Fuer(附耳)
Fuer
Authors: Boshun YANG
Fù Ěr (Attached Ear, 附耳) is a one-star Chinese asterism associated with Bi (畢) (Lodge Net, 畢宿) in the present-day constellation Taurus. Its name is already recorded in the Western Han Shiji (史記), in the “Tianguan shu” (天官書, Treatise on the Celestial Offices). The small star beside Bi’s large star is called Fu'er, evoking the act of listening or speaking softly close to someone’s ear.
Concordance, Etymology, History
Fu'er’s meanings are closely connected with those of Bi, whose associations include hunting, chariots and frontier defence. The Kaiyuan zhanjing (開元占經), juan 62, preserves an omen attributed to Huangdi (黃帝): “When Fu'er trembles, there will be a hunt.” The same chapter quotes the Chunqiu wei (春秋緯): “Bi is the celestial street on the frontier and governs defence against foreign peoples; Fu'er was therefore established to hear of ominous developments.” A passage attributed to Shi (石氏) states: “Fu'er is attached to Bi, overseeing the street and watching for wrongdoing.” These accounts assign Fu'er a role in gathering intelligence and detecting danger, complementing Bi’s associations with hunting and frontier defence.
In Classical Chinese, fu er also means whispering close to someone’s ear. In a courtly setting, confidential speech by those near the ruler could influence his judgement, linking this image with slander and misleading counsel. The Shiji interprets Fu'er’s trembling as a sign that “slanderous and disorderly ministers are at the ruler’s side.” The Kaiyuan zhanjing quotes the Luo shu (洛書): “When Fu'er shows rays and moves, slanderous malefactors are about to arise.” It also states: “When Fu'er shifts, slander and wrongdoing prevail.” These omens associate the star’s abnormal appearance or movement with harmful political counsel. The Tianwen daxiang fu (天文大象賦), traditionally attributed to Li Bo (李播) of the Sui dynasty, develops this image through the phrase “Fu'er prides itself on its flattery.” Its concluding line, “Ashamed to seek advancement through whispering, I would rather roll up my tongue and live in seclusion,” plays on the names Fu'er and Juanshe (Rolled Tongue, 捲舌): whispering suggests advancement through private counsel, while rolling up the tongue signifies silence and withdrawal.
Identification of stars
There is almost no change concerning the historical identification of Bixiu and Fu'er.
| Star Names or Orders(Qing) | Han Dynasty (SUN X. & J. Kistemaker[1]) | 3rd to 6th Century (Boshun Yang[2]) | Song Dynaty (Boshun Yang[2], 1034 CE) | Song Dynasty (Pan Nai[3], 1052 CE) | Song Dynasty (Boshun Yang[2], 1052 CE) | Yuan Dynasty (Pan Nai[4], 14th century) | Qing Dynaty (Yi Shitong[5], 18th Century) | Ho PENG YOKE[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fu'er | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau | sigma2 Tau |
Maps (Gallery)
| historical map | modern identification | same in Stellarium |
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IAU Working Group on Star Names
In 202x, the name of the historical constellation "Fuer" was suggested to be used for sigma2 Tau, for it is a single-star constellation and has been used for more than 2,000 yeas. ...
Decision: ...
References
- ↑ Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. The Chinese sky during the Han. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023), Pp297-304.
- ↑ Pan Nai潘鼐. Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989, Pp220-226.
- ↑ Pan Nai潘鼐. Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p435-443.
- ↑ Yi Shitong伊世同. Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981.
- ↑ P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” Vistas in Astronomy, 5(1962), 127-225.
