2026-02-04T06:52:03Z

Dorvic: /* Here is an overview on all Christianized constellation names */

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:C. 1648 Central Europe (Northern).jpg|thumb|Central Europe (c. 1648). The culture of Christianization of the sky was an early modern attempt to unite European thinkers across the boundaries of a multitude of Christian confessions.]]
In this lexicon, we describe the names of a specific historical movement in Early modern history. During the Thirty Years' War in Central Europe (1618-1648) and in the decades before it that led to this war, even the work of scholars was affected by religious conflicts and the depreciation of specific Christian subgroups (traditional Catholics versus Lutherian Protestants versus Calvinists etc.). Astronomers and cartographers in that time had the same idea of one humanity "under one sky" as the IAU has been doing in the 20th and 21st centuries, but there were also attempts to project the figures that were common in all of the Christian churches into the sky and consciously reinterpret the sky with characters known to everybody in Europe.

Note that the authors of this lexicon refrain from promoting any religion; we just document a historical movement.

== Name Lists ==

===Solar System Names===
{| class="wikitable"
!scope="col" style="width: 20%;"|Original term
!scope="col" style="width: 20%;" |English
!scope="col" style="width: 20%;" |Commentary
|-
|Jesus Christ
|Sun
|
|-
|Mary
|Moon
|
|-
|Elijah
|Mercury
|
|-
|St. John the Baptist
|Venus
|
|-
|Joshua
|Mars
|
|-
|Moses
|Jupiter
|
|-
|Adam
|Saturn
|
|}
===Here is an overview on all Christianized constellation names===

