Anorhakoya
Anorhakoya is an Arawakan constellation name from Lokono. This constellation is referring to spirit of the cocoi heron.
Etymology and History
Spelling Variants
- Anorhâkoya
Origin of Constellation
The constellation Anorhâkoya represents the spirit of the cocoi heron (Ardea cocoi). It is recognized by contemporary Lokono as Ursa Major, in keeping with earlier identifications.[1] Claudius de Geoje reports that when it shines strong, the Lokono believe that strong winds will come, bringing dust into peoples’ eyes and consequently diseases: the heron picks their eyes with its beak, it is said.[1] Similarly, according to Cornelius van Coll, Anorhâkoya is a heron whose beak is upside down. Should its beak be turned downwards, people would get all kinds of eye diseases.[2] This can still happen when strong winds blow and carry the light from the beak into peoples’ eyes, since the light of Anorhâkoya (and other stars) travels with the wind according to the Lokono. The constellation is associated with the big dry season (August to December) and the storms and winds that are typical of this time. It appears in the morning in mid-November in the northeast with its beak down.
Mythology / Religion
Weblinks
All HIP Stars within this constellation
IAU Working Group on Star Names
References
- References (general)
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Goeje, Claudius Henricus de. 1942. “De Inwijding Tot Medicijnman Bij de Arawakken (Guyana) in Tekst En Mythe.” Bijdragen Tot de Taal-, Land- En Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië 101: 211–76.
- ↑ Coll, Cornelius van. 1903. “Gegevens over Land En Volk van Suriname I - Suriname’s Oorspronkelijke Bevolking.” Bijdragen Tot de Taal-, Land- En Volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia 55 (1): 453–529.
