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[[File:Pleiades and Hyades in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Pleiades and Hyades in Stellarium (date -300 but this view is independent of the historical epoch on human scales).]]
[[File:Pleiades and Hyades in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Pleiades and Hyades in Stellarium (date -300 but this view is independent of the historical epoch on human scales).]]
[[File:Plej+hyad smh2025 4gif.gif|thumb|Hyades and Pleiades as observed in central Europe (photo and animation SMH)]]
[[File:Plej+hyad smh2025 4gif.gif|thumb|Hyades and Pleiades as observed in central Europe (photo and animation SMH)]]
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[[File:Hyaden+plejaden_smh2025_isle.JPG|thumb|Hyades (photograph) and The Jaw of the Bull from a claytablet (CC BY SMH 2024).]]
[[File:Hyaden+plejaden_smh2025_isle.JPG|thumb|Hyades (photograph) and The Jaw of the Bull from a claytablet (CC BY SMH 2024).]]
The V-shaped Hyades appear more scattered in the sky; in Mesopotamia they were regarded as [[AGA A-nim]], the Crown of the sky god Anu, or the ‘Jaw of The Bull’ ([[Is le10|''is-lê'']]) and are interpreted in Greek as its face. The bright star [[Aldebaran]], which physically does not belong to the star cluster but is (coincidentally) seen standing in the foreground in the same direction in the sky, had no proper name - neither in Mesopotamia nor in mathematical Greek astronomy. Only in his astrological work Tetrabiblos does Ptolemy give a name for the star: the torch. The modern name, Aldebaran, is Arabic and alludes to its position in the sky. The Pleiades rise first, followed by Aldebaran and the Hyades. Ad-Dabaran means ‘the following one’.
The V-shaped Hyades appear more scattered in the sky; in Mesopotamia they were regarded as [[AGA A-nim]], the Crown of the sky god Anu, or the ‘Jaw of The Bull’ ([[Is le10|''is-lê'']]) and are interpreted in Greek as its face. The bright star [[Aldebaran]], which physically does not belong to the star cluster but is (coincidentally) seen standing in the foreground in the same direction in the sky, had no proper name - neither in Mesopotamia nor in mathematical Greek astronomy. Only in his astrological work Tetrabiblos does Ptolemy give a name for the star: the torch. The modern name, Aldebaran, is Arabic and alludes to its position in the sky. The Pleiades rise first, followed by Aldebaran and the Hyades. Ad-Dabaran means ‘the following one’.
The star cluster seems to be also part of Late Babylonian constellation of The Chariot, GIGIR.<ref name=":0" />


===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
The word śakaṭa means a cart. Hyades is referred to as ''Rohiṅī śakaṭa''  - the cart of ''Rohiṅī''. We find references to the cart of ''Rohiṅī'' (Aldebaran) in many Sanskrit texts. ''Rohiṅī'' is one of the 27 stars used extensively as a ''nakṣatra''. The V-shaped pattern of Hyades is the ''śakaṭa''. There are no images available anywhere. However, the context where this name appears provides the clue. All texts have a chapter called ''grahayuti'', the mutual conjunctions of moon and planets and / or with the stars. The procedures are provided to compute the event. In this context, ''śakaṭa- bheda'' is a special event. The word literally means cutting through the cart or breaking the cart. This essentially means that the moon / planet will be within the V-shape of Haydes. The earliest text to mention this ''śiṣydhīvriddhidatantra'' of Lalla (Chatterjee, 1981). It provides the condition for the event (''śakaṭa-bheda'') as the ''dhruvaka'' 1<sup>R</sup>|16<sup>O</sup>|40’ and ''śara'' 4<sup>O</sup>|30’ S. These can be approximated as ecliptic longitude and latitude for small values of the latitude.  1R refers to the unit of 30<sup>O</sup>, R for Rāśi, the zodiacal sign. Therefore, dhruvaka is 46<sup>O</sup> |40’
The star cluster seems to be also part of Late Babylonian constellation of The Chariot, GIGIR.<ref name=":0" /> In Indian astral science, the star cluster is referred to as ''Rohiṅī śakaṭa''  - the cart of ''Rohiṅī.'' It is unknown whether these two carts, the Babylonian and the Indian, share the same root.<gallery>
 
File:Hyaden+plejaden_smh2025_isle.JPG|Akkadian "Jaw of the Bull"
The stellarium image of the Hyades region for the year 443CE. The date of ''śiṣydhīvriddhidatantra'' is assigned to be 8<sup>th</sup> century (Chattarjee, 1981). The precise date of the text is not known preventing the application of precession correction. There is also a clue that he was using a reference which was probably 400 years earlier to him, justifying the depiction shown. The fine tuning of the ecliptic longitude has been used so as to match with that given in the text. This clearly shows the marker within the V shape of the Hyades.
File:GIGIR taurus.jpg|Babylonian GIGIR, The Chariot, star cluster
 
</gallery>
[[File:Rohini 443.jpg|thumb]]
The other texts which specifically refer to this event are ''Grahalāghava'', (16<sup>th</sup> century) by Ganeśa Daivajnya (Balachandra Rao and Padmaja, 2008) and Samanta Chandrashekhara in ''Siddhānta Darpaṅa'' (19<sup>th</sup> century) (Upadhyaya, online source). The latter states that the event is decided by the maximum value of ''śara'' possible for the planets, which is the same as the orbital inclination. According to him the event ''śakaṭa-bheda'' is possible for only ''budha'' and ''śukra'' (Mercury and Venus), rarely possible for ''śani'' (with ''parama śara'' as 2<sup>O</sup>|29’) and impossible for ''mangala'' (Mars).
 
