished 1963). "Pronunciations, Derivations, and Meanings of a Selected List of Star Names." (Popular Astronomy, Volume 52, Number 1, January, Pages 8-30). [Note: Republished as a pamphlet in 1963 by Sky Publishing Corporation. According to one source the author was an American lawyer, amateur astronomer, and Arabic scholar; according to another source the author was Research Associate in Astronomy, Buffalo Museum of Science. An excellent resource though not absolutely reliable on the derivation of Western star names from Arabic sources.]
Delporte, Eugène. (1930). Délimitation scientifique des constellation, tables et cartes.
Dolan, Marion. (2007). The Role of Illustrated Aratea Manuscripts in the Transmission of Astronomical Knowledge in the Middle Ages. [Note: Presently (2009) unpublished doctoral thesis (450 pages), University of Pittsburgh, School of Arts and Sciences (but being prepared for publication). Since completing her doctoral thesis the author has been Visiting Lecturer, University of Pittsburgh, History of Art and Architecture Department, and an Adjunct Professor at Carlow University, Pittsburgh (Art Faculty, Humanities Division). Abstract: "The Aratea manuscripts contain Latin translations of the astronomical poem originally written in Greek by Aratus of Soli around 270 BCE. The Greek poem was translated into Latin by three Roman authors: Cicero, Germanicus and Avienus. These three Latin versions became quite popular in the Middle Ages and were usually decorated with pictures of the full cycle of constellations, a celestial map, and personifications of the Sun, Moon and planets. In undertaking this study, essential questions needed to be answered, such as: how many manuscripts survive and from what time periods? How are the three different authors illustrated? What were their models? Are there patterns to be discovered in regard to illustrations of each author? Are the illuminators reading the poem and creating images in accordance with their readings or simply following ancient models? Who was the intended audience? This body of Latin manuscripts, correctly called Aratea, had not been studied in its entirety, nor was there a catalog or listing of the pertinent information. Many conflicting statements have been published concerning Aratea manuscripts, as to their content and function in medieval society. Were Aratea manuscripts produced, collected and read for their poetic content, mythological content, astronomical content, or for their classical or historical connections? Or perhaps it was the pictorial cycle of classical gods, semi-gods, and celebrated semi-nude heroes of antiquity that should be credited for keeping Aratea manuscripts alive through the thousand years of the medieval period? This inquiry addresses these issues and attempts to clarify the content, function and circulation patterns of the three Latin poems. Therefore it was necessary to pursue the sources of astronomical art and to examine the cultural and historical circumstances that influenced Aratea manuscript production. This dissertation has attempted to pull together the numerous threads of this complex but highly-valued body of manuscripts in order to provide a more complete understanding of its role, especially in the transmission of astronomical knowledge."]
Dupuis, Charles. (1836). "Mémoire sur l'origine des constellations." In: Dupuis, Charles. (1836, Edition Nouvelle). Origine de tous les Cultes ou Religion Universelle, Tome Neuvième. (Pages 1-408).
E[?], C[?]., E[?], A[?]., and X. (1950). "Constellation." In: Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 6, Pages 311-313). [Note: Unreliable regarding the early history of the Mesopotamian constellations. The authors obviously regard the researches of Robert Brown Junior as reliable.]
Frank, Roslyn. (2000)."Hunting the European Sky Bears: Hercules Meets Harzkume." In: Esteban, César. and Belmonte, Juan. (Editors). Oxford VI and SEAC 99 "Astronomy and Cultural Diversity." (Pages 295-302). [Note: This publication is the proceedings of the 6th "Oxford" international symposium on archaeoastronomy, jointly with the SEAC99 (European archaeoastronomy) meeting, held in La Laguna, Tenerife, in 1999. Copies of the book are exceedingly rare due to water damage to stock during a devastating Madrid flood. A PDF file has now (February, 2010) been kindly made available by Michael Rappenglück and is freely downloadable from the publications page of the SEAC web site.]
Frank, Roslyn. and Bengoa, Jesús. (2001). "Hunting the European sky-bears: on the origin of the non-zodiacal constellations." In: Ruggles, Clive. (Editor). Astronomy, Cosmology and Landscape. (Pages 15-43). [Note: A paper first presented at the SEAC98 conference in Dublin. Interesting for what it attempts but it contains some key misunderstandings and dubious assumptions.]
Frank, Roslyn. (2003). "Hunting the European Sky Bears: A Proto-European Vision Quest to the End of the Earth." In: Fountain, John. and Sinclair, Rolf. (Editors). Current Studies in Archaeoastronomy: Conversations Across Time and Space. (Pages 455-4476). [Note: Selected papers from the 5th Oxford international conference on archaeoastronomy held at Santa Fe in 1996.]
Gallant, Roy. (1979). The Constellations: How They Came to Be.
Genuth, Sara. (1997). "Constellations." In: Lankford, John. (Editor). History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia. (Pages160-164). [Note: Excellent short article.]
Genuth, Sara. (1997). "Globes, Celestial." In: Lankford, John. (Editor). History of Astronomy. (Pages 235-238).
Ginzel, Friedrich. (1906-1914). Handbuch der mathematischen und technischen Chronologie. (3 Volumes). [Note: All 3 volumes reprinted 1958. Somewhat dated but not yet superseded. Contains such interesting things as a comparative list of Arab, Indian, and Chinese moon stations. See the (English-language) book review by Christopher Cheney in The English Historical Review, Volume 75, Number 295, April, 1960, Pages 381-382. Friedrich Ginzel was an astronomer. Life dates: 1850-1926.]
Grimaldi, Alexander. (1905). A Catalogue of Zodiacs and Planispheres. Originals and Copies, Ancient and Modern, Extant and Nonextant from BC 1320 to AD 1900 arranged according to countries and in chronological order.
Gundel. Hans. (1992). Zodiakos Tierkreisbilder im Altertum. [Note: A revision and expansion of the author's 1972 article (which was also contributed to by Robert Böker) in Paulys Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft. An excellent reference on the subject. (Hans Gundel was the son of the classical philologist Wilhelm Gundel.) See the (French-language) book review (of the separately published 1972 article) by Frank van Wonterghem in L'Antiquité Classique, Tome XLII, 1973, Pages 679-680.]
Haffner, Mechthild. (1997). Ein antiker Sternbilderzyklus und seine Tradierung in Handschriften vom frühen Mittelalter bis zum Humanismus. Untersuchungen zu den Illustrationen der "Aratea" des Germanicus. [Note: The author's doctoral dissertation. Contains an extensive bibliography of manuscript sources.]
Henseling, Robert. (1923). Sternhimmel und Menschheit.
Higgins, William. (1882). The names of the stars and constellations compiled from the Latin, Greek, and Arabic: with their derivations and meanings. [Noted: A small booklet of 57 pages. Interesting but dated and needs to be used with caution. Relies somewhat heavily on the much earlier studies of Ludwig Ideler published in 1809.]
Hill, John. (1754; Reprinted 1768). Urania: or, A Compleat View of the Heavens; Containing the Antient and Modern Astronomy, In Form of a Dictionary. [Note: I have given the spelling of the full title as it appears. Contains a massive amount of (sometimes mistaken) ancient constellation lore. The author was a medical doctor and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Bourdeaux. Life dates: 1707-1775. Kindly brought to my attention by Robert van Gent.]
Ideler, Ludwig [also Ludewig]. (1809, Reprinted 1994). Untersuchungen über den Ursprung und die Bedeutung der Sternnamen. [Note: A landmark study for its time but now thoroughly outdated. The basis of the book is Ideler's translation of the original 13th-century Arabic text Description of the Constellations by the Persian astronomer Al Kazwini, with Ideler's additions and annotations from classical and other sources. Ludewig Ideler was an astronomer, mathematician, chronologist, and philologist. See the (German-language) book review by ? in Allgemeine Literatur - Zeitung, Dritter Band, Number 270, Dienstags, den 3., October, 1809, Columns 249-254. Life dates: 1766-1846.]
Kelley, David. and Milone, Gene. (2005). Exploring Ancient Skies: An Encyclopedic Survey of Astronomy. [Note: An immense world-wide survey of ancient astronomy. Reliant on secondary sources. At times the sources used are unreliable and as a result numerous topics covered lack reliability. Somewhat selective on coverage but this is to be expected. Approximately 600 double-column pages. Numerous discussions of constellations and star names. Also see the section "Origin of the Constellations," Pages 220-221. Contains an extensive bibliography.]
Krupp, Ed. (2007). "Private Constellations." (Sky and Telescope, April, Pages 47-48). [Note: Discusses modern attempts to devise new constellations.]
Kunitzsch, Paul. and Smart. Tim. (1986; revised 2nd edition 2006). Short Guide to Modern Star Names and Their Derivations. [Note: An excellent English-language summary of 254 Western star names. See the (English-language) book review by Deborah Warner in Isis, Volume 78, 1987, Page 275.]
Kunitzsch, Paul. (1997). "Star Names." In: Lankford, John. (Editor). History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia. (Pages 489-490).
Kunitzsch, Paul. and Smart, Tim. (2006). A Dictionary of Modern Star Names. [Note: The revised 2nd edition of Short Guide to Modern Star Names and Their Derivations. This revised 2nd edition is a 76-page pamphlet. Like its predecessor it focuses on Western star names in current use.]
Kuzmin, A[?]. (2001). "The celestial map: The symbolism of historical eras and reflection of the world model." (Astronomical and Astrophysical Transactions, Volume 20, Issue 6, December, Pages 1045-1064). [Note: Abstract: This paper will reconstruct the history of the celestial map, beginning from prehistoric times and continuing to the present. It will be based on the concept of the gradual development of the astronomical world picture. The development of the map depends on two things: man's attitude towards the whole world in general, and his own place in it, in particular. Each change in this attitude is reflected in the celestial map for the given era. Six major stages are described for this process, their changes being determined by the logic of anthropogenesis. Keywords: Constellations; celestial map; world model; stages of development.]
Langdon, Stephen., Fotheringham, John. and Schoch, Carl. (1928). The Venus Tablets of Ammizaduga. [Note: Somewhat dated; especially since the work of the Swiss statistician Peter Huber. For an (English-language) obituary of Carl Schoch by John Fotheringham see The Observatory, Volume 53, May 1930, Pages 83-85. For a (German-language) obituary of Carl Schoch by Paul Neugebauer see Astronomische Nachrichten, Volume 237, November 1929-February 1930, Number 5676, Columns 221-224. For an (English-language) obituary of John Fotheringham by John Myres see the Proceedings of the British Academy, Volume XXII, 1937, Pages 551-564. Life dates for Carl Schoch: 1873-1929. Life dates for Stephen Langdon: 1876-1937. Life dates for John Fotheringham: 1874-1936.]
Le Boeuffle, André. (2004). Astronymie, les noms des étoiles. [See especially: §1 : Le formation de la carte céleste. The author is a specialist on ancient astronomy and is now Professor Emeritus at l'université d'Amiens.]
Lundmark, Knut. (1932/1933). "Luminosities, Colors, Diameters, Densities, Masses of Stars." In: Handbuch der Astrophysik, Volume 5, Parts 1 and 2. (Volume 5, Part 1, 1932, Chapter 4, Pages 209-697 (Article); Volume 5, Part 2, 1933, Chapter 4, Pages 1077-11501 (Appendices)). [Note: Volume 5 was issued in 2 parts (comprised 1156 pages). It formed the first section of a discussion of the Stellar System. The second section was published in Volume 6. Eventually, Handbuch der Astrophysik comprised 7 volumes, published 1928-1936. Chapter 4, "Luminosities, Colors, Diameters, Densities, Masses of Stars." - comprising 560 pages with the appendices included - is considered the most complete discussion of the subject that has ever appeared. The historical development of determinations of stellar magnitude is traced from the primitive constellation figures chipped into rocks by stone-age 'astronomers' up to modern times. The discussion contains a vast amount of original work. The Appendices to Chapter 4 appeared in Volume 5, Part 2. Knut Lundmark was a Swedish astronomer who had migrated to the USA but after a few years returned to Sweden. From 1921 to 1926 he was at Lick Observatory and Mount Wilson Observatory. He was professor of astronomy and head of the observatory at Lund University 1929-1955. Life dates: 1889-1958. I am grateful to Göran Johansson for corrective information concerning Knut Lundmark.]
Martos-Rubio, A[?]. (1992). Historia de las constelaciones: Un ensayo sobre su origen.
Moreux, Théophile. (1925, new edition 1947). "A la lueur des étoiles." In: La Science Mystérieuse des Pharaons. [Note: Chapitre VII, Pages 103-120. An unreliable general survey of the origin and early history of the constellations.]
Mouser, Robert. and Forbes, Eugene. (1949). Star Names. [Note: Privately published.]
[Multiple authors]. (2011). Issue title: Les Constellations de la préhistoire à nos jours. (Ceil et Espace, 04, Number 25).
O'Conner, Elizabeth. (1980). The Star Mantle of Henri II. (Note: Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Columbia University).
O'Neil, William.(1986). Early Astronomy: from Babylonia to Copernicus. [Note: The author taught psychology at University of Sydney (New South Wales) but also had a deep interest in ancient astronomy and ancient calendars. See the (English-language) book review by R[?]. Grognard in Search, Volume 18, Number 5, September/October 1987, Page 271.]
Oppenheim, Samuel. (1912). Das astronomie weltbild im Wandel der Zeit.
Orr, Mary. (1913; Revised edition 1956). Dante and the early astronomers. [Note: Includes a short critical discussion of the "void zone" theory of constellation origins. The author was a solar astronomer and was also a Director of the Historical Section of the British Astronomical Association. She was married to the noted British solar astronomer John Evershed. See the (English-language) book review by Robert Forbes in Archives Internationales d'Histoire des Sciences, 1957, Page 141.]
Partridge, Archibald. (1936). The Story of the Heavens: How the 48 Ancient Constellations got their Names 5000 Years Ago. [Note: Uncritical and unreliable. The author was an astrologer and also appears to have been an occultist. Largely based on the book "Phainomena, or the Heavenly Display of Aratos" by Robert Brown Junior (1885). Contains the complete translation (by Robert Brown Junior) of the "Phainomena" by Aratus. He also wrote: The Story of the Zodiac, its Antiquity and its Message.]
Peck, William. (1926). The Southern Hemisphere Constellations and How to Find Them. [Note: See "I. The Origin of the Constellations" Pages 3-7.]
Pluche, Noël-Antoine. [commonly referred to as: Abbé Le Pluche.] (1739, 2 Volumes). Histoire du Ciel. [Note: A highly popular book. The first volume is largely devoted to a discussion of Egyptian mythology. The second volume is a chronological review of creation theories. Within the book he discusses the zodiac. Now thoroughly outdated. The author was a French priest and teacher of Rhetoric. Life dates: 1688-1761.]
Plunket, Emmeline. (1903; Reprinted 1997).
Ancient Calendars and Constellations. [Note: The 1997 reprint was
titled Calendars and Constellations of the Ancient World. A
series of papers having no usefulness.
In this book Plunket endeavours to prove that the zodiac must have been invented about
6000 BC
Powell, Robert. (2007). History of the Zodiac. [Note: The book was kindly brought to my attention by Jean Kelley. Based on the author's 2004 PhD thesis awarded at the Polish Academy of Science (Institute for the History of Science) in Warsaw. Robert Powell is an astrologer and the book is concerned with the issue of the sidereal zodiac versus the tropical zodiac during the history of its transmission. For some reason the author gives the misspelling Franz Zavier Kugler instead of the correct spelling Franz Xaver Kugler.]
Proctor, Richard. (1869; Frequently reprinted). Half-hours with the Stars. [Note: Life dates: 1837-1888.]
Proctor, Mary. (1938). "Origin of the Constellations." In: Proctor, Mary. Everyman's Astronomy. (Pages 141-157). [Note: Chapter IX of her book. The author was the daughter of the popular astronomical author/lecturer Richard Proctor by his first marriage. Basically the author supports the "void zone" argument.]
Rhode, Johann. (1809). Versuch über das Alter des Thierkreises und den Ursprung der Sternbilder. [Note: Life dates: 1762-1827.]
Roberts, Peter. (1802). Essay on the origin of the constellations. [Note: Unreliable. Life dates: 1760?-1819.]
Ruggles, Clive. (2005). Ancient Astronomy: An Encyclopedia of Cosmologies and Myth. [Note: Comprehensive and critical. Frequent discussion of ancient constellations and possible ancient constellations. The author is Professor of Archaeoastronomy at the University of Leicester.]
Savage-Smith, Emelie. (1992). "Celestial Mapping." In: Harley, John. and Woodward, David. (Editors). The History of Cartography. Volume 2, Book 1: Cartography in the Traditional Islamic and South Asian Societies. (Pages12-76). [Note: Excellent.]
Selin, Helaine. (Revised and expanded edition, 2008). (Editor). Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. [Note: Now illustrated and approaching 2500 pages. The editor's intention is to keep producing revised and expanded editions. Lots of articles discussing star names and constellations.]
Sesti, Giuseppe. (1991). The Glorious Constellations. [Note: Unreliable and should not be used. (Best only for the numerous illustrations.) See the critical (English-language) book review by Elly Dekker in Annals of Science, Volume 50, Number 5, 1993, Pages 498-499; and also the somewhat uncritical (English-language) book review by George Lovi in Sky and Telescope, Volume 83, Number 3, March, 1992, Pages 283 & 286. I have not seen the (English-language) book review by ? in Astronomy, Volume 20, Number 2, 1992, Page 94.]
Scherer, Anton. (1953). Gestirnnamen bei den indogermanischen Völken. [Note: Invaluable. See the (English-language) book review by Ernest Pulgram in Language, Volume 30, 1954, Pages 284-285; and the (German-language) book review by Ernst Zinner in Theologische Literaturzeitung, Volume 82, Number 9, September, 1957, Columns 674-675.]
Schlachter, Alois. (1927). Der Globus Seine Entstehung und Verwendung in der Antike. [Note: Still useful even though dated and containing errors.]
Schmeidler, Felix. (1980). Planeten und Sternbilder im Wandel der Geschichte. [Note: 24 pages.]
Schnabel, Paul. (1923; reprinted 1968). Berossos und die Babylonisch-Hellenistische Literatur. [Note: The author was convinced that the Babylonians knew of the phenomena of precession. However, Otto Neugebauer thoroughly rebutted the evidence used by Schnabel. The book contains numerous errors. Paul Schabel was a German philologist and historian who held a number of university teaching positions. Schnabel studied ancient history and classical philology at Leipzig and Jena. He gained his Ph.D. in 1911 with his thesis on Berossos, and became a lecturer. During World War I he served in the military. He completed his Habilitation in 1920 and became an Associate Professor at Universität Halle. He also taught at Universität Greifswald. In the 1930’s he became associated with the Nazi Party. In 1937 malaria ended his teaching career and in 1938 he was admitted to hospital. During his career he focused mainly on the history and chronology of the Ancient Near East, as well as ancient geography. Life dates: 1887-1947.]
Swartz, Carl. (1807). Recherches sur l'origine et le signification des Constellations de la Sphère greque. [Note: Unreliable.]
Swartz, Carl. (1809). Le Zodiaque expliqué. [Note: The revised (standard) edition of his earlier work published in 1807. Unreliable. See the (German-language) book reviews by Anon (Franz Zach?) in Correspondenz zur Beförderung der Erd- und Himmels- Kunde, Band 20, 1809, Pages 34-50; and by Anon in Astronomisches Jahrbuch für das Jahr 1818 (edited by Johann Bode), 1815, Pages 188-197. See also the (English-language) review essays by Anon "Tracts on the Zodiac." in The Monthly Review, or, Literary Journal, Volume 76, 1815, Pages 539-542; and "Researches on the Origin and Signification of the Zodiac." in The Literary Panorama, and National register, Volume 1, 1814, Pages 257-259. See also the discussion of Swartz's ideas in the publications Widerlegung by Peter Körner (1813; German-language) and Lettre Critique de Mr. C. G. S. by Anon (1817; French-language). In the first and second editions of his book Carl Swartz, an amateur astronomer, proposed that the unconstellated area of the southern sky gave an approximate date for the formation of the constellations. The author was born in Sweden and died in France. His first name is sometimes given as "Christian" and his last name is sometimes spelled "Schwartz." Life dates 1757-1824.]
Taylor, Walt. (1933). "Some Doubtful Star-names." (Bulletin of the Faculty of Arts, University of Egypt, Volume 1, Pages 325-327).
Ungnad, Arthur. (1923). Ursprung und Wanderung der Sternnamen. [Note: Pamphlet. Title in English: Origin and Migration of the Star Names. The author was a noted German assyriologist.]