{| class="wikitable"
|+
!scope="col" style="width: 21,25%;"|short description
!scope="col" style="width: 21,25%;"|original description
!scope="col" style="width: 21,25%;"|English
!scope="col" style="width: 21,25%;"|constellation
!scope="col" style="width: 15%;"|Our notes
|-
|Aaron
|Aaron Summus Sacerdos
|Aaron, High Priest
|[[Grus]]
|
|-
|Abel
|Abel Iustus
|Abel the Just
|[[Dorado]]
|
|-
|Abraham et Isaac
|Sancti Patriarchi Abraham et Isaac
|The Holy Patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac
|[[Centaurus]]
|
|-
|Agnus Paschalis
|Agnus Paschalis
|The Paschal Lamb
|[[Canis Minor]]
|
|-
|Altare Thymiamatis
|Altare Thymiamatis
|The Altar of Incense
|[[Ara]]
|
|-
|Andrea
|Sanctus Andrea Apostolus
|St Andrew, Apostle
|[[Taurus]]
|
|-
|Arca Foederis
|Sancta Arca Foederis sive Testimonium Divinum
|The Ark of the Covenant or The Divine Testimoium
|[[Crater]]
|
|-
|Arca Noachi
|Arca Patriarchae Noachi
|The Ark of the Patriarch Noah
|[[Argo]] Navis
|
|-
|Bartholomaeus
|Sanctus Bartholomaeus Apostolus
|St Bartholomew, Apostle
|[[Scorpius]]
|
|-
|Benedictus
|Santus Pater Benedictus inter spinas
|St Benedict Amongst the Thorns
|[[Ophiuchus]]
|
|-
|Camelus Rebeccae
|
|Camel of Rebecca
| colspan="2" |[[Camelopardalis]]
|-
|Catharina
|Sancta Catharina Virgo et Martyr
|St Catherine, Virgin and Martyr
|[[Aquila]]
|
|-
|Clavum Lanceaque Christi
|Sanctissimi Clavi et Lancea Christi Domini Crucifixi
|The Most Holy Nails and Lance of the Crucified Christ the Lord
|[[Sagitta]]
|
|-
|[[Columba]] Noachi
|Columba Noachi
|The Dove of Noah
| colspan="2" |[[Columba]]
|-
|Corona Christi Spinea
|Tremenda et Spinea Christi Regis Regum Corona
|The Crown of Thorns of Christ, King of Kings
|[[Corona Borealis]]
|
|-
|[[Crux]]
|Salutifera et Termagna Crux Christi, Cum Augusta Eius Inventrice Sancta Helena
|The Health-Giving Third Cross of Christ with Its Discoverer, Empress St Helena
|[[Cygnus]]
|
|-
|David
|Sanctus Rex et Propheta David
|St David, King and Prophet
|[[Canis Major]]
|
|-
|Diademata Salomonis
|Diademata regis Salomonis
|The Crown of King Solomon
|[[Corona Australis]]
|
|-
|Eva
|Eva Mater Cunctorum Viventium
|Eve, the Mother of all Living Things
|
|Apis
|-
|Flagellum Christi
|Sacratissimum Flagellum Christi Salvatoris
|The Most Sacred Scourge of Christ the Saviour
|[[Coma Berenices]]
|
|-
|Frondis Rosa
|Rosa Mystica sive Frondis Rosa
|The Mystic Rose or The Rose Branch
|[[Equuleus]]
|
|-
|Gabriel
|Sanctus Gabriel Archangelus
|St Gabriel, Archangel
|[[Pegasus]]
|
|-
|Gallus
|Gallus
|The cockerel
| colspan="2" |now part of [[Puppis]]
|-
|Hieronymus
|Sanctus Hieronymus Ecclesiae Doctor
|St Jerome, Doctor of the Church
|[[Auriga]]
|
|-
|Hydria Chananea
|Hydria Chananea Aquae in Vinum Versa
|The Jars of Water Turned to Wine in Cana
|[[Delphinus]]
|
|-
|Hydria Serapthanae
|Hydria Farina Sarepthanae Viduae
|The Grain Jar of the Widow of Zarephath
|[[Piscis Austrinus]]
|
|-
|Iacobus
|Sanctus Iacobus Maior Apostolus
|St James the Greater, Apostle
|[[Gemini]]
|
|-
|Iacobus Minor
|Sanctus Iacobus Minor Apostolus
|St James the Lesser, Apostle
|[[Virgo]]
|
|-
|Innocentii
|Sancti Innocentii Pueri
|The Holy Innocent Children
|[[Draco]]
|
|-
|Ioachim et Anna
|Santi Ioachim et Anna Parentes Deiparae
|Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Holy Mother
|[[Cetus]]
|
|-
|Ioannes
|Sanctus Ioannes Apostolus et Evangelista
|St John, Apostle and Evangelist
|[[Cancer]]
|
|-
|Iob
|Servus Dei Iob
|Job, Servant of God
|[[Indus]]
|
|-
|[[Jordanus|Iordanus]]
|Iordanus Fluvius
|The Jordan River
|[[Hydra]]
|
|-
|Ioseph
|Sanctus Ioseph Vir Mariae
|St Joseph, Husband of Mary
|[[Orion]]
|
|-
|Maria Magdalena
|Sancta Maria Magdalena
|St Mary Magdalene
|[[Cassiopeia]]
|
|-
|Matthaeus
|Sanctus Matthaeus Apostolus et Evangelista
|St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
|[[Sagittarius]]
|
|-
|Matthias
|Sanctus Matthias Apostolus
|St Matthew, Apostle
|[[Pisces]]
|
|-
|[[S. Michaelis Archangeli|Michael]]
|Sanctus Michael Archangelus Princeps Militae Coelestis Exercitus
|St Michael, Archangel, Military Leader
|[[Ursa Minor]]
|
|-
|Mitra
|Mitra Pontificalis S. Petri
|The Pontifical Mitre of St Peter
|[[Triangulum]]
|
|-
|[[Monoceros]]
|
|
|
|see [[Monoceros]]
|-
|[[Navicula S. Petri]]
|Navicula Sancti Petri Apostoli
|The Boat of St Peter, Apostle
|[[Ursa Major]]
|
|-
|Paulus
|Sanctus Paulus Apostolus, Gentiumque Doctor
|St Paul, Apostle, Teacher of the People
|[[Perseus]]
|
|-
|Petrus
|Santus Petrus Princeps Apostolorum
|St Peter, First Apostle
|[[Aries]]
|
|-
|Philippus
|Sanctus Philippus Apostolus
|St Philip, Apostle
|[[Libra]]
|
|-
|Praesepium Christi
|Ter venerandum Praesepium Salvatoris Christi
|Thrice Venerated Manger of Christ the Saviour
|[[Lyra]]
|
|-
|Raphael
|Sanctus Raphaelus Archangelus
|St Raphael, Archangel
|[[Hydrus]]
|
|-
|Sanctus Israelis
|Sanctus Israelis sive Iacobus Patriarcha
|The Holy One of Israel or The Patriarch Jacob
|[[Lupus]]
|
|-
|Sepulchrus Christi
|Sepulchrus Triumphatoris Christi
|The Tomb of Christ, Triumphant
|[[Andromeda]]
|
|-
|Signum Tau
|Signum Mystici Tau
|The Sign of the Mystical Tau
|[[Triangulum Australe]]
|
|-
|Silvester
|Sanctus Silvester Pontifex Maximus
|Pope St Sylvester
|[[Bootes]]
|
|-
|Simon
|Sanctus Simon Zelotus Apostolus
|St Simon the Zealot, Apostle
|[[Capricornus]]
|
|-
|Stephanus
|Sanctus Stephanus Protomartyrus
|St Stephen, the First Martyr
|[[Cepheus]]
|
|-
|Thadaeus
|Sanctus Iudas Thadaeus Apostolus
|St Jude Thaddeus, Apostle
|[[Aquarius]]
|
|-
|Thomas
|Sanctus Thomas Apostolus
|St Thomas, Apostle
|[[Leo]]
|
|-
|Transitus Israel
|Transitus Israel nempe per mare rubrum
|Israel Crossing the Red Sea
|[[Eridanus]]
|
|-
|Trium Reges
|Sancti Trium Reges
|The Three Kings
|[[Hercules]]
|
|-
|Vellera Gedeonis
|Vellera Gedeonis
|The Fleece of Gideon
|[[Lepus]]
|
|-
|}

