Quetoh

Authors: ASE Tech Team

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Seri asterism: Quetoh in the planetarium software Stellarium (CC-BY Raúl Pérez-Enríquez in Stellarium)

Quetoh is Seri single-star asterim name. It is referring to the small dove.

Etymology and History

All this knowledge of Comca'ac people comes from prehispanic epoch, and it has prevailed through centuries. Still today, it is possible to hear the stories and legends behind the naming of constellations and the events on the sea and on the desert.

The description of the Comca'ac (Seri) Constellations presented here comes from the book "Bajo el cielo Comca'ac: Astronomía entre el mar y el desierto", written by Arturo Morales Blanco, in which it is possible to identify the relations between sky, sea and desert, as they are recovered by oral tradition and family memories.

This knowledge has arrived to us by oral transmission from generation to generation through time and shows how the events from the sea like the appearance of crabs or the abundance of Totoaba (a large fish, now in danger), comes along with the presence of sets of stars in the sky.

Origin of Constellation

This lonely star is known as Quetoh (little dove), it is modern Arcturus (Ἀρκτοῦρος). It appears around October 8th announcing an epoch of good fishing. The ancestors did not have nets or other fishing arts, they used harpoons to capture their preys and a "flint" harpoon or double point tool.

Mythology / Religion

The legend says that many years ago, with the appearance of this star in the sky, the floriation of cactus begun and at the end of the week, there were Pitahayas on them; however, the next day, all the pitahayas disappeared: it was Quetoh yacaso or 'spell of the dove' responsible of eating that fruit.

References

• References (general)