Verkerk, C[?]. (1980). "Aratea: A Review of the Literature Concerning MS. Vossianus lat. q. 79 in Leiden University Library." (Journal of Medieval History, Volume 6, Issue 3, September, Pages 245-287). [Note: Abstract: "The beautiful, well-known, but highly problematical, illuminated Carolingian MS. of the classical astronomical work called the Aratea or the Syntagma Arateorum, once owned by Isaac Vossius, has long been a prized possession of Leiden's University Library. Aratos of Soli, the Greek poet (about 315-270/239 B.C.), was the author of the earliest version of this work, which he called the Phaenomena; Germanicus Caesar, Cicero and Festus Rufus Avienus produced Latin translations of it. Over the years an extensive literature has developed concerning the many problems raised by this MS. This literature is reviewed in detail in what follows and an attempt made, as it were, to clear the air ready for the further research which is shown to be necessary."]
van der Waerden, Bartel. (1974). Science Awakening II: The Birth of Astronomy. [Note: A generally excellent overview of Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Persian astronomy and star lore. The book is an English-language revision of his Die Anfänge der Astronomie (1965; Republished 1968). For the German-language book see the (German-language) book reviews by Willy Hartner in Gnomon, Band 44, 1972, Pages 529-537; and Wolfram von Soden in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Dreiundsechzigster Jahrgang, 1968, Columns 350-354; and the (English-Language) book review by Owen Gingerich in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Volume 89, 1969, Pages 634-635.]
Wagman, Morton. (2003). Lost Stars. [Note: Not always reliable regarding discussion of early Mesopotamian constellations. Accepts Willy Hartner's conjectures regarding early Mesopotamian constellations. See the (English-language) book reviews by Anon in Sky and Telescope, Volume 107, Number 3, March, 2004, Page 72; and by Owen Gingerich in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 35, Part 2, May, 2004, Number 119, Pages 244-245.]
Webb, Edmund. (1952). The Names of the Stars. [Note: Still important for debunking many constellation myths such as Taurus being the leading constellation of the zodiac and marking the vernal equinox circa 3000 BCE. Argues a case for the Greeks inventing most of their constellations, and not largely borrowing their constellations from Babylonian uranography.]
Werner, Helmut. and Schmeidler, Felix. (1986). Synopsis of the Nomenclature of the Fixed Stars. [Note: Completed and edited by Felix Schmeidler. See the (English-language) book review by Morton Wagman in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 19, 1988, Pages 59-61.]
Whyte, Charles. (1928). The Constellations and their History. [Note: Unreliable.]
Articles/Entries:
Anonymous. (1937). "Pronunciation of Star and Constellation Names." (Griffith Observer, April, Pages ?-?).
Anonymous. (1937). "Constellation Myths as Human History." (Griffith Observer, October, Pages ?-?).
Baity, Elizabeth. (1973). "Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy So Far." (Current Anthropology, Volume 14, Number 4, Pages 389-431). [Note: Comments immediately follow the article from pages 431-439. The authors reply immediately follows the comments from pages 439-449. World-wide in scope, a little dated in some areas, and still very useful.]
Bishop, Jean. (2004). "How Astronomical Objects are Named." (The Planetarian, Volume 33, Number 3, Pages 6-24).
Carlson, John. and Cherry, Ron. (1966). "Anthropods in Astronomy." (American Entomologist, Volume 42, Number 3, Fall, Pages 149-158).
Evans, Michael. (2010). "Achieving continuity: a story of stellar magnitude." (Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, Volume 41, Issue 1, March, Pages 86-94).
Flanders, David [Tony]. (2005). "Star Names. From Alcor to Zubeneschamali, every star's name tells a fascinating story." (Night Sky, May/June, Volume 2, Number 3, 2005, Pages 54-60). [Note: A reliable general overview of the history of Western star names.]
Fletcher, Rachael. (2009). "The Geometry of the Zodiac." (Nexus Network Journal, Volume 11, Number 1, April, Pages 105-128). [Note: A somewhat odd article. Rachael Fletcher is a theatre designer and geometer in Massachusetts, USA. She is an adjunct professor at the New York School of Interior Design. The parts of the article dealing with the origin and early history of the zodiac are unreliable. The author misunderstands and confuses information in the references used.]
Gundel, Wilhelm. (1924/1925). "Die Sterne im Volksglauben." (Faust, Heft 8, Pages 22-28). [Note: The author was Professor of Classical Philology at the University of Giessen.]
Gundel, Wilhelm. (1949). "Paranatellonta." In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft. (Sechsunddreissigster Halband Zweites Drittel, Columns 1214-1275).
Gundel, Hans. (1963). "Himmelsbilder auf antiken Planisphären." (Sterne und Weltraum, Band 2, Pages 203-206).
Gundel, Hans. and Böker, Robert. (1972). "Zodiakos." In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft. (Band XA, Columns 462-709). [Note: This lengthy article was also separately published in 1972.]
Hamp, Eric. (1972). "The Principal (?) Indo-European Constellations." In: Heilman, Luigi. (Editor). Proceedings of the Eleventh International Congress of Linguists. (2 Volumes, Pages 1047-1055). [Note: The paper is in Volume II.]
Heuter, Gwyneth. (1986). "Star Names - Origins and Misconceptions." (Vistas in Astronomy, Volume 29, Pages 237-251). [Note: Not always reliable.]
Ideler, Ludewig. (1838). "Über den Ursprung des Thierkreises." (Abhandlung der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Pages 1-24).
Kaul, Flemming. (2005). "Bronze Age tripartite cosmologies." (Prähistorische Zeitschrift, Volume 80, Issue 2, November, Pages 135-148).
Kollerstrom, Nicholas. (1997). "The Star Zodiac of Antiquity." (Culture and Cosmos, Volume 1, Pages 15-22).
Krupp, Ed. (2000). "Night Gallery: The Function, Origin, and Evolution of Constellations." (Archaeoastronomy: The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, Volume XV, Pages 43-63). [Note: The best summary study to date. Originally presented at Oxford VI, June, 1999. Supportive of Willy Hartner's controversial views on the earliest constellations.]
Kunitzsch, Paul. (1997). "Star Names." In: Lankford, John. (Editor). History of Astronomy. (Pages 489-490).
Kurtik, G[?]. (1999). "The Identification of Inanna with the Planet Venus: A Criterion for the Time Determination of the Recognition of Constellations in Ancient Mesopotamia." (Astronomical and Astrophysical Transactions, Volume 17, Pages 501-513). [Note: Interesting.]
Linnartz, Harold. (1997). "Nachtvoorstelling: sterren en sterrenbeelden." (Natuur & techniek, Volume 65, jaarg., aug, Pages 76-85). [Note: This (Dutch/Flemish-language?) article is on the origin of the constellations in use today.]
Long, Eleanor. (1984). "How the Dog Got its Days: A Skeptical Inquiry into Traditional Star and Weather Lore." (Western Folklore, Volume 43, Number 4, October, Pages 256-264).
Lynn, William. (1910). "Classical and arabic origin of star names." (The Observatory, Volume 33, Pages 137-138). [Note: The brief note appears in Correspondence. William Lynn (BA, FRAS) was an assistant at Greenwich Observatory. See: Astronomische Nachrichten Volume 68, Page 105.]
Makemson, Maud. (1954). "Astronomy in Primitive Religion." (The Journal of Bible and Religion, Volume 22, Number 3, July, Pages 163-171).
Maunder, Edward. (1885). "An Old Monument: or the Story of the Constellations." (Sunday Magazine, April, Pages 158-162). [Note: One of his earliest article on the origin of the constellations and unreliable. Obviously influenced by the ideas of the classicist and linguist Frances Rolleston (1781-1864) in her "gospel in the stars" book "Mazzaroth, or The Constellations" (4 Volumes, 1862-1865). The later articles (1898 onwards) by the Evangelical astronomer Edward Maunder (1851-1928) on the origin of the constellations were influenced by the ideas of the Swedish amateur astronomer Carl Swartz (1757-1824) in his "Le Zodiaque expliqué" (1809) published in Paris.]
Maunder, Edward. and Maunder, Annie. (1904). "Note on the Date of the Passage of the Vernal equinox from Taurus into Aries." (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 64, Number 3, Pages 488-507). [Note: The discussion on the origin of the constellations is completely unreliable.]
Miller, Roy. (1988). "Pleiades Perceived: Mul.Mul to Subaru." (Journal of the American Oriental Society, Volume 108, Pages 1-25).
Moesgaard, Kristtan, and Kristensen, Leif. (1976). "The Bright Stars of the Zodiac, a Catalogue for Historical Use." (Centaurus, Volume 20, Issue 2, June, Pages 129-158).
Neugebauer, Otto. (1954). "On the Hatra Zodiac." (Sumer, Volume 10, Page 91).
Obridko, V[?]., et al. (2002). "Astronomy of Ancient Civilizations." (Astronomical and Astrophysical Transactions, Volume 21, Numbers 4-6, Pages 279-291). [Note: Paper presented at the International Conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture - SEAC, Moscow, 2000.]
Pietraszko, Philip. (1971). “Constellations - Myth or Reality?” (Griffith Observer, May, Pages ?-?).
Renson, Pierre. (1997). "Les constellations." [Parts I to V]. (Ciel et Terre, Volume 113, Number 1, Janvier-Février, Pages 3-8; Number 2, Mars-Avril, Pages 47-52; Number 3, Mai-Juin, Pages 111-115; Number 4, Juillet-Août, Pages 147-152; Number 6, Novembre-Décembre, Pages 193-200). [Note: The series of five (French-language) articles comprises a comprehensive overview of the origin and history of the Western constellations. The journal is published in Belgium by the Observatoire Royal de Belgique. The author is an astronomer (astrophysicist).]
Ridpath, Ian. (1990). "The Origin of Our Constellations." (Mercury, Volume 19, Number 6, November/December, Pages 163-171). [Note: Not wholly reliable.]
Rolleston, Frances. (1862-1865, 4 Volumes). Mazzaroth, or The Constellations. [Note: Unreliable. A "gospel in the stars" book by a classicist and linguist. See the (English-language) book review by ? in "Astronomical Traditions," The Anthropological Review, Volume 3, Number 11, October, 1865, Pages 325-329. Life dates: 1781-1864.]
Rumrill, H[?]. (1936). "Star name pronunciation." (Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Volume 48, Number 283, June, 1936, Pages 139-154).
Stegemann, Viktor. (1941). "Sternbilder I (Tierkreisbilder)." In: Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens IX). (Pages 596-677).
Tucker, R[?]. (1904). "The fundamental stars of the zodiacal list." (Astronomische Nachrichten, Volume 166, Issue 5, Pages 65-68).
Various authors. (1921). "Sun, moon, stars." In: Hastings, James. (Editor). Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics. (Volume 12; Pages 48-103). [Note: Comprehensive and still useful world-wide coverage but now rather dated. Section titles are: Introductory, Primitive, American, Babylonian, Buddhist, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Hebrew, Hindu, Iranian, Japanese, Jewish, Muhammadan, Semitic, Teutonic and Balto-Slavic.]
Waldron, Richard (1972). "The Legends of Orion." (Griffith Observer, March, Pages ?-?).
Werner, Helmut. (1952). "Klassische Sternbilder am Himmel der Tshuktschen." (Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, Band 77, Heft 1, Pages 139-141).
Werner, Helmut. (1955). "Gekrönte der Vergleichenden Sternbilderkunde." (Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, Band 80, Heft 1, Pages 116-124).
Werner, Helmut. (1964). "Wissenschaftliche Instrumente am Sternbilderhimmel." (Sonderdruck aus Zeiss, Mitteilungen 3, Heft 7, Pages 279-299).
Werner, Helmut. (1967). "Problems and Results of Comparative Studies of the Celestial Constellations." In: Beer, Arthur. (Editor). Vistas in Astronomy. (Volume 9, Pages 135-145).
Wilson, Edith. (1913). "The Story of the Zodiac." (Popular Astronomy, Part 1, Volume XXI, March, Number 3, Pages 151-158; Part 2, Volume XXI, April, Number 4, Pages 216-225). [Note: Outdated and unreliable.]
Zhitomirsky, S[?]. (1999). "Archaeoastronomy and Aratus' Phaenomena." (Astronomical and Astrophysical Transactions, Volume 15, Pages 293-294). [Note: Argues that Aratus is describing the skies circa 2000 BCE.]
Zhitomirsky, S[?]. (1999). "Aratus' "Phaenomena": Dating and Analysing its Primary Source." (Astronomical and Astrophysical Transactions, Volume 17, Pages 483-500). [Note: Argues that Aratus is describing the skies circa 2000 BCE.]
Mythology, Symbolism, and Religion
Books/Pamphlets:
Andrews, Munya. (2004). The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades. Stories from around the World. [Note: Unreliable somewhat mystical type of presentation.]
Andrews, Tamra. (1998). Legends, of the Earth, Sea, and Sky. An Encyclopedia of Nature Myths. [Note: The author is a university reference librarian turned full-time writer. The entries on astronomical topics are very general in nature and not always reliable.]
Ackerman, Phyllis. (1938). "The Oriental Origins of Janus and Hermes." (Bulletin of the American Institute for Iranian Art and Archaeology, Volume V, Pages 216-225). [Note: Astronomical mythology. Phyllis Ackerman was a teacher, author, editor, and translator in the fields of Persian textiles, and European tapestries, and also Chinese bronzes, iconography, and symbolism. At the University of California, Berkeley, she excelled in mathematics. However, she changed disciplines and in 1920 married Arthur Pope (who was then a lecturer in the department of philosophy and aesthetics at the University of California, Berkeley. She and Arthur Pope collaborated to edit the monumental A Survey of Persian Art (6 Volumes, 1938-1939). She and her husband spent most of their lives in Iran, and both are buried there. See the (English-language) biographical entry (including incomplete bibliography) by Cornelia Montgomery in Encyclopaedia Iranica edited by Ehsan Yarshater (1985 - Present). Life dates: 1893-1977.]
Ackerman, Phyllis. (1940). Gods of Our Forefathers. [Note: 16-page pamphlet on Persian astral beliefs/mythology. The booklet summarises the more detailed arguments given by the author in other publications of the Iranian Institute. Many of her detailed writings on the topic remain unpublished (and are in the care of a museum in Shiraz). She was a strongly original but somewhat speculative thinker.]
Ackerman, Phyllis. (1945). Ritual Bonzes of Ancient China. [Note: Numerous excellent photographs. The book is an example of the authors astral interpretation of artifacts. See the restrained (English-language) book review by Wolfram Eberhard in Artibus Asiae, Volume 10, Number 1, 1947, Pages 74-80.]
Ackerman, Phyllis. (1950; Reprinted but no date (circa 1970?). "The Dawn of Religions." In: Ferm, Vergilius. (Editor). Forgotten Religions. [Note: An informed (but somewhat speculative) article. Both the author and her husband, Arthur Pope, were experts on Persian art and architecture. Her ideas in this essay are critically discussed in "Some Recent Literature in Philosophy of Religion." by Richard Millard (Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Volume 12, Number 3, March, 1952, Pages 422-430.]
Ackerman, Phyllis (1960; Reprinted 1968). "Stars and Stories." In: Murray, Henry. (Editor). Myth and Mythmaking. [Note: An interesting article on Mesopotamian star lore. The author shows a lack of understanding of the origins of Panbabylonism.]
Aitken, Robert. (1948). The Era of the Four Royal Stars. (Leaflet Number 227, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, February). [Note: Generally unreliable.]
Barber, Elizabeth. and Barber, Paul. (2004). When They Severed the Earth From the Sky: How the Human Mind Shapes Myth. [Note: The authors maintain that myth originated in prehistoric non-literate societies as a vehicle to preserve and transmit information about real events and observations. The authors state that the original inspiration for much of their book were the essays in Before Philosophy by Henri and Henriette Frankfort, John Wilson, and Thorkild Jacobsen (1949). Chapter 16: Of Sky and Time is sufficient demonstration of the uninformed and wildly speculative nature of the authors arguments. They uncritically follow the central theme of Hamlet's Mill by Giorgio De Santillana and Hertha von Dechend. Elizabeth Wayland is Professor of Linguistics and Archaeology at Occidental College, Los Angeles. Paul Barber is a research associate with the Fowler Museum of Cultural History at the University of California, Los Angeles. See the (English-language) book review by William Doty in The Journal of Religion, Volume 86, Number 4, October, 2006, Pages 716-717.]
Barnard, Mary. (1966). The Mythmakers. [Note: An interesting book on astral mythology. The author was an American poet and Greek-to-English translator. Life dates: 1909-2001. See the (English-language) book review by Ernst Dick, "The New Comparative Mythology," Western Folklore, Volume 29, Number 2, April, 1970, Pages 142-146.]
Blake, John. (1877). Astronomical Myths. [Note: Interesting but dated and generally unreliable. See the (English-language) book review by Anon in Nature, Volume XV, February 22, 1877, Pages 351-352. Life dates: 1839-1906.]
Boll, Franz. (1914; Reprinted 1967). Aus der Offenbarung Johannis: hellenistische Studien zum Weltbild der Apokalypse. [Note: See Classical Philology, Volume 11, Number 3, July, 1916, Pages 343-344 for a (English-language) book review by Shirley Case. See The Classical Review, Volume XXX, 1916, Page 22, for a (English-language) book review by W. K. Lowther-Clarke; and see Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, 19 Jahrgang, Juni 1916, Number 6, Columns 187-188 for a (German-language) book review by Ferdinand Bork; and see Theologische Literaturzeitung, Vierzigster Jahrgang, Number 12, 1915, Columns 273-276 (for a (German-language) book review by [?] Bouffet. For a critical book-length rebuttal of Boll's ideas in his book see Die Apokalypse des Apostels Johannes und die hellenistische Kosmologie und Astrologie, by (the Catholic theologian/(later) bishop) Joseph Freundorfer (1929).]
Bousset, Wilhelm. (1960). Die Himmelsreise der Seele. [Note: A reprint of the author's lengthy 1901 article.]
Brendel, Otto. (1977). Symbolism of the Sphere. [Note: English translation (by Maria Brendel) and re-publication of the author's earlier German-language essay.]
Brown, Junior., Robert. (1881). The Unicorn: A Mythological Investigation. [Note: Small book/pamphlet comprising 96 pages. Brown saw the unicorn as a lunar symbol. Brown's main object is to show that the unicorn of heraldry is the last faded representative of the horned moon of early mythology who struggles in vain with the solar lion. Brown also attempts to show that the Triquetra of Sicily, the three legs of the Isle of Man, is the lunar ass of the Bundahishn with the triple legs. See the (English-language) book review by Anon in Nature, Volume 25, 6th April, 1882, Pages 525-526. Robert Brown Junior was a solicitor and amateur antiquarian. Life dates 1844-1912.]
Bunte, Bernhardus. [Bunte, Bernhard]. (Editor). (1856, reprinted 1875). Hygini fabulae. [Note: Latin-language text.]
Busenbark, Ernest. (1949). Symbols, Sex, and the Stars in Popular Beliefs. [Note: Unreliable popular freethought work.]
Burnham, Junior., Robert. (1966; Revised edition 1978). Burnham's Celestial Handbook. (3 Volumes). [Note: 2 volumes were published in 1966 and 3 volumes were published in 1978. This latter edition also comprised a revision of the first 2 volumes. The volumes are unreliable regarding discussion of the history of constellations and the meaning of star names.]
Burrows, Eric. (1935). "Some Cosmological Patterns in Babylonian Religion." In: Hooke, Samuel. (Editor). The Labyrinth: Further Studies in the Relation Between Myth and Ritual in the Ancient World. (Pages 43-70). [Note: The ideas in the article have been subject to criticism.]
Chamberlain, Von Del., Carlson, John. and Young, Mary. (2005). Songs from the Sky: Indigenous Astronomical and Cosmological Traditions of the World. [Note: Comprises selected proceedings papers of the "First International Conference on Ethnoastronomy," Washington, D.C., 1983. Published as Volumes XII-XIII, 1996, of Archaeoastronomy: The Journal of the Center Archaeoastronomy. An excellent collection of papers.]
Chevalier, Jacques. (1997). A Postmodern Revelation: Signs of Astrology and the Apocalypse. [Note: Full of interesting material but the validity of its basic thesis has been criticized. At times the author handles the astronomical material uncritically. See the (English-language) book review by Roger Beck in Revue Canadienne, Volume 28, Number 1, 1999. Life dates: 1949- .]
Clark, Helen. (1910). A Guide to Mythology. [Note: Devotes 128 pages to astral myths.]
Clifford, Richard. (1972). The Cosmic Mountain in Canaan and the Old Testament. [Note: A revision and expansion of the author's 1970 doctoral dissertation.]
Collingwood, William. (1886). Astrology in the Apocalypse, An Essay on Biblical Allusions to Chaldæan Science. [Note: Interesting but dated and unreliable. Life dates: 1854-1932.]
Collon, Dominique. (1992). "The Near Eastern Moon God." In: Meijer, Diederik. (Editor). Natural Phenomena: Their Meaning, Depiction and Description in the Ancient Near East. (Pages 19-37). [Note: A conference paper originally presented in 1989.]
Cook, Arthur. (1914-1940). Zeus: a Study in Ancient Religion. (3 Volumes). [Note: A standard study. Includes frequent discussions of astronomical themes. See the (English-language) book reviews by Arthur Pickard-Cambridge in The Classical Review, Volume XXIX, 1915, Pages 80-85; William Crooke in Folk-Lore, Volume XXVI, 1915, Pages 220-223; Herbert Rose in Folk-lore, Volume XXXVII, Number 3, September, 1926, Pages 305-310; and the (French-language) book review by Franz Cumont in L'Antiquité Classique, Tome XI, 1942, Pages 165-168.]