*

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Latin]] [[Category:Christianised]]
[[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]]

Michael

2026-02-04T06:29:34Z

Dorvic:

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:Coelum Stellatum Christianum 01.jpg|thumb|S. Michaelis constellation in Schiller, 1627 (public domain, Linda hall Library)]]
S. Michaelis Archangeli, the constellation of Archangel Michael, is an Early Modern, European constellation in [[Ursa Minor]]. It was introduced by Julius Schiller?.

Julius Schiller (d. 1627) was an Augustinian monk and astronomer from Augsburg. In collaboration with Johann Bayer, he published the ''Coelum Stellatum Christianum'', an attempt to "Christianize" the heavens. Schiller organized the heavens by placing New Testament symbols in the north and Old Testament figures in the south, while famously replacing the twelve zodiac signs with the Twelve Apostles.

Unlike Bayer’s famous ''Uranometria'', Schiller’s work remained a historical curiosity. He depicted the stars mirror-reversed, viewing the firmament from "God’s perspective" looking down toward Earth, a style common for celestial globes but rare for printed maps. Despite its radical imagery, the atlas remained scientifically rigorous for its time. Schiller utilized Johann Bayer's data, which was largely based on the precise observations of Tycho Brahe.

Schiller’s constellations never gained much popularity. Only Dutch cartographer and cosmographer Andreas Cellarius used them in two plates in his 1660 publication ''Harmonia Macrocosmica''.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
=== Origin of Constellation ===
In Julius Schiller’s ''Coelum Stellatum Christianum'' (1627), the constellation Ursa Minor was reimagined as Saint Michael the Archangel. By placing the leader of the heavenly armies at the very pivot of the northern sky, Schiller created a powerful theological symbol: the Archangel Michael stands as the eternal guardian of the North Pole, around whom all other stars revolve. This position mirrored Michael’s role in Christian tradition as the defender of the faith and the chief opponent of darkness, effectively turning the celestial pole into a "throne" of divine protection.

True to Schiller’s commitment to scientific accuracy, the figure of the Archangel was carefully overlaid onto the existing stars of Ursa Minor. Polaris, the North Star, was positioned in Michael’s raised sword, while the other stars of Ursa Minor formed the contours of his radiant wings and flowing robes.

