Orion's belt - symbol and sign

Abstract

All things on Earth are reflected on the Sky - stars and constellations are markers of Space, Time and Thought. Of the peoples who “built” constellations, we note the Babylonians, Indians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Amerindians and, especially, the peoples belonging to the Great Civilization of Ancient Europe. These civilizations lived in the Northern hemisphere, and for this reason they gave names to the constellations visible to this half of the globe. In his work Almagesta, Ptolemy catalogued more than 1,000 stars and named 48 known constellations, known collectively as the “antique constellations”, with names still in use today.
The heavens above Romania are full of stars, constellations and groups of stars that were named in the spirit and philosophy of a sedentary people, mainly farmers and animal herders, which makes our sky pregnant with stars that define the household and the rural landscape, people’s occupations, farming and crafting tools, ways and means of transport, measuring tools, mythical and
Christian imagery, decorative objects, crosses and others. We have been researching the constellations and the legends relating to them, as they appear
in the Romanian folk beliefs, and we tried to decipher the mysteries and genesis of the mythological universe, which mirrors Romanian life, traditions and spirit. The archaeological proof has come to support the researchers in this inter-disciplinary
attempt to interpret signs and symbols on prehistoric artifacts, in order to show the link between Neolithic man and the Heavens. The present research completes the studies already published regarding the stars on the Romanian sky with new data, by looking at the source of certain traditions, superstitions and myths in the prehistory of Romanian civilization.

Full text

233
O
OR
RI
IO
ON
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’S
S
B
BE
EL
LT
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-
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S
SY
YM
MB
BO
OL
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Iharka Szücs-Csilik
Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy,
iharka@gmail.com
Zoia Maxim
Cluj-Napoca, Romania,
zoiamaxim@yahoo.fr
Key words: girdle, belt, archaeo-astronomy, ethnoarchaeology, symbol, sign
All things on Earth are reflected on the Sky - stars and constellations are markers of Space,
Time and Thought.
Of the peoples who “built” constellations, we note the Babylonians, Indians, Greeks,
Romans, Chinese, Amerindians and, especially, the peoples belonging to the Great Civilization of
Ancient Europe
1
. These civilizations lived in the Northern hemisphere, and for this reason they gave
names to the constellations visible to this half of the globe. In his work Almagesta, Ptolemy catalogued
more than 1,000 stars and named 48 known constellations, known collectively as the “antique
constellations”, with names still in use today
2
.
The heavens above Romania are full of stars, constellations and groups of stars that were
named in the spirit and philosophy of a sedentary people, mainly farmers and animal herders, which
makes our sky pregnant with stars that define the household and the rural landscape, people’s
occupations, farming and crafting tools, ways and means of transport, measuring tools, mythical and
Christian imagery, decorative objects, crosses and others
3
.
We have been researching the constellations and the legends relating to them, as they appear
in the Romanian folk beliefs, and we tried to decipher the mysteries and genesis of the mythological
universe, which mirrors Romanian life, traditions and spirit
4
.
The archaeological proof has come to support the researchers in this inter-disciplinary
attempt to interpret signs and symbols on prehistoric artifacts, in order to show the link between
Neolithic man and the Heavens
5
. The present research completes the studies already published
1
Gimbutas, 1984: 89-111; Evans, 1988.
2
Turcu, Csillik, Moldovan, 2004; At the beginning of the 16
th
century, European navigators began exploring the
Southern hemisphere and saw unknown stars in the sky. For this reason, the constellations of the Southern
hemisphere were given more technical names. In order to eliminate any problems, the International
Astronomical Union decided to set a fixed number of constellations with precisely-determined borders. They
established 88 constellations (IAU 2014; Szücs-Csillik et alii, 2013: 239).
3
Ghinoiu, 1997: 51; Pamfile, 2001; 2001a; Otescu, 2002; we note also that the Rainbow is “the Girdle of the
Earth”, “God’s Girdle”, or “the Girdle of the Mother of the Lord”, as well as the typical Romanian dance
called “the Girdle”.