Critchlow, Keith. (1988). "Astronomical and Cosmological Symbolism in Islamic Patterns." In: Sevcenko, Margaret. (Editor). Theories and Principles of Design in the Architecture of Islamic Societies. (Chapter 5, Pages 47-56). [Note: Conference proceedings, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture.]
Critchlow, Keith. (1976, reprinted 1999). Islamic Patterns: An Analytical and Cosmological Approach. [Note: Keith Critchlow is an architect and Director of the Islamic Arts course at the Prince of Wales Institute of Architecture, London.]
Day, John. (1985). God's conflict with the dragon and the sea. [Note: Contains a discussion of some astral interpretations of the Biblical book of Revelation.]
Didier, John. (2009). Inside and Outside the Square: The Sky and the Power of Belief in Ancient China and the World, c. 4500 BC - AD 200. (3 Volumes). [Note: Sino-Platonic Papers, Number 192, September, 2009. Lengthy and engrossing doctoral thesis. Volume 1: The Ancient Eurasian World and the Celestial Pivot; Volume 2: Representations and Identities of High Powers in Neolithic and Bronze China; and Volume 3: Terrestrial and Celestial Transformations in Zhou and Early-Imperial China.]
van Dijk, Jan. (1998). "Inanna raubt den "groβen Himmel". Ein Mythos." In: Maul, Stefan. (Editor). Festschrift für Rykle Borger zu seinem 65. (Pages 9-38).
Drews, Arthur. (1923). Der Sternhimmel in der Dichtung und Religion der Alten Völker und des Christentums. [Note: An astronomical interpretation of religion and mythology. Unreliable but also interesting. See the (English-language?) book review by Julius Ruska in Isis, Volume 7, Number 1, 1925, Pages 158-162).]
Drews, Arthur. (1928). Das Markus-Evangelium.als Zeugnis Gegen die Geschichlichkeit Jesu. [Note: A detailed astronomical interpretation of the life of Jesus as set out in the Gospel of Mark. Unreliable but also interesting.]
Eisler, Robert. (1910; Reprinted 2002). Weltenmantel und Himmelszelt: Religionsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen zur Urgeschichte des Antiken Weltbilds. (2 Volumes). [Note: An interesting collection of material. Eisler's two volumes have been called "highly valuable as phantasmagorias of uncritically used material." The entire volume 1 contains a great mass of material for the heavenly garment (i.e., astral symbols on garments) worn by royalty in ancient and medieval times, as well as by a great number of gods in ancient religion and on into Christianity. Volume 2 presents a similar body of material from sources of all sorts on the vault of heaven as a religious symbol. See the (English-language) book review by Francis Burkitt in The Classical Review, Volume XXV, 1911, Pages 145-147; and the (French-language) book review by Ed[?]. L[?]. in L'Année Sociologique, Tome XII 1909-1912, 1913, Pages 260-266.]
Engnell, Ivan. (1943, Revised edition 1967). Studies in Divine Kingship in the Ancient Near East. [Note: Supports the "Myth and Ritual" School of Samuel Hooke and his associates. Discusses astral interpretations of material.]
Fasching, Gerhard. (1998). Sternbilder und ihre Mythen.
Ferrari, Gloria. (2008). Alcman and the Cosmos of Sparta. [Note: The author is a classical scholar and expert on ancient Greece. From the publishers blurb: "The Partheneion, or “maiden song,” composed in the seventh century BCE by the Spartan poet Alcman, is the earliest substantial example of a choral lyric. A provocative reinterpretation of the Partheneion and its broader context, Alcman and the Cosmos of Sparta excavates the poem’s invocations of widespread and long-lived cosmological ideas that cast the universe as perfectly harmonious and invested its workings with an ethical dimension. Moving far beyond standard literary interpretations, Gloria Ferrari uncovers this astral symbolism by approaching the poem from several angles to brilliantly reconstruct the web of ancient drama, music, religion, painting, and material culture in which it is enmeshed. She shows, for example, that by stringing together images of horses, stars, and birds, the poem evokes classical antiquity’s beloved dance of the constellations. Instrumental in shaping the structure of the lyric, this dance symbolizes the cosmic order reflected in the order of the state, which the chorus would have enacted in a ritual performance of the song. With broad implications for archaeology, art history, and ancient science, Ferrari’s bold new analysis dramatically deepens our understanding of Greek poetry and the rich culture of archaic Sparta."]
Fischer, Claudia. (2002). "Ur-gigir, a Sumerian Cosmopolitan." In: Wunsch, Cornelia. (Editor). Mining the Archives: Festschrift for Christopher Walker. (Pages 75-92). [Note: A very interesting article on early Mesopotamian astral iconography and mythology.]
Frank, Roslyn. (2000). "Hunting the European Sky Bears: Hercules Meets Harzkume." In: Esteban, César. and Belmonte, Juan. (Editors). Oxford VI and SEAC 99 "Astronomy and Cultural Diversity." (Pages 295-302). [Note: This publication is the proceedings of the 6th "Oxford" international symposium on archaeoastronomy, jointly with the SEAC99 (European archaeoastronomy) meeting, held in La Laguna, Tenerife, in 1999. Copies of the book are exceedingly rare due to water damage to stock during a devastating Madrid flood. A PDF file has now (February, 2010) been kindly made available by Michael Rappenglück and is freely downloadable from the publications page of the SEAC web site.]
Fries, Carl. (1910-1911). Studien zur Odyssee. (2 Volumes). [Note: An astronomical interpretation by a Panbabylonist and adherent of the star-myth school. See the (English-language) book review by A.S. in The Classical Review, Volume 27, 1913, Page 181 (Volume II only); and the (German-language) book review by Wolfgang Schultz in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Number 8, August, 1911, Columns 350-357; and Number 4, April, 1913, Columns 173-177. See also, Archery at the dark of the moon: problems in Homer's Odyssey (1975 by Norman Austin. The author was a philologist and Orientalist. Critics held he had applied uncritical solar mythology. An example of the solar mythology of Carl Fries is the identification of the Roman triumphator with the vehicle of the Sun-god's progress through the skies. Fries held that the sojourn of Odysseus in Scheria showed Babylonian influence. Life dates: 1867-?]
Fries, Carl. (1911). Die griechischen Götter und Heroen: Vom astralmythologischen Standpunkt aus betrachtet. [Note: An astronomical interpretation of the Greek gods and goddesses by a Panbabylonist. See the (German-language) book review by Wolfgang Schultz in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Number 4, April, 1913, Columns 173-177.]
Frobenius, Leo. (1904). Das Zeitalter des Sonnengottes. [Note: Unreliable. See the (French-language) book review by Ch[?]. Renel in Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Vingt-Cinquième Année, Tome Cinquantième, 1904, Pages 74-80); and the (German-language) book review by Georg Hüsing in Orientalistische Litteratur-Zeitung, 8 Jahrgang, Januar 1905, Number 1, Columns 25-30, 8 Jahrgang, Februar 1905, Number 2, Columns 68-73.]
Gemoll, Martin. (1911; Reprinted 2009). Die Indogermanen Im Alten Orient: Mythologisch-historische Funde und Fragen. [Note: The author was a German academic who followed the Panbylonians in their astral interpretation of mythology. The title in English is Indo-Europeans in the Ancient East: Mythological-historical Discoveries and Enquiries. Mostly unreliable.]
George, Andrew. (1997). "'Bond of the Lands': Babylon, The Cosmic Capital.' In: Wilhelm, G[?]. (Editor). Die Orientalische Stadt: Kontinuität, Wandel, Bruch. (Pages 125-145). [Note: Andrew George is a leading assyriologist.]
Gétaz, Claude. (2007). Le Roman Sabéen. (3 Volumes). [Note: The author is a Swiss amateur involved in uncovering "astronomical mythology." He has been influenced by Hamlet's Mill by Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend (1969), amongst others. He identified astral myths everywhere. A fourth volume is currently being written.]
Giedion, Sigfried. (1964; Reprinted 1981). The Eternal Present: The Beginnings of Architecture. [Note: Includes a discussion of Mesopotamian and Egyptian astral concepts and the involvement of such ideas in architecture.]
Goldziher, Ignaz. (1877; Reprinted circa 1970). Mythology Among the Hebrews and its Historical Development. [Note: More sun-myth school in its approach to mythology than truly astronomical.]
Grant, Mary. (Editor and translator). (1960). The Myths of Hyginus. [Note: The author uses the edition of the Fabulae by Herbert Rose (1934). In addition to her own explanatory notes she also includes condensations of the notes by Herbert Rose.]
Gressmann, Hugo. (1925). Die hellenistische Gestirnreligion. [Note: The author was an authority on the Ancient Near East. See the (German-language) book review by M[?]. G[?]. in Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Tome XCV, Numbers 2-3, Mars-Juin 1927, Pages 322-323.]
Grill, Julius. (1903). Die persische Mysterienreligion im römischen Reich und der Christentum. [Note: Some discussion of astral themes.]
de Gubernatis, Angelo. (1872; Reprinted 1968). Zoological Mythology or The Legends of Animals. (2 Volumes).
Gundel, Willy [Wilhelm]. (1912). Die naiven, religiösen und philiosophischen Anschauungen vom Wesen und Wirken der Sterne. [Note: I. Teil. I do not know if additional parts were issued.]
Gundel, Guilelmus. [Gundel, Wilhelm.] (1907; Republished 2008). De stellarum appellatione et religione Romana. [Note: This was the authors doctorate thesis written in Latin. Deals with the stars in Roman religion and literature. For a critical (English-language) book review by F[?]. Granger see The Classical Review, Volume XXIII, Number 2, March, 1909 [1910?], Page 53.]
Gundel, Wilhelm. (1922; Reprinted 1981). Sterne und Sternbilder im Glauben des Altertums und der Neuzeit. [Note: For the first edition the cover title is Sterne und Sternenbilder im Glauben des Altertums und der Neuzeit whilst the title page is Sterne und Sternbilder im Glauben des Altertums und der Neuzeit. For the second edition both the "cover" title and the title page have Sterne und Sternbilder im Glauben des Altertums und der Neuzeit. See the (German-language) book review by Anon in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Siebenundzwanzigster Jahrgang, 1924, Number 2, Columns 71-72. The 1981 reprint has some additional bibliographic material by (the author's son) Hans Gundel. The book contains a lot of information about the astral lore lore associated with the Milky Way.]
Gundel, Hans. (1968). Weltbild und Astrologie in den griechischen Zauberpapyri. [Note: An analysis of the cosmic, astral, and astrological lore of the Greek magical papyri. See the (English-language) book review by John Griffiths in The Classical Review, New Series, Volume 19, Number 3, December, 1969, Pages 358-360.]
Haider, S[?]. (1988). "Islam, Cosmology, and Architecture." In: Sevcenko, Margaret. (Editor). Theories and Principles of Design in the Architecture of Islamic Societies. (Chapter 7, Pages 73-85). [Note: Conference proceedings, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture.]
Hadingham, Evan. (1983). Early Man and the Cosmos. [Note: Excellent broad overview of early astronomy and astronomical lore. The American author is an archaeologist by training. He has a master’s degree in Prehistory and Archaeology from Sheffield University in England. In 1986, Hadingham was a Macy Fellow in Broadcast Journalism at WGBH-TV in Boston and became the Science Editor for NOVA in 1988. From 1995-1998, Hadingham was the Co-Executive Producer for the Discovery Channel’s series, Discover Magazine. Returning to NOVA in 1998 as Senior Science Editor, Hadingham resumed responsibility for the science content of all NOVA’s original documentaries and co-productions.]
Haliburton, Robert. (1863, Reprinted 1920). New Materials for the History of Man Derived from a Comparison of the Calendars and Festivals of Nations. No 1. The Festival of the Dead. [Note: Deals with lore and calendars connected with the Pleiades. The author was a Canadian lawyer. Robert Haliburton (lawyer, author and anthropologist), M.A. (1852), Q.C. (1876), D.C.L. (Honorary), was born in Nova Scotia and died in Mississippi. He was the elder son (and second youngest of 11 children) of Thomas Haliburton, a jurist, writer, and member of Parliament. Robert Haliburton graduated from King's College, Windsor, with high honours. Within a few years he had established a successful legal practice in Halifax. Haliburton rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Nova Scotia militia, and in 1862 he was made an aide-de-camp to the lieutenant governor. He resigned from this post 2 years later. He spent some time in Ottawa in the late 1860s and resided in England from 1871 to 1876. The following year he set up practice in Ottawa, but ill health forced him to abandon it in 1881 and spend his winters in tropical or semi-tropical climates. He lived for a considerable time in Jamaica. He declined a promising political career on his father’s advice. A passage in Peruvian Antiquities by Mariano Rivero [Ribero y Ustariz] and Johann Tscudi (1853) led him to pursue the study of astronomy in primitive myths and ceremonials. The result was this particular book. He believed the origin of astronomy was preceded by prehistoric star lore. Haliburton spent his last years collecting folklore relating to an alleged pygmy group in the Atlas Mountains and vicinity. This endeavour involved Haliburton being part of one of the oddities of 19th-century anthropology. Haliburton believed he had identified the existence (or at least a tradition) of a pygmy 'people' living secretly somewhere in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Other persons looked for evidence of pygmy people in the Americas and Europe. At the suggestion of Haliburton, Frederick Starr, Professor of Anthropology, University of Chicago, on a field trip/expedition in 1895, looked for evidence of pygmy people in Mexico (without success). Stansbury Hagar believed he had identified the existence (or at least a tradition) of a pygmy 'people' living in Peru. Robert Haliburton and Julius Kollmann (1834-1918), Professor of Anatomy at Basel University, Switzerland, initiated the view that physical statue was was determined by 'race' rather than other factors (i.e., environment). Europeans of short statue were believed to exhibit a 'primitive' pygmy inheritance. Haliburton was described by his friend Stansbury Hagar as a tolerant, genial, and kindly man. He remained unmarried. Life dates: 1831-1901.]
Harding, Arthur. (1935). Astronomy: The Splendour of the Heavens Brought Down to Earth. [Note: The fact that the author was an astronomer did not prevent him from holding the view that the zodiac was invented circa 26,000 BCE.]
Henseling, Robert. (1925). Sternbilder primitiver Volker. [Note: English-language title is, Constellations of Primitive Peoples.]
Henseling, Robert. (1925). Der Sternhimmel in Religion und Volksdichtung. [Note: 96 pages with maps and illustrations. The author was a German astronomer, teacher (Professor), populariser and supporter of amateur astronomy, and writer of popular books on astronomy. He worked directly for Hans Frank, Governor-General (General Governor) of the General Government, held office from October 1939 to January 1945. Henseling was editor of the annual Sternbüchlein, founder of the Stuttgart Volkssternwarte (Stuttgart Public Observatory) in 1952, and founder of the magazine "Die Sterne" in 1921. Henseling vigorously opposed astrology and the cosmic ice theory of Hans Hoerbiger. Life dates for Robert Henseling: 1883-1964. Hörbiger's information about the 'true' state of the Universe was based entirely on intuition. In 1913 (1912?) the school teacher and amateur astronomer Philipp Fauth, who had some reputation as a Moon specialist - published a book of approximately 800 hundred pages entitled Hörbiger's Glazial – Kosmogonie: Eine neue Entwicklungsgeschichte des Weltalls und des Sonnensystems. (It is worth noting that Philipp Fauth is considered the last of the great visual observers of the Moon. The very high standard of his lunar drawings remains unmatched.) Much of the book was actually been written by Hans Hörbiger (1860-1931), an Austrian mining engineer (and amateur astronomer) who tried to solve cosmological questions, especially the formation of planets, geological history and meteorology with engineering principles. He started his career as an engineer in 19th-century Austria; primarily connected with the Budapest subway system, inventing a range of valves, compressors and general "improvements" for the subway project. He was also steam engine designer, whose invention of the Hörbiger valve made him a wealthy man. According to Willy Ley "both his publications and his letters revealed clearly that he was not even a good engineer." The outbreak of World War I resulted in cessation of interest in this first publication, which was later referred to as the Main Work. Hörbiger's 'cosmic ice' doctrine was revived in the 1930's, becoming a key part of German pseudoscience (Welteislehre or WEL, or World Ice Theory). It eventually had literally millions of fanatical supporters due to Hörbiger's theories becoming generally accepted amongst the population of Nazi Germany. One of the early supporters of Hörbiger's theories was Houston Stewart Chamberlain, the leading theorist behind the early development of the National Socialist Party in Germany in 1923. Adolf Hitler became an enthusiastic follower of the WEL theory and adopted it as the Nazi party's official cosmology. The World Ice Theory was intended to form part of a planetarium Hitler planned to build on Linz's Mount Pöstling. A German Hörbiger Organization had thousands of members and maintained an Information Bureau in Vienna, and issued a monthly magazine (The Key to World Events) which had a large circulation. The movement produced 3 or 4 "scientific" books, nearly 40 "popular" books, and several dozen throw-away pamphlets. Hörbiger's ideas were adopted and developed further by the writer 'H. S. Bellamy' (likely a pseudonym for Hans Schindler Bellamy (1901-1982)) in a number of his books (beginning with, Moons, Myths and Man. A Reinterpretation (1936, revised 1949)). Hans Schindler Bellamy was a disciple of Arthur Posnansky and Hans Höerbiger. J. Egerton 'Bill' Sykes was born in London and served as a lieutenant during WWI. He spoke several languages and as a Foreign Office official travelled widely. After WWII he retired early and lived at 14 Montpelier Villas, Brighton, Sussex, with his wife. After WWII it was apparently Hans Schindler Bellamy who influenced the eccentric British Atlantologist, Egerton Sykes (1894-1983), to establish The Hoerbiger Institute in the United Kingdom. Sykes' belief in Atlantis and its destruction led him to believe it had been destroyed by some kind of extraterrestrial impact. This belief led him to adopt some aspects of Hans Hörbiger's cosmological theories. Sykes clung to a belief in Hörbiger’s concept of an ice covered lunar surface. (See: The Moon Capture Theory of Hoerbiger After Fifty Five Years, by Egerton Sykes (1966, 24 pages); Meteor Strikes and the Hoerbiger Theory, by Egerton Sykes (1971, 24 pages); Hoerbiger and the March of Science, by Egerton Sykes (1976, 20 pages). The fact the moon is moving away from Earth completely destroys the foundation of Hoerbiger's basic theory. Sykes' Atlantis Research Centre had approximately 300 world-wide members/journal subscribers in its early years. Robert Henseling also held pseudo-historical beliefs. In October, 1934, in Berlin he announced to a scientific gathering his belief that America was the cradle of civilisation and that other cultures were only Mayan colonies. He also held radical views on Maya chronology. In 1935 Robert Henseling, inquiring into the in the possible relation of Maya and Chinese astronomy, visited the Maya country with several fellow astronomers (perhaps including Hans Ludendorff and Arnošt (Arno) Dittrich), in order to study on-the-spot the monumental records (stelae, etc.) and conditions there. On returning to Berlin he published his conclusions (as example: Das All und wir (1936); "Zur Astronomie der Maya." Die Sterne, Band XIII, Pages 105-106; "The Scope and Antiquity of Mayan Astronomy." Research and Progress, Volumes 4-5, 1938, Pages 121-128). In his view there was a convergence between the two. (Even before going to Mesoamerica he had begun to write article on Maya astronomy. An ally was the astronomer Hans Ludendorff in Potsdam. Between the world wars, Hans Ludendorff (1873 - 1970) published extensively on Mayan astronomy. Hans Ludendorff, from 1921 to 1939, was Direktor des Astrophysikalischen Observatoriums Potsdam.) However Henseling's speculative arguments were effectively critiqued in the the review of his book, Das All und wir, in Maya Research, Volume 3, 1936, Pages 210-211. The reviewer, Hermann Beyer, writes: "We have, then, to declare Henseling's treatise on Maya astronomy, contained in the last quarter of his book [approximately 50 pages], a complete failure." Arnošt Dittrich (1878-1959) was a Czech astronomer, mathematician, and historian. He became Head of the Konkoly Observatory in Ó Gyalla (now Slovak Central Observatory, Hurbanovo, Slovakia). He published considerable material on Maya astronomy.]
