Description
We have already become accustomed to the fact that behind the name of each constellation there is an ancient myth or, at the very least, a kind fairy tale. This is wonderful, but not entirely true. The stars seem to teach us kindness, although a large number of constellations are not that ancient. Many of them appeared on the star map in the 19th and 20th centuries, when, as you understand, no myths were composed already. (And in vain - author's note.)
At the same time, a large number of truly ancient and interesting myths were lost in the depths of millennia of the history of Earth civilization, and only fragments and guesses reach us. Those legends about the Big Dipper and the hunter Orion with his "star dogs" are nothing more than legends of some more ancient civilization inherited by different peoples (and with varying degrees of accuracy). This is why almost all peoples have a "bear" name for the ladle of seven stars. But some legends have been so transformed by centuries that it is impossible to guess the real meaning behind them. I think the myth of the Northern Crown is such a case. It is a small part of the legend of the ancient Greek hero Theseus, who sailed to the island of Crete, defeated the Minotaur and freed his city from a terrible tribute (Athens regularly gave the Cretans their best young men and women to be devoured by a bull-man). There, in Crete, the young hero was seen by Princess Ariadne and, as expected, fell in love. Disregarding the interests of the state, she helped Theseus kill the bull and return alive from the labyrinth, and then safely sailed away with her lover. But during a stop on the island of Naxos, Ariadne and Theseus parted. Theseus referred to the fact that he had a vision at night - the Gods were asking him to leave Ariadne for them. The hero did not dare to oppose the will of the Gods. The ship sailed away, leaving the poor girl on a deserted shore. But as soon as the sail disappeared over the horizon, the god Dionysus descended from the sky, and Ariadne instantly forgot about her love for Theseus. And when the twilight thickened, Ariadne and Dionysus gave themselves over to the passionate caresses of love...
In the morning, when the sun rose, Dionysus was no longer on the island. As was Ariadne's crown. He took it with him to the sky, in memory of that extraordinary night. They say that a little later the runaway princess was picked up by fishermen. But she and Theseus never saw each other again... It seems that this is how it was. But if anyone wants to know another point of view, I highly recommend reading the science fiction novel by Kir Bulychev "Attempt on Theseus". The version of our outstanding science fiction writer is much more interesting (and maybe even more plausible than the ancient myth), but it is not connected with the sky or the stars. Therefore, if you allow me, I will offer you a completely different story.
For us, living on one of the countless planets of the Universe, Space seems like something very far away. But there are creatures living among the stars, just like us (or similar to us), and the Earth seems far away to them. And not only that. Everything is far away in space. That is the scale of the Universe. And the inhabitants of one star kingdom (here, of course, we mean some constellation) never visit their cosmic neighbors. And since they are immortal, by now their life has become so boring that they have "hibernated" and wake up only once a year, on the eve of the Star Ball. And anything can happen at the ball. And then one day a guest flew into the star kingdom "Corona borealis". Not at all like the court nobles. He was a traveler. A vagabond. A star wanderer. All his endless life he traveled from star to star. But everywhere he met the sleepy faces of the celestials. He did not despair. Traveling was more interesting than vegetating in crystal palaces waiting for the end of Eternity. He knew that somewhere in the boundless Universe there was another such restless soul, who could not sit quietly in a castle when the world was so big. He was looking for her, flying from constellation to constellation. But so far he had not met anyone. He was not sad. Traveling fascinated him so much, even if he had never met anyone, his life would still have been happy. He was not alone, the whole Universe was with him.
But then it happened, as everything happens sooner or later. He met her - the fragile and beautiful princess of the kingdom "Corona Borealis". She knew nothing except her palace, but the appearance of the wanderer changed something in her. While the traveler was visiting the kingdom, she did not leave him alone with questions, and he did not remain silent. For the first time, he could tell someone about what he saw. And soon the princess realized that she also wanted to see the whole world.
The guest pleased the King, the Queen, and all the other star inhabitants. And one day, either as a joke or seriously, seeing that the princess never missed a minute to talk to the stranger, the King declared him the Prince of the Kingdom of "Northern Crown". (And really, what jokes can there be here.)
The princess took everything to heart and asked: "Wanderer, take me with you, show me the world. I will be your princess!"
And he answered: "Yes. But you will never see your kingdom, your father and mother, this palace again. And tomorrow I am flying away. I cannot stay. Decide."
The tramp's newly issued crown was immediately taken away and no one spoke to him again. But he was not upset. He had already talked more here than in other kingdoms. True, in other kingdoms he was not proclaimed Prince. The princess was confused. It is scary to do something when you know that it is forever. And especially since this "forever" lasts forever. And who will let her go from the kingdom. The only princess?
When they said goodbye, she said nothing to him and he realized that she had not made up her mind. And with his departure, everything in the kingdom returned to its former course, and one by one its inhabitants began to fall asleep. Everyone fell asleep, from the court lackeys to the King and Queen. Only the princess could not sleep. The days dragged on painfully long, and she dreamed of a saving sleep. And then, when her eyelids were ready to stick together, and the intoxicating sweetness of sleep was about to flow into her entire body from her tired eyes to her fingertips, the Prince unexpectedly returned to her. He asked: "Well, have you finally made up your mind?" She said: "Yes. The whole kingdom is asleep. Nothing holds me back and I can't stay here any longer." Then the Prince continued: "In your kingdom there is a twinkling star. Do you remember how it was shining when I arrived and went out on the day of my departure?" The Princess explained: "The star always flares up for the Star Ball, and while it is gathering strength to flare up again, we sleep and time passes unnoticed." And then the Prince said the most important thing: "If you come out to meet me now, then we will meet when the star flares up. I am heading for planet Earth. Not a single star dweller has ever been there, but your kingdom is very clearly visible from there. Many days will pass before I see you again and it will not be easy for you. Separation on Earth is harder to overcome than in heaven, but look at the stars and if you see a New Star in the constellation of the Northern Crown, know that I am already nearby."
At that moment the princess shuddered and realized that she was no longer asleep. The prince had disappeared, as if he had never existed. But there was still hope. And the princess, casting a farewell glance at the throne room, went down the stairs and went out the castle gates in the direction of the planet that she had only seen on the ancient map that we call Earth...
This story has no ending. After all, the Prince and the Princess have not met yet. They are only looking for each other. But I am sure that they will find each other. Believe it too. Look at the stars, and if suddenly you see a New Star in the constellation of the Northern Crown, then a miracle has happened...
Yours Andrey Klimkovsky
The constellation Corona Borealis is one of a small number of constellations that, figuratively speaking, resemble themselves. The chain of stars, indeed, resembles a crown decorated with diamonds, of which the most expensive (and certainly possessing magical powers) is the main star of the constellation Gemma Alpheca.
This beautiful constellation is clearly visible from the Northern Hemisphere of our planet almost all year round, but it is best observed in spring, summer and early autumn. In the sky, it occupies a modest space between the constellations of Hercules and Bootes and, like almost any constellation, has its own mystery: At 5 am on February 9, 1946, trackman Alexey Kamenchuk of the Amur Railway noticed a new star in this constellation. The modest amateur astronomer reported his discovery to the Pulkovo Observatory and soon the news of the flash of a bright new star flew around the world. It was not quite a new star. Exactly 80 years before that, in 1886, it had already experienced an outburst and since then has been designated by the letter "T" in star catalogs. Its next outburst should occur around 2026, but it may flare up earlier. So look at this constellation more often. Don't miss your new star.