4
Csillik, Maxim, 2005: 253-262; Maxim, Szücs-Csillik, 2009: 296-301; 2010: 45-54; 2014: 270; Szücs-Csillik,
Maxim, 2013: 847-856; 2016: 418-432; 2016a: 551-560; 2016b: 435; Szücs-Csillik et alii, 2013: 237-245;
Comșa, Szücs-Csillik, 2013: 837.
5
Lazarovici Gh.,
2002;
Lazarovici Gh. et alii, 2002: 7; Maxim et alii, 2002: 19; Maxim, 2005: 53-62; Csillik et
alii, 2000: 9; Csillik, Maxim, 2005: 253-262; Szücs-Csillik, Maxim, 2013a: 336; Szücs-Csillik, Virag, 2016:
591; Szücs-Csillik et alii, 2016: 43; 2015: 219.

234
regarding the stars on the Romanian sky
1
with new data, by looking at the source of certain traditions,
superstitions and myths in the prehistory of Romanian civilization.
The present work intends to present groups of stars that have been associated, in popular
Romanian belief, with clothing. We know that the main purpose of clothing is to protect the body, and
its design is influenced by the environment and lifestyle. With the passing of time, beside this
protection role, clothing also acquired an aesthetic role (decoration) to differentiate between people, or
to emphasize social rank, religious standing or age. Clothing creates the outer look (the first means of
getting to know another person, within a certain environment or time).
Throughout history, clothing has taken an important role as the expression of the mentality
of each particular age, reflecting the moral principles of the respective era. Clothing decoration offers
the aesthetic solution of diversity within a systemic unity. Decoration increases man’s personality and
prestige within the community. The ornament and accessories (jewelry) emphasize and draw attention
to the form, aesthetic and mentality of the creator as well as the wearer. An inclination towards
decoration and beautification has been manifest from the oldest of times
2
, even in prehistory, and it
varies from works on canvas, wool, clay, leather or bone all the way to metal (gold, silver, copper,
bronze). However, the generic models have stayed constant across the ages, respecting the strict social
norms inherited and transmitted from the ancestors through every generation.
Fig. 1. Orion’s position among the other constellations
3
.
Within communities that were structured on social, economic, administrative and religious
tiers, there were very strict behavioral norms that ruled and dictated the wearing of certain types of
clothes accessories, depending on social rank, age, social status, welfare, marital status and gender.
Among the Neolithic and Copper Age clothing accessories that were discovered, we mention:
necklaces, beads, pendants, earrings, wreaths, rings, brooches (fibulae), bracelets, decorative pins and
girdles (belts). Almost all these clothes pieces have a correspondent on the Romanian sky: the beads
and necklaces - the Delphinus and Lyra constellations; earrings - the Taurus constellation - the
1
Nicolau, Huluţă, 2000; Bălteanu, 2000; Pamfile, 2001; 2001a; Olinescu, 2001; Gorovei, 2002; Otescu, 2002;
Mureşan, 2011: 148-175.
2
Stoica et alii, 1985: 344.
3
www.stellarium.org/ (Constellation art - Orion)

235
Pleiades; wreaths - the Corona Borealis; rings - the Pisces constellation; pendants, brooches, fibulae -
the Taurus constellation - the Pleiades, M45; bracelets - the Corona Borealis; the girdle - the Orion
constellation, Orion’s Belt, the King’s Girdle.
Through its sheer beauty, Orion’s constellation
1
(Orion’s Belt) has aroused interest, as well
as human imagination, all through history, as illustrated in legends and myths. At the same time, this
constellation shows a symbolic picture of earthly life. Orion’s constellation, formed of seven stars, is
also known as “the Heavenly Hunter” and “the Archer” (fig. 1).