==== Spelling Variants ====

* Sanctus Michael Archangelus Princeps Militae (Latin Nominative)
* Sancti Michaelis Archangeli, Principis Militae (Latin Genitive )

==== Identifications ====
Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications:

* (a) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (b) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (c) The tail of [[...]] (... Scorpii)

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Source
!Identification
|-
|
|Pleiades
|-
|
|The Hyades
|-
|
|The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)
|}

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== Weblinks ==

* {{NAMESPACE}}

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Latin]] [[Category:Christianised]]
[[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]]
[[Category:UMi]]

Navicula S. Petri

2026-02-04T06:25:14Z

Dorvic:

Navicula S. Petri

2026-02-04T06:22:57Z

Dorvic:

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
..., ..., is an Early Modern, European constellation, introduced by ...

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==

=== Origin of Constellation ===
where was it mentioned, what is the earliest source ...

==== Spelling Variants ====

* ... (Latin Genitive)
* ... (Latin Nominative)
* ... (Latin Dative? / Translation )

==== Identifications ====
Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications:

* (a) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (b) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (c) The tail of [[...]] (... Scorpii)

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Source
!Identification
|-
|
|Pleiades
|-
|
|The Hyades
|-
|
|The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)
|}

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== Weblinks ==

* {{NAMESPACE}}

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

Navicula S. Petri

2026-02-04T06:22:47Z

Dorvic: Created page with "..., ..., is an Early Modern, European constellation, introduced by ... == Concordance, Etymology, History == === Origin of Constellation === where was it mentioned, what is the earliest source ... ==== Spelling Variants ==== * ... (Latin Genitive) * ... (Latin Nominative) * ... (Latin Dative? / Translation ) ==== Identifications ==== Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications: * (a) The ... (also ..., ...) * (b)..."

..., ..., is an Early Modern, European constellation, introduced by ...

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==

=== Origin of Constellation ===
where was it mentioned, what is the earliest source ...

==== Spelling Variants ====

* ... (Latin Genitive)
* ... (Latin Nominative)
* ... (Latin Dative? / Translation )

==== Identifications ====
Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications:

* (a) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (b) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (c) The tail of [[...]] (... Scorpii)

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Source
!Identification
|-
|
|Pleiades
|-
|
|The Hyades
|-
|
|The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)
|}

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== Weblinks ==

* {{NAMESPACE}}

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

Pattern:Christianized

2026-02-04T06:22:27Z

Dorvic:

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
..., ..., is an Early Modern, European constellation, introduced by ...

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
=== Origin of Constellation ===
where was it mentioned, what is the earliest source ...

==== Spelling Variants ====

* ... (Latin Genitive)
* ... (Latin Nominative)
* ... (Latin Dative? / Translation )

==== Identifications ====
Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications:

* (a) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (b) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (c) The tail of [[...]] (... Scorpii)

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Source
!Identification
|-
|
|Pleiades
|-
|
|The Hyades
|-
|
|The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)
|}

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== Weblinks ==

* {{NAMESPACE}}

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Latin]] [[Category:Christianised]]
[[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]]

Michael

2026-02-04T06:11:16Z

Dorvic: /* Origin of Constellation */

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:Coelum Stellatum Christianum 01.jpg|thumb|S. Michaelis constellation in Schiller, 1627 (public domain, Linda hall Library)]]
S. Michaelis Archangeli, the constellation of Archangel Michael, is an Early Modern, European constellation in [[Ursa Minor]]. It was introduced by Julius Schiller?.

Julius Schiller (d. 1627) was an Augustinian monk and astronomer from Augsburg. In collaboration with Johann Bayer, he published the ''Coelum Stellatum Christianum'', an attempt to "Christianize" the heavens. Schiller organized the heavens by placing New Testament symbols in the north and Old Testament figures in the south, while famously replacing the twelve zodiac signs with the Twelve Apostles.