Hewitt, James. (1894-1895; Reprinted 1972, and 2002). The Ruling Races of Prehistoric Times. (2 Volumes). [Note: Unreliable. Hewitt, however, believed he was writing revolutionary works on ancient history and astronomical mythology (= precessional mythology). James Hewitt (1835(36?)-1908) was a career civil servant in the Indian Civil Servant (Bengal Government Service). He died in retirement in England at the age of 72. He was born in Ireland in June, 1835. In March, 1870, he married Constance Stanley, the youngest daughter of Edward Stanley (then deceased). (See: The Baronetage and Knightage of the British Empire for 1882 by Joseph Foster (1882).) Hewitt was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland for 20 years. (His obituary is contained in its Journal - July, 1908, Pages 963-966.) He was also a member of the Asiatic society of Bengal. (The Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, January to December 1884, lists his election as August, 1875.) He was also a subscriber to the Proceedings of the International Congress of Americanists. (In the 1902 Congress Proceedings he is mentioned as presenting the paper: "The History of the Sun God in India, Persia, and Mexico: His Annual Death and Resurrection, and his Impenetrable Armour.") James Hewitt was the son of a clergyman, the Hon. J. P. Hewitt. He was educated in England at Westminster and Christ Church (Matriculated at Christ Church in 1854), Oxford. Before entering the Indian Civil Service he lived mostly in Warwickshire, near Coventry. He died after a short illness precipitated by an attack of influenza followed by pneumonia (at Holton Cottage, Wheatley, in Oxfordshire). He was appointed to the Indian Civil Service after passing the open Competitive Examination of 1858 (for admission to the Civil Service of India). He arrived in India in February, 1859. He served variously as Assistant Magistrate, Audit Collector, Settlement Officer, Deputy Commissioner, Magistrate, and Commissioner. sources are somewhat conflicting. In 1863 he went to Chota Nagpur[/Nagpore] (Bengal) as Deputy Commissioner and eventually replaced Colonel Edward Dalton (1815-1880) (East India Company) as the Commissioner of the Province. However, from the end of 1864 until 1869 he was Settlement Officer for the adjoining district of Chuttisgurh. In February, 1873, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Wards Estate in Behar. In September, 1874, he was Officiating Secretary for the Board of Review. In October, 1878, he was appointed Magistrate and Collector, 1st grade. In March, 1879, he was appointed Commissioner, Chota Nagpur division. (See: The India list and India Office list, 1902.) He retired in July, 1883 (some sources have July, 1885) and had returned to Britain at least by 1887. His retirement address was initially - at least till 1896 - Devoke Lodge, Walton-on-Thames; then later - at least by 1902 - Holbon Cottage, Oxford. Similar to Colonel Dalton (who was the first to pioneer ethnological studies in Bengal and whose major book was Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal (1872)) he engaged in anthropological investigations of the local culture. His books are not reliable (and probably neither are his numerous published articles). (He was an Ordinary Member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.) The reviewer in Notes and Queries, 1908, reservedly commented: "Mr. Hewitt has not the gifts of lucid exposition; and orderly argumentation." (Jeanne Reesman describes his books as "utter nonsense" and prefixes her description as charitable. Regarding Hewitt's book Primitive Traditional History, the reviewer in the journal Nature wrote: "His work is comprehensive : it covers the whole world. And what it is all about it is difficult to discover. "History" it is not; there is no history known to science in it." The reviewer in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association wrote regarding Hewitt's book History and Chronology of the Myth-making Age: "If Mr Hewitt had provided himself before he commenced with that useful little instrument, a precessional globe, and had duly consulted it, he would have saved himself much useless labour, and us the task of reading his book." Hewitt's books are certainly curious fantasies and contain myths of his own making i.e., Hewitt's concept of nationally appointed mythic tale-spinners to transmit tribal, national, and racial history (developed out of nature myths).) He was a friend of the civil servant John O'Neill who authored the book The Night of the Gods (2 Volumes, 1893-1897), and ensured the publication of Volume 2 after the author's untimely/unexpected death. Similarly to John O'Neill he saw an astronomical basis in almost every ancient "Aryan" myth and rite. Also, he believed in the 19th-century ideas and conjectures concerning the Indo-Aryans and nature myths. (O'Neill's book Night of the Gods is a book on astronomical mythology that has the great benefit of being understandable; but not always believable.) Jeanne Reesman (Jack London's Racial Lives: A Critical Biography (2009, Page 47) states: "Hewitt saw Greece as the source of "northern" individualism, the myth of Apollo as sun god structuring the sun gods of Europe; nothing less than divine education led the Aryans to create the rule of law. Though the book is a slapdash collection of historical inaccuracies in its strange brew of anthropological and classical knowledge, fantasies about Aryan dominance, ... appealed to London and many others of his day, especially its overarching thesis that somehow all human development is somehow connected." According to Hewitt (History and Chronology of the Myth-making Age) the closing event for the universally observed national custom to record history in the form of historical myths was the time when the sun entered Taurus at the vernal equinox (circa 4500 BCE). Hewitt becomes more esoteric/mystical in tone in his later books. Having read all three books on “mythic history” by Hewitt I can only agree with all reviewers/commentators - the books make no sense at all. Surprisingly his anthropological ideas - expressed in other books - still find some support in some "academic" quarters. His books are, for some reason, classed as ethnology. (Hewitt considered himself to be an anthropologist.) Since the 1980s all of Hewitt's books have been reprinted. (English-language) book reviews appear in The Imperial and Asiatic Quarterly Review and Oriental and Colonial Record, 1895, Pages 479-?; The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science and Art, Volume 63, 1896, Pages 219-?; and The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Part 1, 1908, Pages 255-? For interest see James Hewitt confidently used by Elsdon Best in his 1922 pamphlet "The Astronomical Knowledge of the Maori." As an example of how unreliable Richard Allen's book on star names can be simply refer to one of any books by James Hewitt (one of the sources Allen uses). Primitive Traditional History (2 Volumes, 1907) will suffice as an illustrative example. James Hewitt is described by Allen as an "English essayist." Allen used material by Hewitt when discussing the identification of the star Vanant (See page 59 of the 1963 edition of Allen's book on Stars Names). See the (English-language) obituary in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, July, 1908, Pages 963-966; and the (English-language) entry in The India List and India Office List for 1905 (See: Page 519). Eleven volumes of The India List and India Office List were produced from 1896 to 1906. He published an article on astronomical mythology in The Westminster Review, Volume 145, 1896.]
Hewitt, James. (1901; Reprinted 2010). History and Chronology of the Myth-making Age. [Note: Unreliable. See the English-language) book reviews by Anon in The Journal of the British Astronomical Association, Volume XII, Number 3, 1901-2, Page 140; Folk-Lore, Volume XIII, December, Number IV, 1902, Pages 441-442. A (English-language) book review also appeared in The Westminster Review, Volume 157, 1902, Pages 295-? See also the lengthy critical (English-language) review by Anon of his books in Nature, Volume 66, Number 1702, 1902, Thursday, June 12, Pages 145-147. The reviewer makes the point that Hewitt's books are full of philological absurdities. Book review (slightly abbreviated) in Folk-Lore: "Ever since the beginnings of the study of myths, enquirers have been inclined, like Mr. Casaubon, to search for some one "key to all the mythologies." Often, as in the case of Max Muller and the nature school, they have hit on a true principle, and run it to death; so the latest exponent of this school, O. Gilbert, who derives everything from the clouds, has been led to propound the most fantastic theories in order to include everything. The day of totems too, seems to be waning; and of late years the tendency has been to exaggerate the importance of astronomy. This is exemplified in the works of Mr. Robert Brown, Jr., and Mr. St. Clair. The book now before us is a third instance of the same mistake. Mr. Hewitt divides his work into books dealing successively with the Age of Polar Star Worship, the Age of Lunar-Solar Worship, and the Age of Solar Worship. He connects the religious beliefs which he sees, with the worship of trees and animals, with the various migrations of mankind, and with their arrangement of the calendar; and uses his principles to interpret certain legends of the saints and others. But these connections are not made clear. Probably they are clear to the writer, but to the reader they are not so. Nor is proof offered, other than coincidence, of the connection of astronomy with religion. The theories are, for the most part, propounded ex cathedra, and left to commend themselves by their inherent appropriateness. Symbolism and metaphor too often do duty for argument. Thus Mr. Hewitt says: "Achilles was the sun-god of the race of the Myrmidons or ants, the sons of the red earth, the Adamite race who succeeded the sons of the southern mother-tree, and who believed that man was formed from the dust of the earth moulded by the Divine Potter, the Pole-star god, who turned the potter's wheel of the revolving earth." This is all pure imagination. Symbolism is also used to explain certain primitive signs, amongst them the sign for the female, which is clearly pictorial (p. 72). The Breotian eel, in place of being a fisher's firstling, is also moralised (p. 128); so is the bed of Odysseus (p. 144), where the potter's wheel reappears. There is no historical examination, as there should be, of the principles and limitations of symbolism, which, in western lands at least, plays a much smaller part than is usually assumed. Mr. Hewitt also ventures on the dangerous ground of etymology. .... Again : the oldest Cyclopean walls are said here to be accurately fitted polygonal; and there are many other signs that Mr. Hewitt's general knowledge is insufficient for the building up of a universal theory such as this. But when we come to Indian questions, the case is altered. Mr. Hewitt can tell us by first-hand knowledge of the village system, sacred groves and common halls, of priestly ritual revealed to him as a special favour (p. 159), and the customs of Chotia Nagpur. We cannot help wishing he had confined himself to these topics, and give us in detail what he hints at or sketches in tantalising fashion. There is much of value to be learned from the book by a discriminating reader; but the general impression is one of confused statement and rash inference."]
Hewitt, James. (1907; Reprinted 2009). Primitive Traditional History. (2 Volumes). [Note: Unreliable. See the (English-language) book reviews by Anon in Nature, Volume LXXVII, January 30, 1908, Pages 291-292; and by William Flinders Petrie in Man, Volume IX, 1909, Pages 94-96.]
Holberg, Jay. (2007). Sirius: Brightest Diamond in the Sky. [Note: An expert history of the lore and science of the star Sirius throughout the ages. The author is a noted astrophysicist and expert on the star Sirius.]
Hommel, Fritz. (1901). Der Gestirndienst der alten Araber und die altisraelitische Ueberlieferung. [Note: The author’s theory of an early Arabic star religion. See the (English-language) book review by Alexander Chamberlain in The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 15, Number 57, April-June, 1902, Page 138.]
Houtman, Cornelis. (1993). Der Himmel im Alten Testament: Israels Weltbild und Weltanschauung. [Note: Deals with the concepts of the association between heaven and earth, and the structure and order of the cosmos. Life dates: 1945- .]
Jackson, Howard. (1985). "The Meaning and Function of the Leontocephaline in Roman Mithraism." (Numen, Volume XXXII, Pages 17-45).
Jankovic, Nenad. (1951). Astronomija u predanjima, obicajima i umotvorinama Srba. [Note: The book is written in Serbo-Croation (Cyrillic). The English translation of the title is: Astronomy in the lore, customs, and the folk wisdom of the Serbs.]
Jensen, Paul. (1900; reprinted 1901). Assyrisch-babylonische Mythen und Epen. [Note: The author was a competent Assyriologist and also a Panbabylonist, and includes some astronomical interpretations of the epic material. See the (English-language) book review by Theophilius Pinches in The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1902, Pages 203-207; and the brief (German-language) book review by Charles Fossey in Revue de l'Histoire de Religions, Vingt-Troisiè Année, Tome Quarante-Sixième, 1902, Pages 449-450.]
Jeremias, Alfred. (1911). The Old Testament in the Light of the Ancient East. (2 Volumes). [Note: A revision and enlargement of the second German edition. The author was a leading Panbabylonist and most of the contents on astral lore are unreliable. The book sets out one of the few detailed English-language expositions of Panbabylonism. For a book review of the 1904 German edition see the (German-language) book review by Otto Weber in Orientalistische Litteratur-Zeitung, Achter Jahrgang, Number 3, März 1905, Columns 100-103. See also the (English-language) book review by Allen Menzies in The Review of Philosophy and Religion, Volume 3, Part 1, July 1907 - June 1908, Pages 77-? For book reviews of the 1916 German edition see the (German-language) book reviews by Max Löhr in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Zwanzigster Jahrgang, Number 10, 1917, Columns 308-309; and by Eduard Mahler in Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Verwandte Gebiete, Einunddreissigster Band, 1917/1918, Pages 170-189. For book reviews of the 1930 German edition see the (German-language) book reviews by Anton Jirku in Theologische Literaturzeitung, 55 Jahrgang, Number 21, 11 Oktober 1930, Columns 484-485; and by F[?]. Bork in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Band XXXIV, Number 2, Februar, 1931, Columns 136-144. For a book review of the English-language translation see the (English-language) book review by Jacob Hoschander in The Jewish Quarterly Review, New Series, Volume 3, Number 4, April, 1913, Pages 575-? Alfred Jeremias corresponded with Oswald Spengler (See: Letters of Oswald Spengler, 1913-1936 edited by Arthur Helps (1966). Also, see the highly critical (English-language) book review article titled "Jeremias and astral-mythology in the Old Testament" by Edward Maunder in London Quarterly Review, Volume 118, 1912, Pages 220-222.]
Jobes, Gertrude. and Jobes, James. (1964). Outer Space: Myths, Name Meanings, Calendars, From the Emergence of History to the Present Day. [Note: An uncritical compilation that needs to be used with caution.]
Jonsson, Bjorn. (No date but (circa) 1994). Star Myths of the Vikings: A New Concept of Norse Mythology. [Note: Bjorn Jonsson (1920-1995) was a physician of Icelandic descent residing in Canada. The book is riddled with errors and showing little understanding of the material. The author could not distinguish the American freemason Robert Hewitt Brown, author of "Stellar Theology" (1882), from the English solicitor Robert Brown Junior, author of "Researches into the Origin of the Primitive Constellations of Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans," (2 Volumes, 1899-1900). See the (English-language) book review by Ed Krupp in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 28, 1997, Pages 353-354 for a summary of its fundamental weaknesses.]
Kane, Matt. (1999). Heavens Unearthed in Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales. [Note: Speculative.]
Kelley, David. and Milone, Gene. (2005). Exploring Ancient Skies: An Encyclopedic Survey of Astronomy. [Note: See the section "Astronomy and Mythology in Ancient Religion," Pages 474-478.]
Kornemann, Mathhias. (1998). Vom Astralmythos zum Roman.
Krichenbauer, Anton. (1881). Theogonie und Astronomie. [Note: Interprets Homer's Iliad as an astronomical allegory. The German author was a classical philologist. Life dates for author: 1825-1884. See the (English-language) book review by Anon in Nature, Volume XXVI, 1882, August 10, Page 341.]
Krupp, Ed. (1991). Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets. [Note: Comprehensive and excellent. See the (English-language) book review by Von del Chambelain in Sky & Telescope, Volume 83, Number 1, January 1992, Pages 40-41.]
Krupp, Ed. (1997). Skywatchers, Shamans and Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power. [Note: Excellent survey of world-wide beliefs connecting earthly rulers and priests with celestial power and cosmic order.]
Krupp, Ed. (2000). "Sky Tales and Why We Tell Them." In: Selin, Helaine. (Editor). Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Astronomy. (Pages 1-30). [Note: Excellent article. See the (English-language) essay book review by Clive Ruggles in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 35, Part 2, May, 2004, Number 119, Pages 229-236.]
Krupp, Edwin. (2005). "The Color of Cosmic Order." In: Chamberlain, Von Del., Carlson, John. and Young, Mary. (2005). Songs from the Sky: Indigenous Astronomical and Cosmological Traditions of the World. (Pages 9-20). [Note: Comprises selected proceedings papers of the "First International Conference on Ethnoastronomy," Washington, D.C., 1983. Published as Volumes XII-XIII, 1996, of Archaeoastronomy: The Journal of the Center Archaeoastronomy. An excellent collection of papers.]
Kugler, Franz. (1927; English translation 1979). Sibyllinischer Sternkampf und Phaëthon in Naturgeschichtlicher Beleuchtung. [Note: A literal interpretation of the story as a natural catastrophic event. The 1979 (spiral bound) English translation by Guenter Koehler was titled "The Sibylline Starwar and Phaethon In the Light of Natural History." See the (German-language) book reviews by Wilhelm Gundel in Gnomon, Band 4, 1928, Pages 449-451; by (Pater) Damien Kreichgauer in Anthropos, Band 23, Heft 3/4, May-August, 1928, Page 7; the (French-language) book review by Hugh Bévenot in Isis, Volume XII, 1929, Pages 156-157; and the (English-language) book review by Arthur Nock in The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume XXXIII, 1932, Pages 77-78. Pater Damien Kreichgauer (1859-1940) held a PhD in Physics and was an expert on the astronomical knowledge of the native Mesoamericans and native South Americans.]
Kunike, Hugo. (1927). Sternenmythologie auf ethnologischer Grundlage.
Labuschagne, [Bart] C[?]. (1989). "The Life Span of the Patriarchs" In: Mulder, M[?]. and van der Woude, A[?]. (Editors). New Avenues in the Study of the Old Testament. (Pages 121-127). [Note: An informed discussion and astronomical interpretation of the supposed long lives of the Patriarchs in Genesis.]
Lamb, John. (1848). The Phenomena and Diosemeia of Aratus, Translated into English Verse with Notes.
Lang, Andrew. (New edition 1898). "Star Myths." In: Lang, Andrew. Custom and Myth. (Pages 121-142).
Langdon, Stephen. (1914). Tammuz and Ishtar: A Monograph Upon Babylonian Religion and Theology. [Note: See especially: Chapter V. Tammuz and Innini as Astral Deities.]
Langdon, Stephen. (1931; reprinted 1959). Semitic Mythology. [Note: Contains some interesting discussions of astral lore. See the (French-language) book review by Ch-F. J. in Revue d'Assyriologie et d'Archéologie Orientalie, Volume XXIX, 1932, Number 1, Pages 40-41.]
Larbordus, Leonardus. (1946). De Astronomische Mythen in de Griekse Literatuur van Homeros tot Aratos. [Note: This is a Dutch-language publication. See the (Dutch-language) book review by R[?]. van Pottelbergh in L'Antiquité Classique, Tome XV, 1946, Pages 377-378.]
Leach, Marjorie. (1992). "Stellar Gods: Constellations, Planets, Stars." In: Leach, Marjorie. Guide to the Gods. (Pages 145-169). [Note: Chapter 10 of her book. Brief entries and world-wide coverage.]
Lebeuf, Anold. (1996). "The Milky Way, a path of the souls." Koleva, Vesselina. and Kolev, Dimiter (Editors). Astronomical Traditions in Past Cultures, (Pages 148-161). [Note: A collection of 20 selected papers from the first annual conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), held in Smolyan, Bulgaria, in 1993. The volume also contains the SEAC statutes, both in French and English. Papers are in English with abstracts in Bulgarian. Published by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.]
Lerro, Bruce. (2000). From Earth Spirits to Sky Gods. [Note: In Chapter 9, the author considers that celestial events (comets, asteroids, and meteors) led to sky-god mythology/beliefs. The entire book is rather speculative.]
Lewis-Williams, David. and Pearce, David. (2005). Inside the Neolithic mind. [Note: Includes informed speculations on Neolithic cosmology.]
Lewy, Hildegard. (1965). "Istar-Sad and the Bow Star." In: Güterbock, Hans. (Editor). Studies in Honor of Benno Landsberger on his Seventy-fifth Birthday. (Pages 273-281).
Lloyd-Jones, Hugh. (1978). Myths of the Zodiac.
L'Orange, Hans. (1953; Reprinted 1982). Studies on the Iconography of Cosmic Kingship in the Ancient World. [Note: Heavily focussed on Persian astronomical symbolism but also discusses Mesopotamian, Hebrew, and Greek, and Christian astronomical symbolism.]
Lum, Peter. (1948, USA; n.d. but 1951, UK). The Stars in our Heaven: Myths and Fables. [Note: See the (English-language) book reviews Austin Fife in Western Folklore, Volume 8, Number 3, July 1949, Pages 287-288; and by Evon Vogt in The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 63, Number 248, April-June, 1950, Pages 254-255. The book review by Austin Fife is somewhat critical of the structure of the book.]
MacKenzie, Donald. (1926; Reprinted 1968). The Migration of Symbols and their Relations to Beliefs and Customs. [Note: Interesting material. See the (English-language) book review by H. D. [H. Dodwell] in Bulletin of The School of Oriental Studies, London Institution, Volume IV, Part III, 1927, Pages 660-661.]
McBeath, Alastair. (1999). Tiamat's Brood: An Investigation into the Dragons of Ancient Mesopotamia. [Note: Fascinating reading.]
Marchal, Edmond. (1906). "Le "Puits de la verite" issu du symbole de l'astronomie chaldeenne." [Note: The author was Secrétaire perpétuel de l'Académie Royale de Belgique.]
Malina, Bruce. (1997). On the Genre and Message of Revelation: Star Visions and Sky Journeys. [Note: The authors argument is weakened by an uncritical reliance on the outdated and error-riddled "Researches into the Origin of the Primitive Constellations of Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans," by Robert Brown Junior. (2 Volumes, 1899-1900). Also, the author seems not to appreciate the forced arguments of Franz Boll in his "Aus der Offenbarung Johannis: hellenistische Studien zum Weltbild der Apokalypse," (1914). For a succinct critique of Malina's astral ideas on other points see: Revelation by Ben Witherington III (2003). See the (English-language) book reviews by David deSilva in Journal of Biblical Literature, Volume 116, Number 4, Winter, 1997, Pages 763-765; and by Paul Duff in The Journal of Religion, Volume 81, Number 4, October, 2001, Pages 631-632.]
Malina, Bruce. and Pilch, John. (2000). Social-Scientific Commentary on the Book of Revelation.
Massey, Gerald. (1883; reprinted numerous times since). The Natural Genesis. (2 Volumes). [Note: Completely unreliable.]