Orion is rich in stars, stellar systems and nebulae. Stars are being formed in Orion even now,
because the constellation is set on the Milky Way. In the neighborhood of Orion, the Milky Way is
quite “rarefied”. Orion is clearly, entirely visible on the night sky from November to February and
only partially visible during the rest of the year (July-October, March-April), especially at sunrise.
Orion crosses the sky’s equator, which causes total or partial visibility in both hemispheres. Orion is
located in the south-west of the sky in the northern hemisphere and in the north-west in the southern
hemisphere. Its position on the sky, almost perfectly “riding the Equator” means that it is completely
visible to all corners of the Earth.
The middle or girdle of the Heavenly Hunter is marked by three very bright, almost perfectly
aligned stars (Alnitak
2
, Alnilam
3
, Mintaka
4
), which are also known as Orion’s Belt or the King’s
Girdle. Nearby Orion we find the constellation Serpens, which gave birth to the association between
the girdle (Romanian: şerpar) and the snake (Romanian: şarpe). These three stars fed the imagination
even in prehistory, as shown by the legends, myths, religious traditions, sacred architecture and
religious objects. The name of these stars in Arabic means: “pearl string”- Alnilam; „bridle” and „belt”
- Mintaka and „belt” - Alnitak.
By localizing Orion’s belt on the night sky we can easily localize Orion. The stars are more
or less evenly distributed in a straight line, and thus they can be imagined as a belt or girdle, an
indispensable accessory to clothing. The three shining stars that make up the belt seem aligned and
they form the dominant feature of the night sky during Boreal winter, and during Austral summer
respectively. The three stars which mark the middle of the constellation only appear to be aligned:
Alnitak is 820 light-years away, Alnilam is 1,340 light-years away and Mintaka is 915 light-years
away from Earth.
Orion’s Belt (the system) can be used to localize other stars or heavenly objects nearby.
Thus, we can find the Orion Nebula below the belt, the Horsehead Nebula South of Alnitak, the M78
Nebula about 2
0
North and 1,5
0
East. Barnard’s Loop, a great emission nebula which is part of the
Orion Cloud (a gigantic molecular cloud), containing the Horsehead Nebula and Orion’s Nebula, is
also situated around the belt and can be observed by the naked eye in very good conditions of
visibility, without light pollution. Barnard’s Loop is red due to the quantity of ionized hydrogen. If we
draw an imaginary line starting from Mintaka to the south-east, we will find the star Sirius, and to the
north-west the star Aldebaran.
1
Klepešta, Rükl, 1978; Rappenglück, 2001: 51–55; Levy 2005; Ridpath, Tirion, 2007.
2
Alnitak / Zeta Orionis / ζ Ori is a triple stellar system located 820 light-years away: Zeta Orionis Aa is a blue
supergiant with the absolute magnitude of -5.25, 28 times bigger than the Sun; Zeta Orionis B is a star with
an apparent magnitude of 4, class B, which orbits Zeta Orionis Aa; Zeta Orionis Ab was discovered in 1998.
Under Alnitak is σ Orionis, which is a quadruple system made up of 4 stars.
3
Alnilam / Epsilon Orionis / ε Ori / ε Orionis is the 30
th
brightest star on the sky, and the 4
th
brightest in Orion,
after Rigel, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix. Because it’s a super gigantic blue star, ε Orionis is one of the brightest
stars known. It has an apparent magnitude of 1.69 and is located 1,340 light-years from our solar system.
4
Mintaka / δ Ori / δ Orionis / Delta Orionis is a multiple blue giant (a variable star type „Algol”, easily
observable. The Two components of the system are about half a light year from each other). Observed from
Earth, Delta Orionis is very close to the sky’s equator (less than 18 arc minutes) and is used as a space and
time landmark during clear mornings (August - October) and nights (November - March).

