6. In the Babylonian zodiac the corresponding constellation was Crook:
... Crook (Auriga) The Crook depicts a shepherd tending a goat-kid. It naturally symbolizes the spring-time when the majority of calves, lambs and kids are born in the cattle-folds. The shepherd also symbolizes the king, who figuratively guides his people on the paths of safety and security. The Crook therefore appropriately rises in the first month of the year when the king was enthroned and empowered to rule for another year ... Here they look in the same (the normal) direction, shepherd and goat. Both are facing the direction of lower right ascension. But the goat is a kid and therefore presumably not to be thought of as identical with Capella (which is much too strong a star for a newborn, one would think). And Ga1-14 is empty-handed (like λ a sign of no light) - the Goat is an (e)scape-goat, he is leaving with all the sorrows and sins of the previous year:
We can guess the Babylonian goat-kid corresponds to Haedus I (ζ Aurigae), who is looking in the opposite direction compared to Capella according to Hevelius:
Hevelius has painted the Charioteer as kneeling, while in the Babylonian zodiac the Crook shepherd is sitting down - both drawings indicating a low position. At the beginning things are small (implying a low height - cfr the hanau glyph type) and they reach full stature only when fully grown (cfr tagata). |