The drawing depicting the cart of ''Rohiṅī'' (drawn by B S Shylaja) for a sky theatre show in the planetarium.
[[File:Shakatapaint.jpg|thumb]]


==Mythology==
==Mythology==
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==Weblinks==
==Weblinks==
 
* [https://iconographic.warburg.sas.ac.uk/category/vpc-taxonomy-017719 Warburg Institute Iconographic Database – Hyades]


==References==
==References==
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*[[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]
*[[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]


[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Almagest]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Mesopotamian]] [[Category:West Asian]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Almagest]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Mesopotamian]] [[Category:West Asian]] [[Category:Asian]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Star Cluster]]
[[Category:Star Cluster]]
[[Category:Tau]]
[[Category:Tau]]
[[Category:Hyades]]
[[Category:Hyades]]
<references />
<references />
Rao S and Uma S K, ''Grahalāghavam, With English Translation, Notes and Appendices,'' Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, 2008.
Chatterjee, B, ''śiṣydhīvriddhidatantra of Lalla,'' 1981, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi
Updadhyaya, English Translation of Siddhanta Darpana, (on line source)
<nowiki>https://ia803103.us.archive.org/9/items/1050-astrology-books/Arun%20Kumar_Upadhyaya_Siddhanta%20Darpana_Vol.2.pdf</nowiki>

Latest revision as of 02:25, 24 May 2026

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, IanRidpath, Youla Azkarrula

Pleiades and Hyades in Stellarium (date -300 but this view is independent of the historical epoch on human scales).
Hyades and Pleiades as observed in central Europe (photo and animation SMH)

The Hyades (Ὑας, Ὑαδες) are a significant pattern of stars in the sky that has been recognized as an asterism or constellation by almost all cultures. They form part of the modern constellation of Taurus.

Etymology and History

Name Variants:

  • Suculae (Latin)
  • Rainy Ones (hyô, hyetos)
  • Regengestirn (German)
  • ‘jaws of Taurus’ (is-lê)
  • AGA A-nim, the Crown of the sky god Anu
  • Rohiṅī śakaṭa  - the cart of Rohiṅī (Sanskrit)

Origin of Constellation

Taurus sign with drawings of Pleiades (Bristle), Hyades (Chariot), Bull, and the Moon during a total lunar eclipse in the Moon's hypsoma; drawing by Hoffmann (2025)[1].
Hyades (photograph) and The Jaw of the Bull from a claytablet (CC BY SMH 2024).

The V-shaped Hyades appear more scattered in the sky; in Mesopotamia they were regarded as AGA A-nim, the Crown of the sky god Anu, or the ‘Jaw of The Bull’ (is-lê) and are interpreted in Greek as its face. The bright star Aldebaran, which physically does not belong to the star cluster but is (coincidentally) seen standing in the foreground in the same direction in the sky, had no proper name - neither in Mesopotamia nor in mathematical Greek astronomy. Only in his astrological work Tetrabiblos does Ptolemy give a name for the star: the torch. The modern name, Aldebaran, is Arabic and alludes to its position in the sky. The Pleiades rise first, followed by Aldebaran and the Hyades. Ad-Dabaran means ‘the following one’.

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

The star cluster seems to be also part of Late Babylonian constellation of The Chariot, GIGIR.[1] In Indian astral science, the star cluster is referred to as Rohiṅī śakaṭa  - the cart of Rohiṅī. It is unknown whether these two carts, the Babylonian and the Indian, share the same root.

  • Akkadian "Jaw of the Bull"
    Akkadian "Jaw of the Bull"
  • Babylonian GIGIR, The Chariot, star cluster
    Babylonian GIGIR, The Chariot, star cluster

Mythology

In Greek mythology, both the names of the sisters and their parents vary.[2]

parents sisters
  • ATLAS & PLEIONE (Hyginus Fabulae 192)
  • ATLAS & AITHRA (Musaeus Frag, Hyginus Astronomica 2.21, Ovid Fasti 5.164)
  • HYAS & BOIOTIA (Hyginus Astronomica 2.21)
  • PHAISYLE, KORONIS, KLEEIA, PHAIO, EUDORE (Hesiod Astronomy 2)
  • PHAESYLA, KORONIS, AMBROSIA, POLYXO, EUDORA (Hyginus Fabulae 192)
  • AMBROSIA, EUDORA, AESYLE (Eustathius on Homer's Iliad 1156)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hoffmann, S.M. (2025). Image Analysis of VAT 7851, Archiv für Orientforschung (AfO) 56, 45-53
  2. ↑ Hyades in THEOI online
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