236
The importance and beauty of Orion’s belt is shown by the fact that its presence was noted
and is attested to in the religious beliefs of many peoples, all around the world
1
. Thus, in Chinese
tradition, Orion’s Belt is called San Xing (The Three Bodies), and the three stars represent gods: Lu
Xing (The Star of Prosperity), Fu Xing (The Star of Luck) and Shou Xing (The Star of Longevity).
The Dutch navigators and cartographers referred to it by the term Driekoningen (The Three Kings).
South Africans Boers know it by the names Drie Konings (The Three Kings) and Drie Susters (The
Three Sisters). Its most popular name used today (showing the influence of Christianity) is “The Three
Kings” (Trois Rois)
2
.
Orion’s Belt, or The King’s Belt
3
can be seen in Romania from November until February.
The ancient Romanian peasants grouped the stars in this constellation differently, and defined at least
four purely-Romanian constellations: Trisfetitele, The Three Kings, The Eastern Kings, The Three
Magi and The King’s Belt for Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka; Rariţa (Trisfetitele + Rigel + other 2
stars, with several variations which also include stars from the Lepus constellation); Sfredelul Mare,
Spiţelnicul (Trisfetitele + Betelgeuse); Toiege and other combinations which have been mentioned in
history and ethnography, with a series of myths, legends and stories associated with them, many of
which were transmitted orally
4
.
Orion’s seven stars were called the Heavenly Hunter, or the Archer in Romanian
cosmogony. Through its three middle stars called "belt" (the King’s Girdle) the Archer passes the
sky’s equator. At Nucu – Fundul Peşterii (DS, cat. 64) researchers identified an asymmetrical
sign/symbol that they associated to the representation of Orion
5
.
The belt (girdle, waistband) is man’s first “garment”, which was used to tie the newborn
baby’s bellybutton right after birth. It also ties the baby (the Unique) to the world (the Everything), it
calms it and gives it strength
6
. However, the belt also means submission and dependence on the
community, causing the person to be bound to respect the rules of the society where she belongs
7
.
a b
c
Fig. 2. Scânteia
8
. Fig. 3. a-c, Ruginoasa
9
.
1
https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centura_lui_Orion.
2
Daudet, 1964; Biblia: Mt. 2.1-2.
3
Ghinoiu, 1997: 43; Otescu, 2002: 36, n. 107.
4
Pamfile, 2001; 2001a.
5
Lazarovici, Gavrilă, 2016: fig. 2c.
6
Olinescu, 2001: 168.
7
Chevalier, Gheerbrant, 1994: I, 315.
8
Lazarovici C.-M., 2009: 88, 1/1.4.
9
Lazarovici C.-M., Lazarovici Gh., 2012: VIII.21/1, 3, 6.

237
There are a few definitions for this accessory
1
: a sash (waistband; belt) = a wide belt of wool,
leather, silk etc., which peasants wear as part of the traditional Romanian costume; a strip of woolen
fabric, or fur, worn around the waist (under clothes) by some sick people; a wide sash that priests
2
wear as a sign of a hierarchical tier, or during mass (priests and arch-priests); girdle = anything placed
around the middle of the body (waist): a sash, a belt, a cummerbund, a şerpar, etc.; balţ = a belt with
tin studs placed on three rows of thin leather strips, worn by women who work in the woods; in the
beginning, it was a symbol of fertility and fecundity, but it has lost its sacred meaning in time, and
now it only holds aesthetic value; also called zgărdane.
The belt is a practical and aesthetic piece of clothing with a strong apotropaic meaning,
given by the symbolism associated with the likeness of the coiled snake, the circle, the rope and the
magic furrow. It is essential in traditional Romanian folk wear
3
. The belt is a sacred sign with multiple
spiritual layers: protection, defense, shelter, chastity, faithfulness, attachment, fecundity, courage,
power, prestige etc. At the same time, it is a “mark” of identity, prestige and ethnic background, age
category or occupation (a wide girdle: wood cutters, log drivers or other physically demanding
occupations). The sacred significance of the girdle, in almost all religions, is that of faithfulness
toward the supreme being, justice (“as a belt around his waist”
4
), repentance (Christianity) and a sign
of hierarchy when it is worn during sacred rituals.
