Doloon Burkhan
Authors: ASE Tech Team
Doloon Burkhan is the seven Buddhas in the sky.[1] This constellation covers area of Ursa Major.
Etymology and History
Mongolians are particularly attached to the Great Bear. This constellation is limited for them to the seven Dipper stars making the bear's tail and body, but the legend concerning it is probably the most famous in Mongolia.
Spelling Variants
Origin of Constellation
A tradition, particularly delightful, concerns the link between Mongolian people and the Greater Bear as one star of this constellation is attributed to each of them. It depends on their birth year in the Chinese calendar. Chinese and Mongolian calendars have some similarities (the Mongolian calendar is a lunar calendar). Each year is symbolized by an animal, itself associated to a star of the constellation Greater Bear. The first, Dubhe, corresponds to the rat's year, the second, Merak, corresponds to the ox and so on until the end of the Great Bear's tail where Alkaid symbolizes the year of the horse. Then we come back to the first, the sheep year and we repeat the same way until the twelfth and latest year of the Chinese calendar, the one of the pig. Therefore, the two stars at the end of the tail are assigned one time only.
[Note by G. Zotti: This is a variant of the old Seven Buddha Sutra described by Elverskog.[2] There however, the association of the stars goes in an up-and-down movement, i.e., Dubhe/Rat, Merak/Ox, ... Mizar/Snake, Alkaid/Horse, Mizar/Goat, ... Merak/Pig.]
Mythology / Religion
Once upon a time, there were eight orphan brothers gifted with outstanding capabilities living within a kingdom. The king and the queen lived within it peacefully. One day, a monster came and kidnapped the queen. The king asked the eight brothers to bring her back and said: "If one of you succeeds to rescue my beloved, I will give to him a golden arrow". The orphans went together to assist their queen. They searched the monster during two days and three nights, when in the middle of the third night, they found and killed the monster. They brought back the queen in the castle.
The king did not split the arrow in eight parts, he decided to throw it into the sky. The first to catch it should keep it. The younger brother succeeded the test and changed immediately into the North Star (Polar Star). The seven others changed into the seven gods, the seven Buddhas visiting their younger brother every night. The name Doloon burkhan (the Seven Buddhas) come from this legend to appoint the Great Bear and the Golden Nail, Altan Hadaas, the Polar Star.
Sometimes, Mongolians honor the Greater Bear (Doloon Burkhan) by throwing milk in its direction. Milk, of white color, symbolizes purity in Mongolia. They pray so that something may be fulfilled, but for several persons, not for just one person, because this would bring bad luck. Milk can be replaced by vodka which, even if it is colorless, symbolizes the dark color and the strength for Mongolians. By doing this, it avoids bad luck, quarrels, fear and fends off evil spirits.
Weblinks
All HIP Stars within this constellation
IAU Working Group on Star Names
| No | HIP | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 67301 | 7.Horse |
| 2 | 65378 | 6.Snake |
| 3 | 62956 | 5.Dragon / 12.Pig |
| 4 | 59774 | 4.Rabbit / 11.Dog |
| 5 | 58001 | 3.Tiger / 10.Rooster |
| 6 | 53910 | 2.Ox / 9.Monkey |
| 7 | 54061 | 1.Rat / 8.Sheep/Goat |
| 8 | 65477 | Recovery Star |
References
- References (general)
