From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved "Volume III - The Third Month - Constellation Names for Canis Minor"
In the Third Month of Gemini

Canis Minor, Little (Lesser) Dog
The constellation name for Canis Minor:

• Sumerian DAR.LUGAL, "The Rooster," associated with Canis Minor (?), seen below with this Sumerian group (dar, pheasant + lugal, king), thus "King Pheasant," or "Rooster."
  • Sumerian dar: n., francolin, pheasant; v., to slice, split; to shatter (reduplication class).
    • Sumerian dàr: (cf., dàra).
    • Sumerian a-dar-túnku6: a fish ('water' + 'to slice' + 'to smash').
    • Sumerian á...dar: to confiscate ('wages' + 'to split').
    • Sumerian dar-ra: cured, dried (?).
      • Sumerian u₅: n., male bird, cock; totality; v., to mount (in intercourse); to be on top of; to ride; to steer, conduct; adj., (raised) high.
  • Sumerian lugal: king; owner, master (lú, 'man', + gal, 'big').
    • Sumerian ki-lugal-gub: royal place ('place' + 'king' + 'to stand').
    • Sumerian nam-lugal: kingship (abstract prefix + 'king').
  • From www.lexiline.com, "The star behind him: the rooster (DAR.LUGAL)."
  
  
• Some call this the other hound of Orion.    It is also called "the second Dog."
  
  
• Others call this constellation "The Redeemer," thus making Canis Major as "The Prince of the Right Hand" and Canis Minor is "The Prince or Chief of the Left Hand."    See notes below for Hebrew word for Left.
  • Denderah zodiac shows two hawk figures representing Gemini as aspects of the "Prince" and "The Redeemer."
  
  
• Egyptian/Coptic:
  • Egyptians in the Denderah Zodiac depict Canis Minor as a human figure with a hawk's head and was called "Sebak."
    • Egyptian Sebek is a Crocodile god of Fayum (Crocodilopolis) thought to be the creator god, emerging from the waters of chaos to lay his eggs on the bank.    He was linked to the evil god Set.
    • Some connects Sebeck or Seveck (the crocodile-headed God in Egypt and also as Saturn) to the Indian Makara.    The word Makara is often translated by "crocodile."
    • In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 145 as to Canis Minor "Egyptian Zodiac of Denderah, Sebak, means conquering, victorious."    "It is represented as a human figure with a hawk's head and the appendage of a tail."
  • On the Denderah Zodiac to the right of Sextant (Argo Navis), Canis Minor is seen as a cow lying down or "... ruminating Hathor (Sirius)," which is on top of a serpent figure.    On its head it has the Hathor style horns with a star between them.    Also around the neck of the cow is a necklace with either a star or gem in its mounting.
    • In the "Gospel of the Stars," page 129 it is claimed that Argos on the Denderah is a "figure of a great ox enclosed, with the cross suspended from his neck, the symbol of the great possession marked with the ancient token of immortality and eternal life, named Shes-en-Fent, rejoicing over the serpent."
      • My comment: I wonder if he was talking about Canis Minor and the necklace around its neck here.
  
  
• Other names for Canis Minor: Alsahare' alsemali'ja (See Canis Major - Chilmead's Treatise), Alschere' Assemie' Algamei'sa, Aschere', Aschemi'e, Dhira' al A'sad al Makbudah, Al Ghamus, Al Ghumaisa', Al Juminaiza, Al Kalb al As'ghar, Kalb al Mulakad'dim, Kelb' elaz'gaur.
  • Richard H. Allen comments: We also find Al Jummaiza, their Sycamine, although some say that this should be Al Ghumaisa, the Dim, Watery-eyed, or Weeping One; either from the fact that her light was dimmer than that of her sister Al Shi'ra (Sirius), or from the fable connected with Suhail (Canopus) and his marriage to Al Jauzah (Orion) and subsequent flight, followed by Al Shi'ra below the Milky Way, where she remained, the other sister, Al Ghumaisa, being left in tears in her accustomed place, or it may be from a recollection of the Euphratean title for Procyon, — the Water-dog.    Bayer wrote the word Algomeiza; Riccioli, Algomisa and Algomiza; and others; Algomeysa, Algomyso, Alchamizo, etc.    Thus the Two Dog-stars were the Arabs' Al Aliawat al Suhail, the Sisters of Canopus.    Still another derivation of the name is from Al Ghamus, the Puppy; but this probably was a later idea from the Romans.
        Also borrowing from them, the Arabians called it Al Kalb al Asghar, the Lesser Dog, — Chilmead's Alcheleb Alasgar, Riccioli's Kelbelazguar, — and Al Kalb al Mutakaddim, the Preceding Dog.
        In Canis Minor lay a part of Al Dhira’ al Asad al Makbudah, the Contracted Fore Arm, or Paw, of the early Lion; the other, the Extended Paw, running up into the heads of Gemini.
        Ulug Beg designated it as Al Shi’ra al Shamiyyah, shortened to Al Shamiyyah; Chrysococca transcribing this into his Low Greek Siaer Siame, and Riccioli into Siair Siami; all of these agreeing with its occasional English title the Northern Sirius.    The Alfonsine Tables of 1521 quote it as Aschere, Aschemie and Algomeysa; those of 1545, as prochion and Algomeyla.
  • It is der Kleine Hund of the Germans; le Petit Chien of the French; and il Cane Minore of the Italians; Proctor, ignoring La Lande, strangely altered it to Felis.

See Star names for Canis Minor.

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    This file was updated on July 15, 2008.

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