In Romanian folk beliefs, the belt (circle and knot) has a strong double role: for protection
(the abdominal muscles and the back) and for reproduction (male and female qualities, womb, and
vulva). There are numerous magical rituals where the girdle is the central piece, but we will not insist
on them, as the symbolic and sacred meaning requires another approach, given by the multitude and
diversity of customs
5
.
The belt has been used during magic actions (incantations; divination: young women ask the
heavens to reveal their destined spouse by using a belt; charms: witches and iele (evil fairies) do not
wear girdles) or for healing (medicine men have divine powers in this case; the traditional dance of the
căluşari) and especially in all the great rites of passage
6
:
Birth – the belt is used as an aid during birth, and afterwards to tie the baby’s bellybutton
(cloth); after three days, the newborn is passed through a ritual of invoking destiny, in which the girdle
signifies the child’s integration in the community and good luck.
Baptism – the child receives a girdle as a sign of entrance into the new world. The length of
the girdle is a symbol of longevity.
Marriage – the nuptial girdle of chastity, of the bride’s innocence, is untied by the groom on
the wedding night, or the bride gives the groom a girdle with apotropaic powers which she weaved, to
symbolize the acceptance of passing into a new phase of life and the passing of chastity. The mother in
law pulls the bride and groom into the house with the help of a belt, as a sign of union and prosperity.
Death – the girdle symbolizes the link between the two Worlds.
In initiation rites
7
as well as in military actions, hunting or competitions, the belt is a part of
the attire, with a strong protection role (apotropaic attributes), setting a sacred circle of magical
1
DEXonline.
2
„He shall put on the holy linen tunic (…) and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen
turban (these are holy garments)” (Leviticus 16:4, NASB).
3
Stoica et alii, 1985: 87.
4
The Bible: Isaiah 11:5
5
The „Dimitrie Gusti” Village Museum in Bucharest hosted in the „H. H. Stahl” room, between 25 October - 25
November 2013, the exhibit called “Girdles in Ethnic Cultures”. This occasion was the premiere of “a unique
girdle collection” (www.muzeulsatului-dimitrie-gusti.blogspot.ro).
6
Gorovei, 2002: 102; Antonescu, 2016: 83-84.
7
Chevalier, Gheerbrant, 1994, I: 316; Evseev, 1994: 24; Enea, 2016: 361.

238
energies around the waist. We must not forget the stories and fairy tales where the strength of the
“hero” lies in his girdle, and when he is wit
1 2
Fig. 4. 1, Moldova
1
; 2, Iablona
In the Romanian Neolithic and copper ages, there are many girdled idols
Avrămeni; Bârlăleşti – Sturza
; Bere
Cetăţuia; Cucuteni – Băiceni –
Dâmbul Morii
Nedeia; Scânteia –
Dealul Bodeşti/La Nuci
(fig. 3); Ţigăneşti; Vidra (anthropomorphic female jar with girdle). Some of these statuettes present a
diagonal line going up from the girdle. Recently, Sergiu Enea published a study about the diagonal as
a symbol of power
5
, in which he gather
Approximately 57% of the pieces have a belt (there are several figurine fragments without the upper
part, which were not taken into consideration). In our own research, we noticed that traditional
Romanian
folk costume for men includes a diagonal sash during holidays, which marks the rank and
the role of the wearer within the community (fig. 5).