McBeath, Alastair. (1998). Sky Dragons and Celestial Serpents. [Note: An interesting study of constellations having draconic and serpentine characteristics, and related star lore. Obviously based on his previous articles. The author is an amateur astronomer (Vice-President of the International Meteor Organization, and Meteor Section Director to the Society for Popular Astronomy. See the rather uncritical (English-language) book review by John Rogers in The Observatory, Volume 118, December, 1998, Page 386; and the critical (English-language) book review by Clive Davenhall in Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Volume 2, December, 1999, Pages 163-164.]
McCoy, Lee. (1912). Origin of Architectural Design or the Archaeology of Astronomy. [Note: Somewhat interesting small book with some very odd ideas.]
McDonald, Marianne. (1996). Star Myths: Tales of the Constellations.
Meijer, Diederik. (1992). Natural Phenomena: Their Meaning, Depiction and Description in the Ancient Near East. [Note: Proceedings papers of the Colloquim, Amsterdam, 6-8 July 1989. Contains numerous interesting (and critical) papers. Especially worth reading is "The Moon as Seen by the Babylonians" by Marten Stol (Pages 245-277). See the See the (French-language) book review by Dominique Charpin in Revue d'Assyriologie et d'Archéologie Orientale, Volume LXXXVIII, Number 1, 1994, Pages 95-96; the (German-language) book review by ? in Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, Band 85, I Halbband, 1995, Pages 166-167; and the (English-language) book review by Robert Biggs in Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Volume 55, Number 3, January-October 1996, Pages 243-244.]
Metevelis, Peter. (2002). Mythical Stone: Volume 1 of Mythological Essays.
Metevelis, Peter. (2002). Myth in History: Volume 2 of Mythological Essays. [Note: The author is an Asianist historian and considered to be a meticulous researcher.]
Mitchell, Terence. and Searight, Ann. (2007). Catalogue of the Western Asiatic seals in the British Museum, Volume 3. (Pages 11-14). [Note: Briefly discusses seal impressions, mainly from Warka, which can be seen a representing signs of the zodiac. At the time of co-authoring the book Terence Mitchell was Keeper of Western Asiatic Antiquities at the British Museum. Ann Searight has been professionally involved in archaeology since 1960 as conservator and subsequently draughtsman. She also conducts work for the British Museum's Middle East and Asia Departments.]
Morosow, Nikolaus. (1912). Die Offenbarung Johannis. Eine astronomish-historische Untersuchung. [Note: German-language translation of a book originally published in Russian in 1907. The original Russian title was: Revelation in Storm and Tempest. The author believed that the Book of Revelation was based on events experienced during the day and night of 30th September, 395 CE. The events giving rise to the astronomical and astrological speculations were a thunderstorm and earthquake on the day of a solar eclipse and the course of the constellations during the night. Morosow further believed the author of the Book of Revelation was John Chrisostom, the future bishop of Constantinople. (Morosow also assumed that John Chrisostom was capable of calculating the Saros cycle.) Nikolaus Morosow (Nikolai Morozov) was a Russian poet, scientist (taught chemistry and astronomy at the University of Petrograd), and revolutionary. For a succinct explanation of the book and the weaknesses of the theory see: Watchers of the skies by Willy Ley (1969, Pages 43-47). Life dates: 1854-1946.]
Murray, Gilbert. (3rd revised and expanded edition, 1924). The Rise of the Greek Epic. [Note: The British classicist Gilbert Murray made recognition of calendar numbers in The Odyssey.]
Niemojewski, Andrzej. (3 Volumes in 2; 1910). Gott Jesus im Lichte fremder und eigener Forschungen samt Darstellung der evangelischen Astralstoffe, Astralszenen und Astralsysteme. [Note: Unreliable. The authors longest work on the supposed astral origins of Christianity.]
Niemojewski, Andrzej. (1913, Reprinted 1921?). Astrale Geheimnisse des Christentums. [Note: Unreliable. The author was a Polish journalist and proponent of astral mythology. Life dates: 1864-1921.]
Nikolov, Nikola. (1996). “Hunting the European Sky Bears: when bears ruled the Earth and guarded the Gate of Heaven.” Koleva, Vesselina. and Kolev, Dimiter (Editors). Astronomical Traditions in Past Cultures, (Pages 116-142). [Note: A collection of 20 selected papers from the first annual conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), held in Smolyan, Bulgaria, in 1993. The volume also contains the SEAC statutes, both in French and English. Papers are in English with abstracts in Bulgarian. Published by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.]
Nilsson, Martin. (1920; Reprinted 1960). "The Stars." In: Nilsson, Martin. Primitive Time-Reckoning. (Pages 109-146). [Note: Chapter IV of his book. Brief, world-wide coverage of star lore. See the (English-language) book reviews by William Rouse in The Classical Review, Volume XXXV, 1921, Page 31; by A. C. B. in Man, Volume XXII, 1922, Pages 31-32; by Gladys Reichard in American Anthropologist, Volume 24, 1922, Pages 381-383; and the (German-language) book review by Ludwig Borchardt in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Achtundzwanzigster Jahrgang, 1925, Number 9/10, Columns 618-621.]
Normann, Friedrich. (1925). Mythen der Sterne. [Note: Comprehensive and world-wide in coverage but not always critical. See the (German-language) book review by Alfred Maaß in Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 58 Jahrgang, 1926, Heft 1-2, Page 238.]
Nugent, Tony. (1993). Star-god: Enki/Ea and the biblical god as expressions of a common ancient Near Eastern astral-theological symbol system. [Note: Unpublished doctoral thesis (Syracuse University). 534 pages. Abstract: "Although some late 19th and early 20th Century scholars proposed that the Israelite god Yahweh is a form of the Sumero-Akkadian god Enki/Ea, this theory was quietly abandoned in the scholarly reaction against "Pan-Babylonism," and has not been revived since that time. In light of new knowledge gained over the past century, this theory deserves a fresh, comprehensive argumentation on its behalf. The primary basis for the idea that the biblical god (considering both Yahweh and his incarnation in Jesus) is a form of Enki/Ea lies in the considerable congruency between the theological traditions of these gods, which encompasses divine names, functions, values, and character traits; literary themes; mythic images; ideologies; cultic forms; and socio-historical circumstances. The theological symbol system encompassing Enki/Ea and the biblical god has an underlying "astral" character, with this god-form being a personification of the star Canopus. The astral symbology of this symbol system is indicated by the identification of deities with stars in late Babylonian astronomical and astrological texts, including Ea = Canopus; the use of a star-sign in cuneiform for the word "deity"; coherence between behaviors and characteristics of gods and the heavenly bodies which are their visible manifestations; and social and cultic institutions which mirror the heavens, following the principle of "as above, so below." Arriving at this conclusion requires knowledge of the principles of positional astronomy, including data generated by computer calculations of star positions in antiquity, taking the phenomenon of precession into consideration. Among the challenges the argument faces is that of bridging the gap between polytheism and monotheism, a task aided by evidence of significant residues of polytheism in the biblical tradition, as well as of the monolatrous character of the Enki/Ea tradition. The principal other Sumero-Akkadian god who appears to be implicated in biblical religion is Dumuzi/Tammuz, a son of Enki/Ea and a personification of the planet Mercury. Part one discusses Enki/Ea; part two discusses the biblical god as a development of Enki/Ea; and part three discusses the astral character of the symbol system encompassing Enki/Ea and the biblical god."]
Nuttall, Zelia. (1901; Reprinted 1970). The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations. [Note: Originally published as Volume II of the "Archaeological and Ethnological Papers of the Peabody Museum, Harvard University. Zelia Nuttall (1857-1933) was an archaeologist and diffusionist, and became an honorary Professor of Anthropology at the National Museum of Mexico. In her book the author believes that astronomical parallels exist between ancient Near Eastern and American civilizations. The author is uncritical with her use of secondary sources and the book needs to be used with caution. See the (English-language) book review by Thomas Wilson in American Anthropologist, New Series, Volume 3, 1901, Pages 360-365. See the biographical obituary "Zelia Nuttall" by Alfred Tozzer in American Anthropologist, Volume 35, 1933, Pages 475-482; and also the biographical entry in "International Dictionary of Anthropologists," edited by Christopher Winters, (1991), Pages 513-514; and by Beverley Chiñas in "American National Biography," General editors, John Garraty and Mark Carnes, Volume 16, (1999), Pages 559-560. Life dates: 1857-1933.]
Oberhuber, Karl. (1977). (Editor). Das Gilgamesch-Epos. [Note: A marvellous collection of essays dating from 1903 to 1975. Included are essays which explore the astronomical interpretation of the Gilgamesh epic.]
O'Connor, Elizabeth. (1980/1982). The Starry Mantle of Henry II. [Note: Her doctoral thesis at Columbia University. Made available in 1982 through University Microfilms International. Life dates: 1938- .]
Olcott, William. (1911; reprinted 2004). Star Lore of All Ages. [Note: Interesting but not always reliable. The author was a Lawyer who became interested in astronomy in 1905 and became an enthusiastic variable star observer in 1910. See the (English-language) obituary by Anon in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 97, (February, Number 4), November 1936 - October 1937, Pages 278-279. Life dates: 1873-1936.]
Olcott, William. (1914). Sun Lore of All Ages. [Note: Reprinted by Health Research in 1985 as a spiral-bound book.]
Olivieri, Alessandro. (1896). I Catasterismi di Eratostene. [Note: 26-page pamphlet. Italian-language.]
O'Neill, John (1893-1897; Reprinted circa 1995 and several times since). The Night of the Gods: An Inquiry into Cosmic and Cosmogonic Mythology and Symbolism. 2 Volumes. [Note: The author at his eccentric best. Useful, but needs to used with caution. The author was obsessed with explaining all world mythology and symbolism as referring to the revolution of the heavens around the celestial pole (i.e., in terms of polar or axis gods/goddesses). O'Neill insisted that humankind's oldest religions centered on a god of the celestial pole. John O'Neill was a civil servant (Auditor and Accountant-General in Cyprus), and a student of the Japanese language and culture. The Cyprus Gazette (Saturday, September 11, 1880) notes that the High Commissioner granted him (open-ended) leave of absence from August 3, 1880; and then (Wednesday, October 13, 1880) that John O'Neill had resigned his appointment in Cyprus. After leaving Cyprus he lived in France for some years. According to Fredrick Boase, O'Neill was "... employed in the war office; retired on a pension of £350 in 1879; accountant general in Cyprus, where he had to reduce eleven different currencies [and was successful]." It appears he was appointed Auditor and Accountant-General in Cyprus on the cessation of Cyprus to Great Britain in 1878, but he gradually became more interested in literature and writing. Phyllis Ackerman considered this book to be an extension of the Jean Biot-Léopold de Saussure school of thought. Due to the authors sudden death volume 2 was basically an assembly of his rough notes edited and prepared for publication by James Hewitt (another eccentric astronomical mythologist). He was also a close friend of the late 19th-century poet, critic, editor, and journalist William Henley. See John O'Neill's (English-language) obituary by his friend Gustave Schlegel in T'oung pao, Volume VI, 1895, Pages 77-78. Also see the entry in Modern English Biography (1897, Volume 2) by Frederick Boase. See also the (English-language) book reviews by Gustave Schlegel of Volume 1 in T'oung pao, Volume IV, 1893, Pages 444-452; and Volume 2 in T'oung pao, Volume VIII, 1897, Pages 231-232; and of Volume 1 by William Newell in The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 7, Number 27, Oct.-Dec., 1894, Pages 328-329; and of Volume 2 by William Newell in The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 10, Number 37, Apr.-Jun., 1897, Pages 167-168. See also the (French-language) book review by N[?]. of Volume 1 in Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, 1895, Seizième Année, Tome Trente-Et-Unième, Pages 76-77. Life dates: (circa?)1837-1895.]
Palmer, Abram [Abraham]. (1899]. Jacob at Bethel: The Vision-The Stone-The Annointing. [Note: Contains out-of-date astral speculations.]
Pankenier, David. (2000). Popular Astrology and Border Affairs in Early China: An Archaeological Confirmation." (Note: Sino-Platonic Papers, Number 104, July. Comprises 23 pages).
Peiser, Benny. (1996). "The cosmic symbolism of the Mesoamerican ballgame." In: Van der Merve, F[?]. (Editor). Sport and Symbols - Symbols and Sport.
Pentikäinen, Juha. (1987). "The Shamanic Drum as Cognitive Map." In: Gothóni, René. and Pentikäinen, Juha. Mythology and Cosmic Order.
Peratt, Anthony. (2003). "Evidence for an intense aurora recorded in antiquity." In: Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science. (Pages ?-?). [Note: Conf. Rec., Jeju, Korea, June, 2003.]
Peratt, Anthony. (2003) "Characteristics for the occurrence of a high-current Z-pinch aurora as recorded in antiquity." (IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Volume 31, Number 6, December, Pages 1192–1214).
Peratt, Anthony., McGovern, John., Qöyawayma, Alfred., Van der Sluijs, Marinus. and Peratt, Mathias. (2007). "Characteristics for the Occurrence of a High-Current Z-Pinch Aurora as Recorded in Antiquity Part II: Directionality and Source." (IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Volume 35, Number 4, August, Pages 778-807). [Note: Excellent illustrations. Abstract — The discovery that objects from the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age carry patterns associated with high-current Z-pinches provides a possible insight into the origin and meaning of these ancient symbols produced by humans. Part I deals with the comparison of graphical and radiation data from high current Z-pinches to petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and megaliths. Part I focused primarily, but not exclusively, on petroglyphs of some 84 different morphologies: pictures found in laboratory experiments and carved on rock. These corresponded to mankind's visual observations of ancient aurora as might be produced if the solar wind had increased (T. Gold) at times between one and two orders of magnitude, millennia ago. Part II focuses on the source of light and its temporal change from a current-increasing Z-pinch or dense-plasma-focus aurora. Orientation and field-of-view data are given as surveyed and contributed from 139 countries, from sites and fields containing several millions of these objects. This information allows a reconstruction of the auroral form presumably associated with extreme geomagnetic storms and shows, based on existent geophysical evidence, plasma flow inward at Earth’s south polar axis.]
Pichon, Jean-Charles. (1963). Les Cycles du Retour Éternel: Essai d'une histoire thématique des religions. (2 Volumes). [Note: The author, a French occultist, argues for a common astronomical origin of religious themes based on an early zodiac. Life dates: 1920-2006.]
Pitluga, Phyllis. (2000). "Cultural Concepts of the Milky Way." In: Esteban, César. and Belmonte, Juan. (Editors). Oxford VI and SEAC 99 "Astronomy and Cultural Diversity." (Pages 343-348). [Note: This publication is the proceedings of the 6th "Oxford" international symposium on archaeoastronomy, jointly with the SEAC99 (European archaeoastronomy) meeting, held in La Laguna, Tenerife, in 1999. Copies of the book are exceedingly rare due to water damage to stock during a devastating Madrid flood. A PDF file has now (February, 2010) been kindly made available by Michael Rappenglück and is freely downloadable from the publications page of the SEAC web site.]
Plunket, Emmeline. (1906; Reprinted spiral bound by Ballantrae circa 1995). The Judgment of Paris and Some Other Legends Astronomically Considered. [Note: See the (English-language) book reviews by Anon in English Mechanic and World of Science, Number 2276, November 6, 1908, Page 319; by Anon in Notes and Queries, Tenth Series, Volume 11, June 26, 1909, Pages 520; by Harry [Harold] Hall in Nature, Number 2047, Volume 79, January 21, 1909, Page 335; and by Anon in The Athenæum, Number 4255, May 15, 1909, Page 589.]
Polcaro, Vito. and Viotti, Roberto. (2001). "The legacy of pre-telescopic astronomy and the case of 80 UMa: a possible Sumeric P Cyg?" In: de Groot, Mart. and Sterken, Christiaan. (Editors). P Cygni 2000: 400 Years of Progress. (Pages 199-205). [Note: ASP Conference Series [= Proceedings], Volume 233. ASP = Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Speculative and at times misleading in its discussion of Mesopotamian astronomy.]
Prinz, Hugo. (1915). Altorientalische Symbolik. [Note: Scholarly overview of both Egyptian and Babylonian astral symbolism. See the (German-language) book review by Hugo Gressmann in Theologische Literaturzeitung, Volume 40, Number 23, November, 1915, Columns 481-485.]
Quispel, Gilles. (1979). "Astrology." In: Quispel, Gilles. The Secret Book of Revelation. (Pages 21-24). [Note: The section "Astrology," is contained in the chapter "New Light on the Secret Revelation" of his book. Attempts a succinct and balanced summary. The author was a Catholic scholar.]
Raduncheva, Ana. (1996). "Eneolithic astronomical observations and mythological beliefs." Koleva, Vesselina. and Kolev, Dimiter (Editors). Astronomical Traditions in Past Cultures, (Pages 162-166). [Note: A collection of 20 selected papers from the first annual conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), held in Smolyan, Bulgaria, in 1993. The volume also contains the SEAC statutes, both in French and English. Papers are in English with abstracts in Bulgarian. Published by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.]
Rappenglück, Michael. (2000). "The Whole Cosmos Turns Around the Polar Point: One-legged Polar Beings and their Meaning." In: Esteban, César. and Belmonte, Juan. (Editors). Oxford VI and SEAC 99 "Astronomy and Cultural Diversity." (Pages 169-176). [Note: This publication is the proceedings of the 6th "Oxford" international symposium on archaeoastronomy, jointly with the SEAC99 (European archaeoastronomy) meeting, held in La Laguna, Tenerife, in 1999. Copies of the book are exceedingly rare due to water damage to stock during a devastating Madrid flood. A PDF file has now (February, 2010) been kindly made available by Michael Rappenglück and is freely downloadable from the publications page of the SEAC web site.]
Rappenglück, Michael. (2007). "Cosmic spinning and weaving: Making the texture of the world." In: Pásztor, Emilia (Editor). Archaeoastronomy in Archaeology and Ethnography. (Pages ?-?). [Note: BAR S1647 2007. Papers presented at the annual meeting of SEAC (European Society for Astronomy in Culture), held in Kecskemét, Hungary, in 2004.]
Reiner, Erica. (1995). Astral Magic in Babylonia. [Note: Excellent. See the (English-language) book reviews by Nick Veldhuis in Archiv für Orientforschung, Vierundvierzigster und Fünfundvierzigster Band, 1997/1998, Pages 417-419; and by Mark Geller in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Volume 93, Numbers 4/5, 1998, Columns 455-458. Also, see the (English-language) book review by Wilfred Lambert in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Volume 119, Number 1, 1999, Page 140.]
Reynolds, Frances. (1999 [2000?]). "Stellar Representations of Tiāmat and Qingu in a Learned Calendar Text." In: van Lerberghe, Karel. and Voet, Gabriela. (Editors). Languages and Cultures in Contact: At the Crossroads of Civilizations in the Syro-Mesopotamian Realm. (Pages 369-378). [Note: The volume contains 33 papers presented at the 42th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale held at the University of Leuven in July 1995. (Proceedings of the 42e Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale.) Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta - OLA 96. At the time of publication Frances Reynolds was at the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Birmingham. Currently (2011) she is Shillito Fellow in Assyriology; Senior Research Fellow of St Benet's Hall, University of Oxford.]
Richer, Jean. (1994). The Sacred Geography of the Greeks. [Note: Speculative arguments for astrological alignments of classical Greek temples. Unreliable. Jean Richer was not a Hellenistic scholar. He was quite open that his viewpoint arose from "intuitive insight/perception." Some of his ideas actually came to him in his dreams about Apollo. His book (which originates from his conclusions formed in the 1950s) is simply speculative argument in the extreme. Part of the problem is his argument for a system of zodiacal projection being established circa 800 BCE. Needless to say there is no evidence that an evenly divided 12-constellation division of the ecliptic had been invented by the Babylonians at that date. Indeed the evidence indicates the contrary. He not only believed that Greece was saturated with zodiacal geometry but that the whole Mediterranean world was also saturated with zodiacal geometry. His brother Lucien Richer took up this aspect in his 1977 article (latter published as a pamphlet) "The St Michael-Apollo Axis: A Study in Sacred Geography." Life dates for Jean Richer: 1915-1992.]
Robert, Carl. [Robert, Carolus]. (Editor) (1878, Reprinted 1963). Eratosthens Catasterismorum Reliquiae.
Rochberg, Francesca. (2010). "Sheep and Cattle, Cows and Calves: the Sumero-Akkadian Astral Gods as Livestock." In: Melville, Sarah. and Slotsky, Alice. (Editors). Opening the Tablet Box: Near Eastern Tablets in Honor of Benjamin R. Foster. (Pages ?-?). [Note: Festschrift volume.]
Rose, Herbert. (Editor). (1933, republished 1967). Hygini fabulae. [Note: Commentary on the constellation mythology of (or at least attributed to) Caius Julius Hyginus, a 1st-century CE Latin writer who resided in Roman Spain. Herbert Rose was internationally recognised as a great classical scholar. Life dates: 1883-1961.]
Rothwangl, Sepp. (1998). Sternstunde 2000: der Countdown zum "Jüngsten Tag." [Note: The author, a forester/forest owner and in the past a prolific and unrelenting spammer to numerous internet discussion lists concerning his flawed and pseudoscientific ideas, is now reinventing himself as an independent scholar, lecturer, writer on archaeoastronomy and calendrical topics, and website moderator.]