Unlike Bayer’s famous ''Uranometria'', Schiller’s work remained a historical curiosity. He depicted the stars mirror-reversed, viewing the firmament from "God’s perspective" looking down toward Earth, a style common for celestial globes but rare for printed maps. Despite its radical imagery, the atlas remained scientifically rigorous for its time. Schiller utilized Johann Bayer's data, which was largely based on the precise observations of Tycho Brahe.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
=== Origin of Constellation ===
In Julius Schiller’s ''Coelum Stellatum Christianum'' (1627), the constellation Ursa Minor was reimagined as Saint Michael the Archangel. By placing the leader of the heavenly armies at the very pivot of the northern sky, Schiller created a powerful theological symbol: the Archangel Michael stands as the eternal guardian of the North Pole, around whom all other stars revolve. This position mirrored Michael’s role in Christian tradition as the defender of the faith and the chief opponent of darkness, effectively turning the celestial pole into a "throne" of divine protection.

True to Schiller’s commitment to scientific accuracy, the figure of the Archangel was carefully overlaid onto the existing stars of Ursa Minor. Polaris, the North Star, was positioned in Michael’s raised sword, while the other stars of Ursa Minor formed the contours of his radiant wings and flowing robes.

==== Spelling Variants ====

* Sanctus Michael Archangelus Princeps Militae (Latin Nominative)
* Sancti Michaelis Archangeli, Principis Militae (Latin Genitive )

==== Identifications ====
Depending on the season and context, the term "..." can have the following identifications:

* (a) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (b) The [[...]] (also ..., ...)
* (c) The tail of [[...]] (... Scorpii)

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Source
!Identification
|-
|
|Pleiades
|-
|
|The Hyades
|-
|
|The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)
|}

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== Weblinks ==

* {{NAMESPACE}}

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Latin]] [[Category:Christianised]]
[[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]]
[[Category:UMi]]

2025-10-17T06:25:34Z

Dorvic: /* Etymology and History */

[[File:Camelopardalis IAU.svg|alt=star chart|thumb|Cam star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations|88 IAU constellations]].

==Etymology and History==
Camelopardalis was invented in 1612 by Petrus Plancius and represents a giraffe. The constellation’s name is Greek ''Καμηλοπάρδαλις,'' which was adopted by ancient authors into Latin ''Camelopardalis'' (e.g. Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia VIII, 69), derived from the words for “camel” and “leopard”, reflecting an animal suited to hot climates like a camel, yet marked with spots like a leopard.
=== Origin of Constellation ===

===== Petrus Plancius (...) =====
[to be written]

===== Jacob Bartsch (1600-1632) =====
In 1624, Bartsch published ''Usus astronomicus planisphaerii stellati'', a book of star charts that included several new constellations first proposed around 1613 by the Dutch cartographer Petrus Plancius. Among these was '''Camelopardalis''', the constellation representing a giraffe, which Bartsch depicted on his charts based on Plancius’s celestial globe created by Pieter van den Keere.
[[File:Camelopardalis.png|thumb]]

[[File:Campelopardalis in Bartsch's Usus astronomicus.png|thumb|center|The description of Camelopardalis in ''Usus astronomicus planisphaerii stellati'']]
Bartsch's description of the constellation in ''Usus astronomicus planisphaerii stellati'' reads: <blockquote>V. CAMELOPARDALIS, ''Καμηλοπάρδαλις'', Ital. ''Giraffa, Greyff'', animal cameli proceritate, pantherae colore, bovis pedibus: ex informibus circa polum arcticum, iis stellulis Cassiopeiae & Aurigam, recentioribus sic formatur. ''Mihi sit Camelus Rebeccae, quo cum Abrahami servo ad Isacum profecta.'' Gen. 24. v. 61 & 65.

'''Camelopardalis''', ''Καμηλοπάρδαλις'', in Italian ''Giraffa'', the giraffe. An animal the height of a camel, the colour of a panther, and the feet of an ox. It is formed from faint stars near the Arctic Pole, between Cassiopeia and Auriga, as established by more recent astronomers. ''Let it be to me the camel of Rebecca, with which she journeyed with Abraham’s servant to Isaac.'' (Genesis 24:61, 65)</blockquote>

=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===

== Mythology ==

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)
* [[References (Babylonian)]]
* [[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:European]][[Category:4work]]