These girdled masculine figurines were unearthed especially on sites of the Cucuteni culture,
a strong, well or
ganized civilization that was administratively structured in villages and fortified proto
urban settlements. Considering the complexity of the fortification systems, we conclude that they were
erected using the combined efforts of all communities in the ar
established plan. The works must have been coordinated by a team of “masters”, who conceived and
achieved these monumental structures. To build such defense systems and then to maintain and defend
them, much human power
was needed. This caused a great social division based on specialization, by
increasing the role of men in society, and the birth of new occupations, such as that of “
-
a soldier with military attributes in defending the “fortress”. In thi
a bow on the ceramic fragment from Lozna
1
Dumitrescu, 1979: fig. 66.
2
Lazarovici C.-M. et alii, 2009: 293.
3
METAlbumul de fotografii; www. historicum. com.
4
Müller-
Karpe, 1968, II: 177/1; Coman, 1980: fig. 104/1, 105/3;
Boghian, 2004: 138/2, 138/3, 139/2, 5, 131/10; Dinu, 2006: 10/2, 4
2009: fig. 189, 198; Lazarovici C.-
M., L
9, 38/2, 6, 40/1-3, 41/1-
3, 95/1, 2, 96/2
354-383.
5
Enea, 2016: tabel 1.
6
Lazarovici, Găvrilă, 2016: fig. 4.
energies around the waist. We must not forget the stories and fairy tales where the strength of the
“hero” lies in his girdle, and when he is wit
hout it, he becomes weak, powerless and unable to fight.
1 2
; 2, Iablona
2
.
Fig. 5. Traditional Romanian folk wear
In the Romanian Neolithic and copper ages, there are many girdled idols
; Bereşti
– Dealul Bulgarului; Buznea; Costeşti -
Cier
Dâmbul Morii
; Dumeşti – Între Pâraie
; Fedeleşeni; Ghel
ti/La Nuci
(fig. 2); Răuceşti – Munteni; Ruginoasa –
Deal
ti; Vidra (anthropomorphic female jar with girdle). Some of these statuettes present a
diagonal line going up from the girdle. Recently, Sergiu Enea published a study about the diagonal as
, in which he gather
ed over 120 Cucuteni culture pieces in a database.
Approximately 57% of the pieces have a belt (there are several figurine fragments without the upper
part, which were not taken into consideration). In our own research, we noticed that traditional
folk costume for men includes a diagonal sash during holidays, which marks the rank and
the role of the wearer within the community (fig. 5).
These girdled masculine figurines were unearthed especially on sites of the Cucuteni culture,
ganized civilization that was administratively structured in villages and fortified proto
urban settlements. Considering the complexity of the fortification systems, we conclude that they were
erected using the combined efforts of all communities in the ar
ea, according to a well
established plan. The works must have been coordinated by a team of “masters”, who conceived and
achieved these monumental structures. To build such defense systems and then to maintain and defend
was needed. This caused a great social division based on specialization, by
increasing the role of men in society, and the birth of new occupations, such as that of “
archer
a soldier with military attributes in defending the “fortress”. In thi
s context, we mention the image of
a bow on the ceramic fragment from Lozna
6
(fig. 7).
METAlbumul de fotografii; www. historicum. com.
Karpe, 1968, II: 177/1; Coman, 1980: fig. 104/1, 105/3;
Cucuteni 2009
: fig. 220, 221, 227
Boghian, 2004: 138/2, 138/3, 139/2, 5, 131/10; Dinu, 2006: 10/2, 4
-
6, 11/4, 12/3; Lazarovici C.
M., L
azarovici Gh. 2012: VIII.46, 72, 74; Monah, 2012: 10/3, 21/13, 36/4,
3, 95/1, 2, 96/2
-4, 6, 177/6, 218/7; Boghian et alii
, 2014: CIII/10, CVI/1; Enea, 2016:
energies around the waist. We must not forget the stories and fairy tales where the strength of the
hout it, he becomes weak, powerless and unable to fight.
Fig. 5. Traditional Romanian folk wear
3
.