Rougier, Louis. (1959). La Religion Astrale des Pythagoriciens.
Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. (1956). Griechische Sternsagen.
Schadewaldt, Wolfgang. (2002). Sternsagen die Mythologie der Sternbilder.
Schmid, Alfred. (2005). Augustus und die Macht der Sterne. Antike Astrologie und die Etablierung der Monarchie in Rom. [Note: Kindly brought to my attention by David Ross.]
Schultz, Wolfgang. (1912). Die Anschauung vom Monde und seinen Gestalten in Mythos und Kunst der Völker. [Note: A lunar interpretation of mythology and iconography. The author was a member of the German "star myth" school. Life dates: 1881-1936.]
Scott, D[?]. Peratt, Anthony. (2003). "The origin of petroglyphs - Recordings of a catastrophic aurora in human prehistory?" In: Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science. (Pages ?-?). [Note: Conf. Rec., Jeju, Korea, June, 2003.]
Scott, Oral. (1942). The Stars in Myth and Fact. [Note: A popular survey. The author gives no indication of his sources, excepting sometimes by name. On page 155 Scott states he is drawing his information on cosmic catastrophes from C. C. Zain's "admirable work on the stellar religion ...." C. C. Zain was the pseudonym used by the American occultist and astrologer Elbert Benjamine (1882-1951). Zain's book used by Scott is likely to be Spiritual Astrology: The Origins of Astro-Mythology and Stellar Religion (The Brotherhood of Light, Course 7, 1935). Zain purports to trace the origins of the religion of the stars from Atlantis, destroyed he believed circa 9000 BCE. Identifying Scott is more difficult. One of the few facts is that he was an Oregon writer. However, turning over to pages 156-157 the reader is quickly led into an astrological discussion. I don't have the benefit of accessing more than a snippet of the critical (English-language) review of Scott's book that appeared in Sky and Telescope, Volume 2, May, 1942, Page 21?/69? It indicates Scott is also likely to have been an American occultist and astrologer. The book may have been written to help astrologers become more familiar with astronomy. It appears that Scott's book received extensive favourable reviews in astrology magazines. See the (English-language) book review by Brewton [sometimes misspelled Brenton] Berry in The Journal of American Folklore, Volume 56, October-December, 1943 [sometimes given as 1942], Number 222, Pages 307-308.]
Shephard, Paul. and Sanders, Barry. (1985). The Sacred Paw: The Bear in Nature, Myth, and Literature. [Note: Contains excellent discussions of the constellations Ursa Major (Great Bear) and Ursa Minor (Little Bear).]
Siecke, Ernst. (1892). Die Liebesgeschichte des Himmels Untersuchungen zur indogermanischen Sagenkunde. [Note: This publication originated the German star-myth school which eventually resulted in Panbabylonism. The author was Professor of Philology at Lessing-gymnasium, Berlin.]
Siecke, Ernst. (1907; reprinted 1978). Drachenkämpf. Untersuchungen zur indogermanischen Sagenkunde. [Note: See the (French-language) book review in L'Année Sociologique, Tome XI 1906-1909, 1910, Pages 248-249.]
Siecke, Ernst. (1909). Götterattribute und sogenannte Symbole.
Smith, Earl. (1950; Reprinted 1971). The Dome: a Study in the History of Ideas. [Note: Discusses celestial aspects of the dome in early architecture.]
Smith, Earl. (1956). Architectural Symbolism of Imperial Rome and the Middle Ages. [Note: Discusses celestial aspects of the Ancient Near-Eastern city-gate concept. The manuscript was completed by the author when he was terminally ill. Ensure you refer to the 4 pages of Errata Corrige.]
Snodgrass, Adrian. (1990). Architecture, time and eternity: studies in the stellar and temporal symbolism of traditional buildings. (2 Volumes). [Note: This is a study of the stellar and temporal symbolism of traditional buildings. It is comprehensive in scope and spans from the generalities of the symbolism of time in general, to the temporal symbolism in Indian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern, Christian, Chinese, Islamic North American Indian, African, South American Indian and Mesoamerican architectures. Circa 2007 the author is Adjunct Professor, University of Western Sydney; Research Associate, University of Sydney. It appears the author was previously Professor of Architecture at University of Sydney (New South Wales, Australia).]
Soltysiak, Arkadiusz. (2003). "Betrayed lovers of Istar: A possible trace of the 8-Year cycle in Gilgames VI: i-iii." In: Blomberg, Mary., Blomberg, Peter., and Henriksson, Göran. (Editors). Calendars, Symbols, and Orientations: Legacies of Astronomy in Culture. (Pages 101-106). [Note: Proceedings of the 9th annual meeting of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC), Stockholm, 27-30 August 2001.]

Norman St. Clair (1863?/1865?-1912; oldest son of George St. Clair and Emma Boden.)
St. Clair, George. (1898; Reprinted 2009). Creation Records Discovered in Egypt. [Note: An astronomical interpretation of Egyptian mythology. Unreliable. See the (English-language) book reviews by Anon in Notes and Queries, Ninth Series, Volume 1, January-June (March 19), 1898, Pages 499-500; by Anon in Nature, Volume LVIII, August 4, 1898, Pages 315-316); and by Anon in Folklore, Volume X [sometimes given as XLIV], Number 1, March, 1899, Pages 109-110; and the authors reply in Folklore, Volume X, Number 2, June, 1899, Pages 246-248; and the (French-language) book review by (the Egyptologist) Gaston Maspero in Revue de l'Histoire des Religions, Vingtième Année, Tome Quarantième, 1899, Pages 124-126. See also the (English-language) book review by ? in The Westminster Review, Volume 150, 1898, Pages 226-? The book (and an article in The Westminster Review) was also noted in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Volumes 1-3, 1898, Page 267. St. Clair is also noted in Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschraft, Volumes 17-18, 1897, Page 367. As it is extremely difficult to obtain any biographical information on George St. Clair I have chosen to go into some detail here. Mainly because most authors who currently mention him completely misunderstand who he was. He was neither an Archaeologist or Egyptologist as some persons popularly maintain. George St. Clair (1836-1908) was born (according to Kathryn Crawford (a relative)) in Spirtalfields (= correctly Spitalfields) (London). (It has been stated that he was an orphan.) He appears to have originally been a Baptist (= non-conformist) minister who later in life, circa 1890 or earlier (perhaps by the 1870s), became a Unitarian minister. (See: The Forward Movement in Religious Thought as Interpreted by the Unitarians by Brooke Herford (1895).) According to the South London Chronicle: "In 1854 he had become a member of the Baptist Church." The Transactions of the Unitarian Historical Society (Volume 4, 1927, Page 206) indicated that he was a Unitarian minister from June 1891 to December 1897. He attended the Baptist College, Regent's Park and appears to have completed his studies there to become an ordained minister. Alan Betteridge (Deep Roots, Living Branches (2010, Page 195)) states that George St Clair was trained at Regent's Park College, 1860-1864. The Quarterly Statement - Palestine Exploration Fund 1869 lists him as "Rev. Geo. St. Clair." His article "Rational Views of Heaven and Hell" in Arena, Volume 5, 1892, has him designated as Rev. George St. Clair D.D. In an article in The Unitarian, Volume 7, 1892, Page 238(?), he is also referred to as "George St. Clair, DD." (In Victorian times the Doctor of Divinity was an advanced academic degree in divinity.) (Neil Silberman, in his book Digging for God and Country (1990, Page 153) describes George St Clair as "an Anglican priest and amateur antiquarian." There is no reason to believe he was an Anglican priest.) In 1863, whilst still attending Regent's Park College, he married (at St. Philip's, Dalston) Emma Boden, the youngest daughter of (the then late) John Boden (a Protestant nonconformist) of Salop in Shropshire. (One announcement of the marriage mentioned him as: Rev. George St. Clair.) In January, 1864, when he was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of London, his address was given as Holford House, Regent's Park, N.W. (Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, Volume 20, 1864, Page 121). Holford House was his address from 1860 to 1864. His wife Emma was also born in 1836(37?) (in Islington (London). The Boden name is prolific in Shropshire, near Birmingham. (The name Emma Boden, born 1838, occupation Paintress, appears in a Census for that region. Interestingly, The Musical Times, Volume 14, 1870, October 1, Page 614, carries the advertisement: "Mrs St. Clair (late Miss Emma Boden) CONTRALTO begs to inform her friends that she is again residing in London, and is open to a few Engagements for Oratories in the coming season. Address 104, Sussex-road, Finsbury-park, N." An earlier advertisement (The Musical Times, Volume 8, 1858, November 1, Page 330, "Miss Emma Boden (Contralto) 18, Bartholomew-close, City. - Wishes to re-engage a Choir." The Musical Standard, Volume 2, 1864, Page 104 records that (that year) Emma Boden assisted The Concordia Choir with their performance at the Large Room, Bay Street, adjoining Middleton road, Kingsland.) It is perhaps worth noting that Salop is an ancient name for Shropshire. (Construction of the very large Holford House, for the wealthy wine merchant James Holford, began/was completed in 1823(1832?). Following Holford's death it became Regent's Park Baptist College between 1854 and World War II. (The College had effectively moved to Oxford in 1927?) In 1944 the building was mostly destroyed when a bomb was dropped on it and it was subsequently demolished in 1948.) George St. Clair is indicated as being a Unitarian Minister at least by 1893 (see the brief mention of him in The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals). (His small book The Problem of Evil (1893) expounded the Unitarian position.) (In becoming a Unitarian he was possibly influenced by Charles Dawson who, though he founded his Birmingham church on Evangelical lines, had considerable sympathy for the Unitarian position. It is also indicated that it may also have originated from a doctrinal squabble with Baptist Church authorities. One of his (Baptist) Ministerial appointments was certainly the subject of controversy (Bridge Street Chapel, Banbury) and though he obtained it through the support of the congregation he only remained several years. The Baptist Magazine, 1868, reports he resigned the pastorate of the Baptist Church, Banbury, in that year.) At least 2 of his sermons at Banbury were printed (perhaps) by order of the Oxfordshire Association. (The Church, September 1, 1864, Pages 252 reported: "The Rev. Georg St. Clair of Regent's Park College, has accepted the cordial and unanimous invitation of the church at Banbury and will enter ... the duties of the pastorate ... in September.") The Church, February 1, 1865, Page 55, records that in January, 1865, the Rev. George St. Clair was publicly recognised as pastor of the church, Bridge-street Chapel, Banbury. In the Census of United Kingdom 1881 he is listed as a Free Church Minister, Edward Street Chapel. (This would be close to a "Unitarian Baptist" position.) It would appear he derived his basic income from his role as a minister and also from public lectures. It would appear that circa 1857 he began to deliver public lectures. The earliest address indicated for him is Banbury. In 1864 he was established as the pastor of the (Baptist) Bridge Street Chapel, Banbury, in Oxfordshire (Oxon) until his resignation in 1868 (1869?). It is likely he was there until 1869 simply because in a 2-part article in The Baptist Magazine for 1869 ("The Method of Creation") he states his location as Banbury. (This may mark the period of his break with the Baptist Church. He seems to have moved to the Free Church and then, in the early 1870s, to the Unitarian Church.) While at Banbury he wrote "The Pursuit of Literature in Connection With the Work of The Christian Ministry." (The Baptist Magazine, 1866, Pages 401-408). In it he expressed a number of views. On page 401 he wrote: "I should feel pleasure in discoursing of our principal work, which I take to be the conversion of sinners, the instruction and comfort of Christians, the glorifying of God, and the justifying of his ways to men." On page 404 he wrote: "I venture to think that it is both the privilege and the duty of everyone to cling to old beliefs, not simply till they are suspected to be erroneous, but till they are proved to be so." On page 407 he wrote: "Of course, as leaders of the people, we must never give and uncertain sound; nor is it worthwhile, where matters admit of doubt, to disturb people from their old views." By 1875 he was living in Birmingham. (In one publication he gave his address as Bristol Komi, Birmingham. However, his address was correctly 127 Bristol Road, Birmingham. However, in a publication dated 1883 his address is given as 61 Bristol Road.) When exactly and why he went to live in Birmingham, and eventually chose to leave there, is unclear. Following the death of his close friend George Dawson in 1876 he succeeded him as minister (his title was the Reverend George St. Clair, Minister of the Church of the Saviour, Edward Street, Parade, Birmingham) and regularly delivered weekly sermons at the Church of the Saviour throughout 1877. (See: The Unitarian, Volume 2, 1887, Page 125.) (His views at this period had agreement with those of Unitarians but Church of the Saviour was not formally Unitarian.) The Church of the Saviour in Edward Street, was, however, considered to be Unitarian. Kelly's The Post Office directory of Birmingham with its Suburbs, for 1878 lists Rev. George St. Clair, Church of the Saviour, Edward Street. His sermons there continued through to (at least) 1883. Another source confirms his presence there until at least this date. (It is usually stated the Edward Street Church was closed "some years" after Dawson's death but actually the Church of the Saviour closed at the end of 1895. It was certainly still open in 1882.) St. Clair's obituary in the The (London) Inquirer states he was the Minister at Birmingham (Church of the Saviour) from 1875 to 1885. It is certain that in Birmingham he became the assistant to George Dawson in his ministry at the Church of the Saviour from 1875 to 1885. Alan Betteridge (Deep Roots, Living Branches (2010, Page 195)) states: "Dawson had a series of assistants ministers. ... [A]fter being at Banbury Baptist Church he came to Birmingham as Dawson's colleague in 1875. He stayed on as the sole minister until 1886. The Church of the Saviour closed at the end of 1895. (In a 1881 publication and again in a 1886 publication he gave his address as 127 Bristol Road, Birmingham. his appears as his address from 1881 to 1887, and also 1890.) Circa 1880 he resided in the Birmingham suburb of Edgbaston, Warwick(shire). (In the 1881 Census of the United Kingdom his Dwelling is given as: 61 Bristol Road; and his Census Place is given as: Edgbaston, Warwick, England. Jean Kelly has pointed out to me that Edgbaston is not connected with the town of Warwick which is some 40 kilometres away. It seems then that the census entry Warwick intends to mean Warwickshire County. I am also currently unable to identify what his 1880 resignation concerned.) Until leaving Birmingham, circa 1895 or earlier, he appears to have retained his close connection with the cross-denominational Church of the Saviour in Edward Street, Birmingham, which was founded in 1847 by the charismatic Baptist pastor George Dawson (1821-1876). After leaving Birmingham he seems to have moved frequently. Apart from 2 sons he also had a daughter Ruth who was born in Bishopham, Norfolk, 1879; and it is indicated he had a second daughter Florence who was born in 1884. In 1895 at least he was the minister at the Unitarian Free Christian Church, West Grove, Tredegarville, South East Wales (see: Kelley's Directory, South Wales, 1895). This church seated 150 persons. Interestingly, he appears in the membership list of the Astronomical Society of Wales, for 1898 (but not for any other year). In the Society's renamed publication, the "Cambrian Natural Observer" (Volume 1, Number 4, November, 1898, Pages 117-120) his membership details are "St. Clair, Rev. G., F.G.S., Birmingham. (The Society held its meetings in Cardiff.) It appears he was a member of the Astronomical Society of Wales whilst still residing in Birmingham. However, it is hard to believe he was still in Birmingham in 1898. (In becoming a Unitarian he was possibly influenced by Charles Dawson who had considerable sympathy for the Unitarian position. It is also indicated that it may also have originated from a doctrinal squabble with Baptist Church authorities. One of his (Baptist) Ministerial appointments was certainly the subject of controversy (Bridge Street Chapel, Banbury) and though he obtained it through the support of the congregation - through the process of election (and had the support of associated ministers) - he only remained several years (somewhere between 3 and 4 years). A meeting in connection with the public recognition of George St Clair as pastor of the church was held in January, 1865 (see: The Church, February 1, 1865, Page 55). The Baptist Magazine, 1868, reports he resigned the pastorate of the Baptist Church, Banbury, in that year.) While at Banbury he became a lecturer for the Palestine Exploration Fund. The Baptist Magazine (1869, Page 394) states: "The Rev. George St. Clair, of Banbury, has become [official/accredited] Lecturer to the Palestine Exploration Fund; and, though not relinquishing the ministry, will devote his principal attention to the work of the Society during the winter of 1869-70. He intends to commence a tour of England in September, visiting the principal Churches of the various Nonconformist denominations, to explain the Society's work, past and contemplated." Some of the towns he lectured in were Chipping North, Banbury, Abingdon, Bristol, Clifton, Swansea, Paddington, Mile End, Canonbury, and Nottingham. Often there were only 2-5 days between lectures in different towns. (After 10 years he began lecturing independently.) From 1891 to circa 1900 he was in Cardiff, south east Wales. (His Cardiff address is given as 225 Castle Road.) (He served as a church minister in Cardiff from 1891 to 1897.) (After leaving Cardiff (and the active ministry?) in 1897 he again became an lecturer for The Palestine Exploration Fund. He was an intermittent lecturer for 10 years for The Palestine Exploration Fund.) Circa 1900, or earlier, he resided in Eastbourne, (East) Sussex. Eastbourne is located at the foot of the South Downs on the South Coast of England. (A 1901 publication gives his address as Vicarage Drive, Eastbourne. Oddly, a 1864 publication gives his address also as 11 Vicarage Drive, Eastbourne.) In the Census of United Kingdom 1901 he is listed as a Clergyman. I cannot find him in any listing of 19th-century English Unitarian ministers (but at least one source (see above) specifically identifies him as a Unitarian minister). It would seem he only very rarely used his title (Reverend). He is mentioned in The Unitarian, Volume 7, 1892.) It is indicated that from June, 1891 to December 1897 (at least) he was a Unitarian. From circa 1885 onwards George St. Clair directed much of his effort to his belief that ancient religions had an astronomical basis. (However, he was still presenting and writing on theological topics into circa the mid-1890s.) He believed that all myths are related to each other and are astronomical in origin. Possibly his last published article, "Adam's Two Wives." (The Theosophical Review, Volume 37, 1906) set out a calendrical interpretation. He was possibly influenced by the appearance of Gerald Massey's two early books: A Book of the Beginnings (1881, 2 Volumes), and The Natural Genesis (1883, 2 Volumes). He became a close friend of Gerald Massey, who was a Poet, Spiritualist, and amateur Egyptologist. (See his "Gerald Massey as Egyptologist (I)" in The Theosophical Review (London), Volume 41, 1908, Page 511; and "Gerald Massey as Egyptologist (II)" in The Theosophical Review (London), Volume 42, 1908, Page 43.) George St. Clair helped Gerald Massey receive sufficient funding to enable the publication of Massey's final book Ancient Egypt (1907, 2 Volumes). As much as St. Clair disliked receiving bad reviews for his own books he critically reviewed Massey's Ancient Egypt (Literary Guide, 1 February, 1908, Pages 21-22) and complained about Massey's incompetence with philological renderings, particularly Massey's interpretation of Hebrew proper names. George St. Clair could basically be classed as a precessional mythologist. His later books on the origin of mythology are based on fundamentally mistaken ideas about calendars and the antiquity of the zodiac and have little value. He believed that the first calendars were invented circa 4,500 BCE and that the zodiac of 12 equal divisions also originated at the same time. His methodology, or lack of it, is mentioned in the article "Presidential Address: The Methods of Magic and of Science." by John Myers (Folklore, Volume 36, Number 1, March 31, 1925, Pages 15-47). (George St. Clair was a Fellow of the Geological Society (FGS), a Fellow of the Anthropological Society of London (FASL), a Fellow of the Ethnological Society (FES), a Member of the Society for Biblical Archaeology, a Member of the Anthropological Institute, for nearly 6 years to August 1875 (then intermittently for another 4 years) an authorised Lecturer for The Palestine Exploration Fund, and a Member of the Society of Authors. He also had an M.A.) His book Buried Cities and Bible Countries was based on lecture material during his association with The Palestine Exploration Fund. (He first resigned his appointment as an authorised lecturer for The Palestine Exploration Fund in August, 1875, and began lecturing independently. Financial issues may have played a part. He was an active lecturer and most of the funds raised went to The Palestine Exploration Fund. The Quarterly Statement - Palestine Exploration Fund 1869, Pages 268 mentions the proceeds of a lecture by the "Rev. Geo. St. Clair" on February 3, 1870 raised "Collection at doors ₤4.00 [and] Sale of Publications 8 schillings, 4 pence.") He was a popular writer on the archaeology of the Bible. Between 1890 and 1907 he frequently contributed short articles to the Palestine Exploration Fund Quarterly Statement.) The Palestine Exploration Fund, Quarterly Statement, 1888, page 4 (also page 53) mentions: "Mr George St. Clair, F.G.S., who has lately returned from his Eastern tour, and is giving Lectures for the Society in all parts of Great Britain. His subjects are - (1) The Buried City of Jerusalem, and General Exploration of the Holy Land. Numerous diagrams. (2) Buried Cities of the East. Numerous diagrams. (3) Sight-seeing in Palestine. Lantern views, where local help can be obtained." St. Clair's address is given as Bristol Road, Birmingham. His book Cyclopædia of Nature Teachings (1891) is almost forgotten. (He contributed articles on (non-telescopic) astronomical observations and geological observations to various scientific publications.) George St. Clair died at Balham, London, in 1908. (Several publications (one published 1907) give his address as 16 Ryde Vale Road, Balham, (S.W. Salisbury) London. One publication indicates this was his address at least since 1905.) At this time his wife Emma was possibly deceased and he was probably living in retirement in Oswald's house. At this time his son Oswald, who authored several books on economic issues, was residing (in Balham) and working in London as an Insurance Clerk. Oswald (born 1869 in Banbury, (Oxford[shire]) Oxon) later, after the death of his father in 1908, emigrated to South Africa. (He is possibly to be identified as the retired businessman who published the book A Key to Ricardo (1957).) Between 1881 and 1889 his other son Norman (1863?/1865?-1912, born in Birmingham (or Banbury (this seems correct), Oxford?, Warwick(shire); likely Oxfordshire, November 24, 1865)), who had studied architecture and worked as a Draughtsman in England, emigrated to the United States of America, and worked first as an Architect (in Boston, Denver, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco) and later as a water colour Artist (primarily self-taught) after moving to Pasadena circa 1900. Norman St Clair married Ann Fleetwood, a Christian Scientist. They had 4 sons, Malcolm, Bernard, Eric, and Aubrey.) George St. Clair made at least one trip to the United States of America (probably to visit Norman). A collection of his letters is held by the Southwest Museum (presumably in the Braun Research Library) in Pasadena, USA. George St. Clair is briefly mentioned on Page 587 (Volume 3 (sometimes stated as volume 2)) of Old and New Birmingham by Robert Dent (2nd Edition, 3 Volumes, 1880) regarding his role at Church of the Saviour in Edward Street, Birmingham. In his small publication "Rational Views of Heaven and Hell" (1892) he shows he was no supporter of the old ideas of heaven and hell - he very much combated the old ideas of heaven and hell. In his earlier book Darwinism and Design (1873) he was an informed supporter of evolution and a proponent of the doctrine that design was executed through evolution. However, in his book The Secret of Genesis (1907) he upheld the literal historical accuracy of the narratives of Genesis and Exodus. An obituary for him appeared in the Inquirer (London) (a Unitarian newspaper) 1908, Page 389. A biographical sketch of him (including details of his scholastic career) appeared in The Biograph and Review, Volume 3/Part 13, January, 1880. This later (along with press notices and reviews) formed part of a small (8-page) pamphlet titled George St. Clair, F.G.S.: Minister of the Church of the Saviour, Edward Street, Parade, Birmingham. I do not know the publication date. See also the record in the Essex Hall Year Book for 1909. (The Essex Hall Year Book (previously The Essex Hall Year Book and Unitarian Almanac) (issued by the British and Foreign Unitarian Association) contains a list (register) of Unitarian, Free Christian, Presbyterian, and other Non-subscribing Churches, with names and addresses of Minister. Essex Hall was a Unitarian Academy. It was destroyed in 1944. The site was, circa 1980, occupied by Unitarian Headquarters.) Some documents and letters relating to George St. Clair (and his lectures for some years) are mentioned in A Guide to Manuscripts and Documents in the British Isles Relating to the Middle East and North Africa by Nöel Matthews et al., 1980, Page 150. (Interestingly, he is mentioned in, Christian Metzger: founder of an American family by Ella Milligan (1942).) It seems he was generally highly regarded. In March, 1884, in a school room in Bristol Street, Birmingham, he presided over a debate described as "Spiritualism versus Materialism." The spiritualist periodical The Medium and Daybreak, 1884, page 173, wrote "Both the contestants are fortunate in securing the services of the latter gentleman [George St. Clair], who occupies a prominent position among the advanced clergy of the town." Regarding the notion of love and marriage in Victorian times, in 1880 he stated his view "A young woman now is free to accept or reject any offer which is made to her." For his book review of The Legend of Perseus by Edwin Hartland see Science, New Series, Volume 4, Number 87, August 28, 1896, Page 297. The ideas of George St. Clair on mythology were similar to, but preceded, the Panbabylonian school.]
