From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved "Volume III - The Tenth Month - Constellation Names for Delphinus"
In the Tenth Month - Capricornus.

Delphinus, the Dolphin
The constellation name for Delphinus:

• Boar, Pig or Swine.
  • Sumerian SHAH, "The Pig," is for Delphinus, which is normally called the "The Dolphin."
    • Sumerian šah: domestic pig.
      • Sumerian ì-šah: pig lard ('fat' + 'pig').
      • Sumerian šah-ú: pasture grazing pig ('pig' + 'plants, grass').
        • In Capricornus Star Names we find under J. Epping (1889) "Astronmisches Aus Babylon," provides the Babylonian source for the following lunar mansion names listed as:
          • Babylonian #26 Qarnu-šahû.
          • Babylonian #27 Maharšahina-šahû.
            • Brown thinks that it may have been the Euphratean Makhar, although Capricorn also claimed this.
          • Babylonian #28 Arkatšahina-šahû.
    • Hebrew chaziyr, khaz-eer', from an unused root probably meaning to inclose, a hog (perhaps as penned), boar, swine.
    • Greek choiros, khoy'-ros, of uncertain derivation, a hog, swine.
    • From www.lexiline.com it claims, "The wild boar (EN.TE.NA.BAR.(HUM)), d.NIN.GIR.SU, as the Sumerian GIR.SU, Sumerian BAR.CHUM, wild animal, Akkadian 'bulu' means wild.
  • In his work “BABYLONIAN STAR-LORE: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia,” by Gavin White gives this image of Delphinus which is seen on page 38 shown here as and comments, "Although the precise location of the Swine is still a matter of debate it is very likely that his star is to be found in the rebirth sector of the star-map as it is attributed to the god Damu, whose name can be translated as the 'child.'    Mythic texts portray Damu as one of the dying gods, closely related to Dumuzi, who vanished from earth and was mourned by his mother and sister.    Like all dying gods he does eventually return to the earth - and true to form, myths speak of him escaping from the underworld via a river.
        All in all, the symbolsim of the stars that rise after the winter solstice concur in depicting a time when the sun re-emerges from the darkness of winter and starts its ascent into the heavens.    In the parallel unfolding of the lifecycle of the dying god, Damu, the 'Child', escapes from the underworld and starts to make his way back to the upperworlds.    The image of the child escaping the underworld and of the nascent sun dwelling within the waters can also be interpreted in human terms as the foetus dwelling within the creative waters of the womb.    The multitude of images all relate one essential truth - that life, in all its myriad forms, takes shape within the creative waters."
        See Cancer for more on Dumuzi.
  
  
• The following is the only Mesopotamian or Euphratean representation of the Dolphin.    One sources claims that this may have been from:
  • Nostrils.
    • Assyrian Nakhiru.
    • Syrian Nakhira, "nostril animal" that Tiglath-Pileser claimed on a tablet from 1120 B.C. to have killed in the Great Sea (Mediterranean).
    • Hebrew nechiyr, nekh-eer', from the same as Heb. nachar, nakh'-ar, and (fem.) nacharah, nakh-ar-aw', from an unused root meaning to snort or snore, a snorting, nostrils, snorting, thus a nostril, [dual] nostrils.
  
  
• Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 82 "The ancient names connected with this constellation are Dalaph (Hebrew), pouring out of water; from dropping - Prov. 19:13."
  • Dropping.
    • Hebrew deleph, deh'-lef, from Heb. dalaph, daw-laf', a prim. root, to drip, by implication to weep, drop through, melt, pour out, thus a dripping, dropping.
  • Hebrew Dalaph, for one source is "the pouring out of water."
  • Arabic Dalaph, for one source is "coming quickly."
    • Seen also as Arabic ad-Dulfin, the Dolphin.
  • Rolleston also claims, "In Egyptian planisphere apparently figured as a vessel pouring out water."
  
  
• Worshipped in Corinth under the name Palaemon, was a boy on a dolphin.
  
  
• According to Richard H. Allen, Al Biruni, giving the Arabic title Al Ka’ud, the Riding Camel, said that the early Christians — the Melkite and Nestorian sects — considered it the Cross of Jesus transferred to the skies after his crucifixion; but in Kazwini's day the learned of Arabia called alpha, beta, gamma, and delta Al ‘Ukud, the Pearls or Precious Stones adorning Al Salib, by which title the common people knew this Cross; the star epsilon, towards the tail, being Al ‘Amud al Salib, the Pillar of the Cross.    But the Arabian astronomers adopted the Greek figure as their Dulfim, which one of their chroniclers described as "a marine animal friendly to man, attendant upon ships to save the drowning sailors."
  
  
• Egyptian/Coptic:
  • To see more on the Denderah Zodiac for Delphinus.
  
  
• The Hindus, from whom the Greeks are said to have borrowed it, — although the reverse of this may have been the case.
  • Named Shi-shu-mara, or Sim-shu-mara, changed in later days to Zizumara, a Porpoise, also ascribed to Draco.
  • In the 22^nd nakshatra, Cravishtha, Most Favorable, also called Dhanishtha, Richest; the Vasus, Bright or Good Ones, this asterism was figured as a Drum or Tabor: beta marking the junction with Catabishaj.
    
  • Other names for Delphinus: Al Dulfin, Al Ká' ud, Al Salb (Arabic fig.).
    Dauphin in France, Delfino in Italy, and Delphin in Germany: all from the Greek Delphis and Delphin, transcribed by the Latins as Delphis and Delphin.    Through the 17^th century, and in our day was resumed by Proctor for his reformed list.    Chaucer, in the House of Fame, had Delphyn, and later than he it was Dolphyne.
  
  See Star Names of Delphinus.
  

  ---

      This file was updated on July 15, 2008, and March 30, 2010.
  
  Return to the Table of Contents or the Zodiac of Denderah