In the Romanian Neolithic and copper ages, there are many girdled idols
4
: Armăşeni;
Cier
; Cucuteni –
şeni; Ghelăieşti
–
Deal
ul Drăghici
ti; Vidra (anthropomorphic female jar with girdle). Some of these statuettes present a
diagonal line going up from the girdle. Recently, Sergiu Enea published a study about the diagonal as
ed over 120 Cucuteni culture pieces in a database.
Approximately 57% of the pieces have a belt (there are several figurine fragments without the upper
part, which were not taken into consideration). In our own research, we noticed that traditional
folk costume for men includes a diagonal sash during holidays, which marks the rank and
These girdled masculine figurines were unearthed especially on sites of the Cucuteni culture,
ganized civilization that was administratively structured in villages and fortified proto
-
urban settlements. Considering the complexity of the fortification systems, we conclude that they were
ea, according to a well
-defined and
established plan. The works must have been coordinated by a team of “masters”, who conceived and
achieved these monumental structures. To build such defense systems and then to maintain and defend
was needed. This caused a great social division based on specialization, by
archer
” (fig. 6)
s context, we mention the image of
: fig. 220, 221, 227
-231, 233;
6, 11/4, 12/3; Lazarovici C.
-M. et alii,
azarovici Gh. 2012: VIII.46, 72, 74; Monah, 2012: 10/3, 21/13, 36/4,
, 2014: CIII/10, CVI/1; Enea, 2016:

239
Part of the defense moat at Ruginoasa (an imposing construction enforced with stone slabs
2
)
was studied, and several masculine figurine fragments were discovered in various archaeological
contexts. Among them, there is a beautiful “Adonis” from B.7
3
. We must also mention the discovery
of a unique fragment of a bone belt-buckle in moat no. 2 of the
Ț
aga fortress (moat no. 1 was tiled
with sand stone slabs), which had probably been worn by a warrior on his belt.
We must not forget that life in such a fortifies settlement unfolded according to precise rules,
well established and controlled, especially since it also housed the “military force” which had the
purpose of protecting and supervising the fortress, as well as the area around it. These “fortresses”
housed both the military power and the religious power, which together coordinated every economic,
social, political, spiritual and administrative action of community.
Around these proto-urban settlements gravitated “villages” of various sizes, which held
agricultural and pastoral economic power, and supplied the community with food and the needed raw
materials. In two cases at Dume
ş
ti, S. Enea
4
identified what was probably the sheath of a dagger worn
at the waistband, a symbol of skill and prestige but also part of military or hunting uniform.
It is worthy of note that the Heavenly Hunter (Orion) is accompanied in the sky (fig. 1) by the
two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. At his right foot is the Lepus (rabbit) constellation and in
front of him is the Taurus (bull) Constellation (the Mythical Hunter
5
of Romanian cosmogony hunts
the Bull - see the legend of the „First Settling”). The link between Orion and hunting is also suggested
by the fact that the constellation appears on the sky at the opening of the hunting season (established
according to millennia-old knowledge of the ecosystem and the game reserve)
6
. After the sheep have
come down from the mountain pastures and the harvest was reaped from the fields, orchards and
vines, the bird-hunting (pheasant, goose, duck) and rabbit-hunting season begins, lasting until the end
1
https://theheavensdeclare.net/ orion-the-archer.
2
Lazarovici C.-M. et alii, 2009: fig. 12.
3
Lazarovici C.-M., Lazarovici Gh., 2012: 295-297, VIII.46.
4
Enea 2016: fig. 2 /5, 9.
5
Poriciuc 2013: 139-147.
6
Nedici 2003.
Fig. 6. The Archer Constellation
(Orion)
1
.
Fig. 7. Lozna, detail (footnote 34).

240
of February. Big game (deer, goat, stag, wild boar) can be hunted from the middle of October until the
beginning of February.
Constellations are markers of place and of time, observed and named by humans according to
their life style. For this reason, all things on Earth are “placed” in the Sky!
(translation by Ioana Achim)
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