St. Clair, George. (1901). The Myths of Greece. (2 Volumes). [Note: See the (English-language) book review by Anon in Folklore, Volume XII [sometimes given as XLVIII], Number 3, September, 1901, Pages 362-364; and the authors reply in Folklore, Volume XII [sometimes given as XLVIII], Number 4, December, 1901, Pages 469-471. See also the (French-language) book review by Pierre Decharme in Revue Critique d'Histoire et de Littérature, 1902, Number 14, Pages ?-? A letter by George St. Clair in defense of his book appeared in The Author, Volumes 7-8, 1897, Page 115.]
St. Clair, George. (1907). The Secret of Genesis: An Astro-religious Record. [Note: Deals with the first 11 chapters only of Genesis. Attempts to show that the creation story in Genesis is the history of conflicting astronomical calendar systems. Biblia, Volume 18, 1905, Page 252, mentions he had The Secret of Genesis in preparation at that time. See the (English-Language) book reviews by Anon in The London Quarterly and Holborn Review, Volume 108, 1907, Pages 342-?; and by Stanley Cook in The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume IX, 1908, Pages 455-456(8?). See also: Review of Theology & Philosophy, Volume 3, 1908, Page 627; and The Expository Times, Volume 19, 1908, Page 3, for short (English-language) book reviews. A short (English-language) book review by Anon also appeared in The Academy, Volume 73, July December, 1907, Page 228. A reply/protest by St. Clair over the reviewer's use of the word "smart" appeared on page 254, along with a reply by the reviewer (under the heading "Genesis and the Calendar").]
Stegemann, Viktor. (1930). Astrologie und Universalgeschichte: Studien und Interpretationen zu den Dionysiaka des Nonnos von Panopolis.
Steinkeller, Piotr. (2005). "Of Stars and Men: The Conceptual and Mythological Setup of Babylonian Extispicy." In: Gianto, Agustinus. (Editor). Biblical and Oriental Essays in Memory of William L. Moran. (Pages11-47). [Note: Brilliant essay on the nature of Babylonian extispicy. Some discussion of constellations and star names.]
Stol, M[?]. (1992). "The Moon as Seen by the Babylonians." In: Meijer, Diederik. (Editor). Natural Phenomena: Their Meaning, Depiction and Description in the Ancient Near East. (Pages 245-277). [Note: A conference paper originally presented in 1989.]
Staal, Julius. (1988). The New Patterns in the Sky: Myths and Legends of the Stars. [Note: A revised edition of the authors "Patterns in the Sky." (1961).]
Stucken, Eduard. (1907, limited edition reprint (100 copies) 1995). Astralmythen: Religiongeschichtliche untersuchungen. [Note: The author was a principal proponent of Panbabylonism. The book's 5 chapters were originally published in 5 parts between 1896 and 1907. The author attempts to argue his case, that all mythology has an astronomical basis, by defining myths by their motifs. He was criticized for knowing no restraint for his ideas. Life dates: 1865-1936. See the (German-language) book reviews by Carl Niebuhr in Orientalistische Literatur-zeitung, 1 Jahrgang, April, Number 4, Columns 114-118; Alfred Bertholet in Theologische Literaturzeitung, Volume 33, Number 8, April, 1908, Columns 230-233; and the (French-language) book reviews by H[?]. H[?]. and M[?]. M[?]. in L'Année Sociologique, Tome VI, Sixieme Année 1901-1902, 1903, Pages 261-263; and H[?]. H[?]. in L'Année Sociologique, Tome XI 1906-1909, 1910, Page 247. Also see the critical (French-language) article "Fantaisies biblico-mythologiques d'un chef d'école." by Emmanuel Cosquin in Revue Biblique, Nouvelle Série, Deuxième Année, Number 1, Janvier, 1905, Pages 5-38. The book is to be reprinted by George Olms Verlag circa 2008.]
Temple, Robert. (1991). He Who Saw Everything. [Note: The author attempts to show that the Gilgamesh epic is actually astronomical mythology.]
Heinlein, Christine. (2011). Kaiser und Kosmokrator. Der Große Kameo von Frankreich als astrale Allegorie. [Note: Doctoral thesis.]
Ungnad, Arthur.and Gressmann, Hugo. (1911). Das Gilgamesh-Epos. [Note: An important study at the time of its publication. Includes a lengthy discussion of possible astronomical elements in the Gilgamesh epic. See the (German-language) book review by H[ugo?] G[ressmann?] in Revue d'Assyriologie, Volume VIII, Number 3, 1911, Pages 159-160.]
Ungnad, Arthur. (1923). Das wiedergefundene Paradies. [Note: The author, an Assyriologist, holds that l-Iku (the Pegasus-square = alpha beta gamma Pegasi and alpha Andromedae) enclosed by the constellation Pisces is "Paradise" i.e., the primordial field.]
Vaughan, Valerie. (1998). Astro-Mythology: The Celestial Union of Astrology and Myth. [Note: The author is an astrologer. Unreliable.]
Voegelin, Eric. (1956; reprinted 1958, 1969, & new edition 2001 with introduction by Maurice Hogan). Order and History, Volume 1: Israel and Revelation. [Note: The project was to be completed in 6 volumes but it appears that only 5 volumes were issued. Part 1 of Volume 1 (as well as other parts of this volume) deals with the cosmological basis of the political ordering of ancient near eastern civilizations. Life dates: 1901-1985.]
Wallenfels, Ronald. (1993). "Zodiacal Signs among the Seal Impressions from Hellenistic Uruk." In: Cohen, Mark. et al. (Editors). The Tablet and the Scroll: Near Eastern Studies in Honor of William W. Hallo. (Pages 281-289).
Wallenfels, Ronald. (1994). Uruk: Hellenistic Seal
Impressions in the Yale
Wallis, Faith. (2005). "'Number Mystique' in Early Medieval Computus Texts." In: Koetsier, T. and Bergmans, L. (Editors). Mathematics and the Divine: A Historical Study. (Pages 179-199).
Weigelt, Andreas. (2009). "Oath and sovereignty: Hesiod's Theogony, Enuma Enlil, and The Kingship in Heaven." In: Baker, Heather. et al. (Editors). Your Praise is Sweet. (Pages 401-412). [Note: Memorial volume for Jeremy Black.]
Wilk, Stephen. (2000). Medusa: Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon. [Note: Controversial and largely ignored book that presents a poorly argued case for a variable star interpretation of the Medusa myth. Only a few persons bothered to review it. See the supportive (English-language) book review by Philip Morrison in the Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 32, Part 1, February 2001, Number 106, Pages 88-90. Stephen Wilk is a physicist.]
Wirth, Hermann. (1921). Homer und Babylon: Ein Lösungsversuch der Homerischen Frage vom Orientalischen Standpunkte Aus. [Note: See VIII. Astrologie, Astronomie, Mathematik. Pages 87-96. Hermann Wirth was Gymnasialprofessor in Freiburg im Breisgau.]
Wood, Florence. and Wood, Kenneth. (1999). Homer's Secret Iliad: The Epic of the Night Skies Decoded. [Note: Based on unpublished papers left by Edna Leigh, MSc, a school teacher, who was, according to the authors, "devoted to astronomy" and had a "passion for Homer." An astronomical interpretation of The Iliad that attempts to push its content back to circa 8000 BCE. Argues for an early equally divided 12-constellation zodiac, and Greek mythology embodying knowledge of precession. Inaccurate on basic issues and quite speculative. For a whole different line of speculation see: The Iliad as Politics by Dean Hammer (2002). An outstanding recent study, that clarifies its indebtedness to West Semitic myth, is, The Iliad: Structure, Myth, and Meaning by Bruce Louden (2006).]
Wood, Florence. and Wood, Kenneth. (2011). Homer's Secret Odyssey. [Note: An astronomical interpretation of The Odyssey. Relies on many of the false assumptions made in their previous book, and introduces new ones. The authors state the book involves a "... challenging new reading of the [Odyssey] narrative ...." The authors state the book falls under archaeoastronomy; correctly, the category would be pseudo-history. There is nothing new in inflated claims and astronomical/calendrical interpretations for Homer’s epic poems. I would not support the claim that Edna Leigh did pioneering studies and that her work falls under archaeoastronomy. I would support the claim that she set out a fantasy-theory. Without making the list exhaustive the following works are interesting. The British classicist Gilbert Murray recognized (without inflated claims) calendrical numbers in the Odyssey; see: pages 210-212 "Odyssey and the Calendar" in The Rise of the Greek Epic (3rd edition, 1924). The German classicist/philologist Carl Fries conducted an astronomical interpretation (followed the solar mythology school and the tenets of Panbabylonism) of the Odyssey; see: Studien zur Odysee (2 volumes, 1910-1911). Earlier, the British writer Emmeline Plunket (now genuinely forgotten) did a calendrical analysis of the Odyssey; see: pages 127-144 "Odyseuss" in The Judgment of Paris and Some Other Legends Astronomically Considered (1908). Earlier, George St. Clair (Myths of Greece Explained and Dated (2 volumes, 1901)) suggested an astronomical interpretation of Homer. St. Clair (now genuinely forgotten) pioneered the use of simply assuming an early equally-spaced 12-constellation zodiac to explain mythology. The technique reached its zenith with the book Hamlet’s Mill (1969). It is a technique used in Homer’s Secret Iliad (1999). One of numerous persons to claim a secret navigational code in the Odyssey was the French amateur sailor Gilbert Pillot; see: The Secret Code of the Odyssey: Did the Greeks Sail the Atlantic? (1969, English translation by Francis Albert 1972). Earlier the American copyright lawyer Henriette Metz (an adherent of cultural diffusion through early voyaging) decided 'yes'; see: The Wine Dark Sea (1964).]
Woolsey, John. (1917 (1911?)). Symbolic Mythology and Translation of a lost and Forgotten Language. [Note: Fanciful, unreliable and long outdated astral interpretations of mythology. The British author was a Member of the Folk Lore Society of London and the Folk lore Society of New York. Life dates: 1833-?]
Worthen, Thomas. (1991). The Myth of Replacement: Stars, Gods and Order in the Universe. [Note: Similar in speculation to the tenets of "Hamlet's Mill," by Giorgio De Santillana and Hertha von Dechend (1969). See the (English-language) book reviews by Anon in Scientific American, September, 1991, Volume 265, Number 3, Page 136; by Raymond Mercier in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 23, 1992, Pages 303-305; and by Anthony Aveni in Isis, Volume 84, Number 1, March, 1993, Pages 133.]
Articles/Entries:
Ackerman, Phyllis. (1953). "The Symbolic Sources of Some Architectural Elements." (The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Volume 12, Number 4, December, Pages 3-7). [Note: The author discusses cosmological themes in early architecture.]
Albright, William. (1918). "Historical and Mythical Elements in the Story of Joseph." (Journal of Biblical Literature, Volume 37, Numbers 3/4, Pages 111-143).
Amory, Frederick [Frederic]. (1977). “The Medieval Hamlet: A Lesson in the Use and Abuse of a Myth.” (Deutsche Vierteljahresschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Geistesgeschichte, Volume 51, Number 3, Pages 357-395). [Note: Neglected/forgotten critique of Hamlet’s Mill by Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend (1969). Includes 123 references. Abstract: I. Réfutation de l'interprétation cosmologique donnée par G. deSantillana et H. von Dechend (Hamlet's Mill, 1969) de l'histoire d'H. Le moulin magique dans les mythologies nordiques et scandinaves, dans le folklore, la religion germanique, et les épopées nordiques. II. L'A. considère Hamlet comme le personnage du fourbe décrit par Lévi-Strauss dont la fourberie résoud dans un mythe un cas d'inceste. L'Hamlet de Saxo Grammaticus: sources irlandaises et islandaises, diverses formes de la légende. Son achèvement chez Shakespeare. The article is in English.]
Andree, Richard. (1893). "Die Plejaden im Mythus und in ihrer Bezichung." (Globus, Volume 64, Pages 362-366).
Bajoni, Maria. (2004). "Gli Astronomica di Manilio come rappresentazione politica dello spazio celeste." (Latomus Revue d'Études Latines, Tome 63, Pages 98-106).
Banou, Emilia. (2008). "Minoan 'Horns of Consecration' Revisited: A Symbol of Sun Worship in Palatial and Post-Palatial Crete." (Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Volume 8, Number 1, Pages 27-47).
Barton, George. (1908). "The Astro-Mythological School of Biblical Interpretation." (The Biblical world, Volume 31, Pages 433-444).
Berezkin, Yuri. (2005). "Cosmic Hunt: Variants of Siberian - North American Myth." (Folklore [= Electronic Journal of Folklore], Volume 31, December, Pages 79-100). [Note: Excellent lengthy article with extensive bibliography.]
Berezkin, Yuri. (2010). "The Pleiades as Openings, the Milky Way as the Path of Birds, and the Girl on the Moon: Cultural Links across Northern Eurasia." (Folklore = [Electronic Journal of Folklore], Volume 44, Pages 7-34). [Note: Abstract: "The Baltic-Finnish and the Baltic (Latvian and Lithuanian) cosmonyms mostly coincide while the Baltic and Slavic cosmonymic patterns are different. The Pleiades in the Eastern Baltic are ‘a sieve’, the Milky Way is ‘the path of migratory birds’ and a girl holding water pails is seen on the Moon. Across most of Central, Western and Southern Europe the Pleiades are ‘a hen with its chicken’, the Milky Way and the lunar spots have other (and different) interpretations. The Eastern Baltic pattern is identical with the Middle Volga one where it is widespread among both Finnish-Permian and Turkic groups and probably relates back to the (Proto-Baltic?) culture of the Iron Age. However, parallels for the cosmonyms in question are found across most of Northern Eurasia and find corresponding similarities in some parts of North America. ‘Water-carrier on the Moon’ is the most widespread of these motifs being known in Japan and Polynesia. In Eurasia, the Northern Samoyeds noticeably lack all three images. The initial emergence of at least some of the cosmonyms under discussion in the Terminal Pleistocene of northern East Asia and their further dissemination towards the West, down to the Baltics, is a hypothesis to be checked."]
Borgeaud, Philippe. (1983). "The Death of Great Pan: The Problem of Interpretation." (History of Religions, Volume 22, Number 3, February, Pages 254-283). [Note: The author considers several astronomical interpretations.]
Brendel. Otto. (1936). "Der Schild des Archilles." (Die Antike, Volume 12, Pages 272-288).
Brett, George. (1926). "Astronomical Symbolism." (The Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Volume XX, Numbers 9-10, November-December, Whole Number 160, Pages 335-350). [Note: The contents of the article are wide-ranging but lack any real detail or depth. George Brett (1879-1944) was a lecturer in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto, Canada. He was the author of the highly acclaimed work The History of Psychology (3 Volumes).]
van Buren, Elizabeth. (1939). "The Rosette in Mesopotamian Art." (Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vordereasiatische Archäologie, Band 45, Issue 2-3, January, Pages 99-107). [Note: The author identifies the rosette motif as also typifying a star.]
Burrow, Ian. (1975). "Star-spangled Avalon: the Glastonbury Zodiac." (Popular Archaeology, Volume 4, Number 8, Pages 28-31). [Note: A definitive debunking of Katherine Maltwood's fantasy of an ancient terrestrial zodiac marked out by shaping of landscape features around the town of Glastonbury, England. Ian Burrow is an archaeologist.]
de Callataÿ, Godefroid. (1996). "The Knot of the Heavens." (The Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Volume 59, Pages 1-13).
Carrington, Phillip. (1931). "Astral Mythology in Revelation." (Anglican Theological Review, Volume 13, Pages 289-305). [Note: Phillip Carrington was the Anglican Archbishop of Quebec. Life dates: 1892-?]
Casanova, Paul. (1902). "De quelques Légendes astronomiques Arabes, considérées dans leurs rapports avec la Mythologie Egyptienne." (Bulletin de L'Institut français d'archéologie orientale - Le Caire, Issue 2, Pages 1-39).
Clarke, Hyde. (1878). "On the Relations Between Pasht, the Moon, and the Cat, in Egypt." (Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, Volume 6, Pages 316-322).
Crossen, Craig. and Procházka, Stephan. (2007). "The Seven Sleepers and Ancient Constellation Traditions - a Crossover of Arabic Dialectology with the History of Astronomy." (Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, Band 97, Pages 79-106).
Culver, Roger. and MacDonald, David. (1989). "An Astronomical Interpretation of Caracalla's Shield." (The Ancient History Bulletin, Volume 3, Number 1, Pages 18-24). [Note: Identification of the Supernova of CE 185 which was brighter than Venus, easily seen in daylight, and lasted 7-8 months.]
Daressy, Georges. (1915). "L'Egypte Céleste." (Bulletin de L'Institut français d'archéologie orientale du Caire, numéro 12, Pages 1-34). [Note: A discussion of late Egyptian celestial geography. For a short English-language discussion of the article see "Egyptian Astronomy and the Zodiac," by Joseph Clifford (Nature, Volume XCVIII, September 1916 to February 1917, Number 2445, September 7, Pages 7-8).]
Dorson, Richard. (1955). "The Eclipse of Solar Mythology." (Journal of American Folklore, Volume 68, Pages 393-416). [Note: Detailed and competent study by a professional folklorist.]
