Austrian scholar Raoul Schrott has unveiled a remarkable project that brings together the celestial myths of 17 distinct cultures in an extensive atlas. His work, titled “Atlas der Sternenhimmel und Schöpfungsmythen der Menschheit,” spans over 1,200 pages and aims to preserve these once-vibrant narratives associated with the stars.
Throughout history, humanity has gazed at the night sky and drawn various figures from the stars. For instance, the ancient Greeks envisioned a great bear, while the Egyptians saw a bull. The Tuareg identified a camel, and the Navajo depicted their version of Adam among the stars. Schrott dedicated seven years to researching and compiling these cultural interpretations, delving into historical documents and collaborating with historians to reconstruct this celestial atlas.
In a recent virtual interview, Schrott reflected on the significance of these narratives. He noted that while humans began writing approximately 15,000 years ago, the constellations were established much earlier, by Stone Age hunter-gatherers. He posits that the stars served as a narrative canvas for our ancestors, enabling them to pass down knowledge and stories to future generations.
These celestial tales often encompass moral or sexual lessons. For example, the constellation Ursa Major represents the nymph Callisto, transformed into a bear after her affair with Zeus while he was married. Such stories have subtly reminded women throughout the ages about the importance of marital fidelity. Schrott pointed out that, despite the vastness of the universe, many people chose to reflect their human instincts and passions in their celestial narratives.
For the Egyptians, the constellation of the man jumping symbolized a link to the afterlife and the transition from life to death. Themes of death and eternal life permeate the celestial stories across various cultures, often intertwined with practical knowledge about local fauna and flora or ideal hunting times. Schrott describes the night sky as a “natural Sistine Chapel,” where ancient civilizations inscribed all elements central to their culture.
Schrott”s atlas is unique in its comprehensive documentation of these diverse cultural perspectives. While other projects, like the Australian Aboriginal Astronomy Project, exist to preserve traditional astronomical knowledge, Schrott”s work stands out for its detailed illustrations and the breadth of cultures it encompasses, including the Tuareg of the Sahara, Australian Aboriginals, and the Inuit.
The author emphasizes that many celestial stories have been lost over time, lamenting that this work should have been undertaken much earlier, particularly when oral traditions still thrived. He credits some Spanish missionaries for their efforts to document the celestial myths of the Mayans and Incas, which would have otherwise been lost to history.
Schrott”s atlas also touches upon the significant influence of the collaborative scientific efforts among Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Spain during the late Middle Ages, which shaped modern constellations. However, he intentionally moves away from a Eurocentric perspective, focusing instead on the rich narratives from around the globe.
As the International Astronomical Union standardized constellations in the 20th century, Schrott”s work serves as a reminder that the sky is not merely a map of established constellations but a repository of human stories and cultural heritage. He hopes that by bringing these stories to light, we can reconnect with our shared history and understanding of our place in the universe.
Ultimately, Schrott believes that as people increasingly lose sight of the stars due to urbanization, they risk forgetting not just ancestral stories but their own significance within the cosmos. “When man looks to the sky, he realizes how small and insignificant he is,” he states, highlighting the profound psychological impact that the stars hold for humanity.