Dwyer, Eugene. (1992). "The Temporal Allegory of the Tazza Farnese." (American Journal of Archaeology, Volume 96, Number 2, April, Pages 255-282). [Note: Using the constellations that surround Orion in the Greek astronomical sphere the author concludes the cup is a product of Alexandrian court art circa 100-31 BCE.]
Edwards, Richard. (1954). "The Cave Reliefs at Ma Hao." (Artibus Asiae, Volume 17, Number 1, Pages 4-28). [Note: The author refers to the astral ideas of John O'Neill to make some interpretations of the iconography.]
Eisler, Robert. (1926). "Joshua and the Sun." (The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Volume 42, Number 2, January, Pages 73-85).
Estey, F[?]. (1943). "Charlemagne's Silver Celestial Table." (Speculum, Volume 18, Number 1, January, Pages 112-117).
Faulkner, Raymond. (1966). "The King and the Star-religion in the Pyramid Texts." (Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Volume XXV, Pages 153-161).
Fischer, Claudia. (2002). "Twilight of the Sun-God." (Iraq, Volume LXIV, Pages 125-134). [Note: An interesting analysis of certain cylinder seals.]
Griffith, J[?]. (1964/1965). "The Celestial Ladder and the Gate of Heaven (Genesis xxviii. 12 and 17)." (The Expository Times, Volume 76, October 1964-September 1965, Pages 229-230).
Haekel, Josef. (1957). "Astralmythologie." In: Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche (Erster Band, Columns 963-964).
Hardie, Philip. (1985). Imago Mundi: Cosmological and Ideological Aspects of the Shield of Archilles." (Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume CV, Pages 11-31).
Harper, Prudence. (1965). "The Heavenly Twins." (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Volume 23, Number 5, January, Pages 186-195).
Herringham, Christiana. (1908). "Notes on Oriental Carpet Patterns - II." (The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Volume 14, Number 68, November, Pages 84+87-89+92-94). [Note: The author refers to the astral ideas of John O'Neill to make some interpretations of the iconography. The entire article appeared in 6 parts; 5 parts in Volume 14 and 1 part in Volume 15.]
Herringham, Christiana. (1909). "Notes on Oriental Carpet Patterns - IV." (The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Volume 14, Number 70, January, Pages 218+223-225+228-230). [Note: The author refers to the astral ideas of John O'Neill to make some interpretations of the iconography.]
Herzfeld, Ernst. (1933). "Mythos und Geschichte." (Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran, Volume 1-2, Pages 1-100). [Note: I have not sighted this article. It seems that Volume 4 was published in 1932 and Volume 7 was published in 1934. There is a possibility that the correct reference is: Volume 6, 1934, Pages 1-109. ]
Hodges, Horace. (1997). "Gnostic Liberation from Astrological Determinism: Hipparchan "Trepidation" and the Breaking of Fate." (Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language, Volume LI [Volume 51], Number 4, November, Pages 359-373). [Note: The author argues that at least some Gnostic sects used Hipparchus's discovery of the precession of the equinoxes as evidence of a benevolent force (a soteriological god) intervening in the world to successfully shift the zodiacal sphere to break the bonds of astrological fate and release the Gnostic elect from the power of the cosmos and its creator.]
Hommel, Fritz. (1909). "The Constellations of the Apocalypse." (The Expository Times, Volume 20, October 1908 - September 1909 (June, 1909), Pages 426-427).
Hommel, Fritz. (1928). "Die <<zwei verschwundenen Götter>> der Adapa-Legende und Apokalypse 11, 3-13" (Altorientalische Studien Bruno Meissner zum Sechzigsten Geburtstag, Mitteilungen der Altorientalischen Gesellschaft, Band IV, Heft 1-2, Volume 1, Pages 87-95). [Note: Festschrift für Bruno Meissner, 2 Volumes, 1928-1929, (Reprinted 1972).]
Hugo Figulla in Archiv für Orientforschung, Siebenter Band, 1931-1932, Pages 192-193; and by Ferdinand Bork in Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, Vierunddreissigster Jahrgang, Number 2, 1931, Columns 136-144. Life dates: 1864-1935.]
Huxley, Margaret. (2000). "The Gates and Guardians in Sennacherib's Addition to the Temple of Assur." (Iraq, Volume 62, Pages 109-137).
Jairazbhoy, Rafique. (1961). "The Taj Mahal in the Context of East and West: A Study in the Comparative Method." (Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Volume 24, Numbers 1/2, January-June, Pages 59-88). [Note: The author is an educationalist and an authority on architecture. The article frequently mentions astral themes and symbolism in architecture from ancient Babylonia through to the Islamic period.]
James, Peter. and van der Sluijs, Marinus. (2008). "Ziggurats, Colors and Planets: Rawlinson Revisited." (Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Volume 60, Pages 57-?).
Jensen, Peter. (1928). "Astralmythen." In: Reallexikon der Assyriologie (Erster Band, Pages 305-309). [Note: The author was was a noted Assyriologist and also a radical Panbabylonist.]
Kak, Subhash. (1999). "The Solar Numbers in Ankor Wat." (Indian Journal of Science, Volume 34, Number 2, Pages 117-126).
Kákosy. László. (1981). "The Astral Snakes of the Nile." (Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo, Volume 37, Pages 255-260).
Kákosy. László. (1982). "Decans in Late-Egyptian Religion." (Oikumene, Volume 3, Pages 163-191).
Kákosy. László. (2001). "Astral Mythology in Egypt." (Acta Antiqua, Volume 40, Numbers 1-4, January, Pages 213-216). [Note: Journal published by Akadémiai Kiadó.]
Kaye, George. (1920). "Hindu Astronomical Deities." (Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 16, New Series, Pages 57-77). [Note: The author had an expert knowledge of Hindu astronomy.]
Knobloch, Eberhard. (1981). "Antike Sternsagen." (Sterne und Weltraum, Band 19, Pages 232-238, and 338-343).
Koch, Johannes. (2004). "Ein astralmythologischer Bericht aus der Zeit der diadochenkämpfe." (Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Volume 56, Pages 105-126).
Krupp, Ed. (1998). "Celestial Kings." (Sky and Telescope, Volume 96, Number 5, November, Pages 92-94).
Krupp, Ed. (2000). "Whiter Shade of Pale." (Sky and Telescope, Volume 100, Number 1, July, Pages 86-88). [Note: Deals with the lore of the Milky Way.]
Krupp, Ed. (2003). "High Fashion." (Sky and Telescope, Volume 106, Number 1, July, Pages 78-79[80?]). [Note: Mentions an Elamite figure found at Susa, in southern Iran, dated to the 11th-century BCE, thought to portray a king. His shirt is full of star symbols and may link loyal power with the stars.]
Kugler, Franz. (1904). "Die Sternenfahrt des Gilgamesch. Kosmologische Würdigung des babylonischen Nationalepos." (Stimmen aus Maria-Laach, Band LXVI [66], Part 1: Pages 432-449; Part 2: Pages 547-561). [Note: An examination of the Gilgamesh epic as astronomical mythology by a pioneer of our understanding of Babylonian astronomy. Kugler later repudiated the ideas he had expressed in the article.]
Kuperjanow, Andres. (2002) "Names in Estonian Folk Astronomy - From 'Bird's Way' to 'Milky Way'." (Folklore [= Electronic Journal of Folklore], Volume 22, Pages 49-61).
Landsberger, Benno. (1923). "Ein astralmythologischer Kommentar aus der Spätzeit babylonischer Gelehrsamkeit." (Archiv für Keilschriftforschung, Erster Band, Pages 43-48). [Note: I have seen the page numbers incorrectly given as 69-78. The author was a recognized authority on ancient Mesopotamia.]
Lehmann, Karl. (1945). "The Dome of Heaven." (The Art Bulletin, Volume 27, Number 1, March, Pages 1-27).
Lehmann-Nitsche, Robert. (1926). "Aus ethnologischen Sternbilderstudien." (Philologus, Band LXXXI, (N. F. Band XXXV), Pages 202-207).
Lehmann-Nitsche, Robert. (1934). "Der apokalyptische Drache. Eine astralmythologische Untersuchung über Ap Joh 12." (Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, Fünfundsechzigster Jahrgang, 1933, Heft 4/6, Pages 193-230).
Long, Eleanor. (1984). "How the Dog Got Its Days: A Skeptical Inquiry into Traditional Star and Weather Lore." (Western Folklore, Volume 43, Number 4, October, Pages 256-264). [Note: Excellent.]
Makemson, Maud. (1954). "Astronomy in Primitive Religion." (The Journal of Bible and Religion, Volume XXII, Number 3, Pages 163-171). [Note: The author was an American astronomer.]
MacGillivray, Alexander. (2004). "The astral labyrinth at Knossos." (British School at Athens Studies, Volume 12, Pages 329-338).
Malina, Bruce. (1998). "How a Cosmic Lamb Marries: The Image of the Wedding of the Lamb (Rev 19:7 ff.)." (Biblical Theology Bulletin, Volume 28, Number 2, Pages 75-83). [Note: The author is not as familiar with the material for astral interpretations as he believes.]
Maravelia, Amanda-Alice. (2003). "Cosmic Space and Archetypal Time: Depictions of the Sky-Goddess Nut in Three Royal Tombs of the New Kingdom and her Relation to the Milky Way." (Göttinger Miszellen, Heft [Volume/Issue] 197, Pages 55-72). [Note: A small part of the author's PhD thesis.]
MacGillivray, Alexander. (2004). "The astral labyrinth at Knossos." (British School of Athens Studies, Volume 12, Knossos: Palace, City, State., Pages 329-338).
McBeath, Alastair. (1995). "The Dragon: Northern Sky Constellation." (The Dragon Chronicle, Number 6, Pages 5-7).
McBeath, Alastair. (1996). "Sky Dragons and Celestial Serpents Part 1: Cetus the Sea Monster." (The Dragon Chronicle, Number 7 (Volume 2:1), Pages 21-24).
McBeath, Alastair. (1996). "Sky Dragons and Celestial Serpents Part 2: Hydra the Water Serpent." (The Dragon Chronicle, Number 8 (Volume 2:2), Pages 21-24).
McBeath, Alastair. (1996). "Sky Dragons and Celestial Serpents Part 3: Serpens the Sea Serpent & Hydrus the Little Water Snake." (The Dragon Chronicle, Number 9, Pages 21-24).
McBeath, Alastair. and Gheorghe, Andrei. (1997). "The Great Romanian Sky Dragon." (The Dragon Chronicle, Number 11, Pages 11-14).
McBeath, Alastair. and Gheorghe, Andrei. (1998). "Romanian Sky Dragons & Celestial Serpents." (The Dragon Chronicle, Number 12, Pages 31-33).
Metevelis, Peter. (2005). "The Dog Star and the Multiple Suns Motif: An Asian Contribution to European Mythology." (Asian Folklore Studies, Volume 64, April 1).
Meyer, E[?]. (1895). "Der Ursprung des Odysseusmythos." (Hermes, Volume 30, Pages 241-288). [Note: The author applied uncritical solar methodology. See: Archery at the dark of the moon: problems in Homer's Odyssey (1975) by Norman Austin.]
Millar, F[?]. Graham. (1998). "The Earth Diver Myth." (Nova Notes, Volume 29, Number 3, June, Pages 2-4).
Murray, Margaret. (1906). "The Astrological Character of the Egyptian Magical Wand." (Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, January - December, Volume 28, Pages 33-43). [Note: The author eventually became a noted Egyptologist and historian. However, not all of her ideas gained general acceptance. Her ideas on the origins of European witchcraft have been thoroughly demolished. This particular article is unreliable.]
Newell, William. (1900). "The Bear in Hellenic Astral Mythology." (Journal of American Folk-Lore, Volume 13, Pages 147-149).
Nilsson, Martin. (1954). "Die astrale Unsterblichkeit und kosmische Mystik." (Numen, Volume 1, Pages 106-119).
Pankenier, David. (?). "Characteristics of Field Allocation (fenye) Astrology in Early China." (? Pages 499-513). [Note: Interesting for the astral lore.]
Pankenier, David. (1999). "Applied Field-Allocation Astrology In Zhou China: Duke Wen of Jin and the Battle of Chengpu." (Journal of the American Oriental Society, Volume 119, Issue 2, Pages 261-279).
Papathanassiou, Maria. (1991). "On the Astronomical Explanation of Phanes's Relief at Modena." (Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 22, Archaeoastronomy Supplement, Number 16, Pages S1-S13 ). [Note: speculative, should be used with caution.]
Peet, Stephen. (1894). "Astronomical Symbols in Asia and America." (The American Antiquarian and Oriental Journal, Volume XVIII, January-November, Pages 174-189).
Phillips, Jr., Kyle. (1968). "Perseus and Andromeda." (American Journal of Archaeology, Volume 72, Number1, January, Pages 1-23). [Note: 20 pages of plates = 43 pages.]
Ramsay, William. and Lepsius, Johannes. (1911). "The Symbolic Language of the Apocalypse." (The Expositor, Eighth Series, Volume 1. Pages 160-180, 210-230, 375-380, 461-475, & 504-519). [Note: Dual articles with William Ramsay offering critical comment to an article by Johannes Lepsius (translated by Helena Ramsay) on an astronomical interpretation of the New Testament "Book of Revelation." Pages 210-230, 461-475, & 504-519 are headed "The Symbolic language of the Revelation." Johannes Lepsius (1858-1926) was a German professor of religious studies.]
Randall, Robert. (1982). "Qoyllur Rit'i, an Inca Fiesta of the Pleiades: Reflections on Time & Space in the Andean World." (Bulletin de l'Institut français d'études andines, Volume XI, Number 1-2, Pages 37-81).
Rappenglück, Michael. (2006). "The cosmic symbolism of tortoises and turtles." (Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Volume 4, Number 3, Pages 223-230).
Richardson, Robert. (1958). “The Star of Bethlehem – Fact or Myth?” (Griffith Observer, December, Pages ?-?).
Rochberg, Francesca. (2007). "Marduk in Heaven." (Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes, Band 97, Pages 433-442).
Roth, Ann. (1993). "Fingers, Stars, and the 'Opening of the Mouth': The Nature and Function of the NTRWJ-blades." (The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Volume 79, Pages 57-79).
Saul, John. (1989-1993). ""As it Is Above, So Shall it Below": the Blueprint of Civilization." (Archaeoastronomy: The Journal of the Center for Archaeoastronomy, Volume XI, Pages 104-107). [Note: Interesting but speculative. Influenced by the ideas in the book "Hamlet's Mill." However, several sources relied on by the author are unreliable. The ideas in the article have now been expanded into a book-length manuscript.]
Scott, John. (1916). "Assumed Contradictions in the Seasons and Odyssey." (Classical Philology, Volume 11, Number 2, April, Pages 148-155).
Scott, John. (1917). "Odyssey as Sun-god." (Classical Philology, Volume 12, Number 3, July, Pages 244-252).
Seitz, Charmaine. (2007). "Jerusalem and its Gods: A Review of Ancient Astral Worship and 'Jerusalem'." (Jerusalem Quarterly, Issue 32, Autumn, Pages 88-93). [Note: Jerusalem Quarterly is published by the Institute of Jerusalem Studies.]
St. Clair, George. (1887). "Dragon Sacrifices at the Vernal Equinox." (Report of the Fifty-Sixth Annual General Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Part - 1886, Page 838). [Note: The report relates to the meeting held in September 1886. Brief additional comment (two-third page) by St. Clair on his paper read on Friday September 3. To my knowledge the actual paper was never published.]
St. Clair, George. (1901). "Pasht and the Sed Festival." (Proceedings of the Society of Biblical archaeology, January - December, Volume 23, Pages 225-229).
St. Clair, George. (1901). "The Cat and the Moon." (The Gentleman's Magazine, March, Pages ?-?).
St. Clair, George. (1906). "Adam's Two Wives." (The Theosophical Review, Volume 37, Pages 123-128).
Shokoohy, Mehrdad. (1994). "Sasanian Royal Emblems and Their Reemergence in the Fourteenth-Century Deccan." (Muqarnas, Volume 11, Pages 65-78). [Note: Deals with astral symbols in royal emblems.]
Siimets, Ülo. (2006). "The Sun, the Moon and Firmament in Chukchi Mythology and on the Relations of Celestial Bodies and Sacrifice." (Folklore [= Electronic Journal of Folklore], Volume 32, Pages 129-156). [Note: Detailed discussion of astral mythology and constellations of the Chukchi, an indigenous people inhabiting the (Russian) Chukchi Peninsula.]
Stokley, James. (1932). "Mythology in the Sky." (The Science News-Letter, Volume 22, Number 600, October 8, Pages 226-227).
Strong, S[andford]., Arthur. Mrs. [= Sellers, Eugénie]. (1916). "A Bronze bust of a Iulio-Claudian Prince (? Caligula) in the Museum of Colchester; with a Note on the Symbolism of the Globe in Imperial Portraiture." (The Journal of Roman Studies, Volume VI, Pages 27-46). [Note: The globe in imperial portraiture is identified as having a celestial significance. The author was at the British School at Athens prior to 1914, and was later Assistant director of the British School at Rome.]
Sullivan, Lawrence. (1983). "Astral Myths Rise Again: Interpreting Religious Astronomy." (Criterion, Volume 22, Number 1, Winter, Pages 12-21). [Note: Well researched article. Unfortunately the author does not reference his sources.]
Wainwright, Gerald. (1932). "Letopolis." (The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Volume XVIII, Pages 159-172).
Wainwright, Gerald. (1936). "Orion and the Great Star." (The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Volume XXII, Pages 45-46).
Walters, H[?]. (1892-1893) "Poseidon's Trident." (The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume 13, Pages 13-20). [Note: The author refers to the astral ideas of John O'Neill to make some interpretations of the iconography.]
Weidner, Ernst. (1925). "Das Paradies am Sternenhimmel." (Archiv für Keilschriftforschung, Zweiter Band, Heft 3-4, Pages 124-130).
Weinstock, Stefan. (1949). "Lunar Mansions and Early Calendars." (Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume 69, Pages 48-69).
West, Martin. (1980). "The Midnight Planet." (The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Volume 100, Centenary Issue, Pages 206-208).
Wintemberg, W[?]. (1908). "Myths and Fancies of the Milky Way." (Journal of the Royal Society of Canada, Volume 2, October, Pages 235-247).
Woods, Christopher. (2009). "At the Edge of the World: Cosmological Conceptions of the Eastern Horizon in Mesopotamia." (Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, Volume 9, Number 2, Pages 183-239).
Zimmern, Heinrich. (1892). "Der Jakobssegen und der Tierkreis." (Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Verwandte Gebiete, Siebenter Band, Pages 161-172).
Books/Pamphlets:
Boll, Franz. (1950). (Edited by Victor Stegemann). Kleine Schriften zur Sternkunde des Altertums. [Note: A valuable collection of the authors major (and now difficult to access) articles. See the (English-language) book reviews by Stefan Weinstock in The Journal of Roman Studies, Volume XLI, 1951, Page 167; and Arthur Nock in Gnomon, Band 24, Heft 3, 1952, Pages 162-163; and the (German-language) book reviews by W[?]. Foerster in Theologische Literaturzeitung, Volume 79, Number 11, November 1954, Column 684; and by Karl Jax in Anzeiger für die Altertumswissenschaft, VII Band, 1954, Columns 106-107.]
de Callataÿ, Godefroid. (1996). Annus Platonicus: A Study of World Cycles in Greek, Latin and Arabic Sources. [Note: The best book on the subject of the "World Year."]
Evans, James. (1998). The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy. [Note: An excellent general study. See the (English-language) book reviews by Hugh Thurston in DIO, Volume 8, Number 1-2, November, 1998, Pages 36-41; Benno van Alen in Isis, Volume 91, Number 3, September 2000, Pages 580-581; and James Voelkel in Journal for the History of Astronomy, Volume 32, 2001, Pages 82-84.]
Manuel, Frank. (1963). Isaac Newton Historian. [Note: Includes a two chapter discussion of Isaac Newton's investigations into the origin of the Greek constellations.]
Zinner, Ernst. (1931). Die Geschichte der Sternkunde von den Ersten Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. [Note: A world-wide general history that includes discussions of constellations, star names, and star lore. The author was an expert on the history of astronomy but the book has its critics. See the critical (German-language) book review by Alexander Pogo in Isis, Volume XVI, 1931, Pages 161-167. See also the (English-language) book review by C. A. C. in Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Volume 25, Number 2, 1931, Pages 84-85. Ernst Zinner was Director of the Remeis Observatory, Bamberg. See the (German-language) obituary by Diedrich Wattenberg in Astronomische Nachrichten, Band 293, Heft 1-2, 1971, Pages 79-80. Life dates: 1886-1970.]
Articles/Entries:
Gundel, Wilhelm. and Gundel Hans. (1950). "Planeten." In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft. (Volume XX, Part 2, Columns 2017-2185).
Jones, F[?]. (1908). "The Ancient Year and the Sothic Cycle." (Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, January - December, Volume 30, Pages 95-106 (plus 4 plates)).
Palter, Walter. (1993). "Black Athena, Afro-centrism, and the History of Science." (History of Science, Volume 31, Pages 227-287). [Note: Contains an interesting discussion of Egyptian astronomy.]
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