Hyades (mythology)
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, the Hyades (icon; Ancient Greek: Ὑάδες "the rainy ones"), are a sisterhood of nymphs that bring rain.
The Hyades were daughters of Atlas
(by either Pleione
or Aethra, one of the Oceanides) and sisters of Hyas
in most tellings, although one version gives their parents as Hyas and Boeotia
. The Hyades are sisters to the Pleiades
and the Hesperides
.
The main myth concerning them is envisioned to account for their collective name and to provide an etiology
for their weepy raininess: Hyas was killed in a hunting accident and the Hyades wept from their grief. They were changed into a cluster of stars, the Hyades
set in the head of Taurus
.
Their number varies from three of the earliest sources to fifteen of the late ones. The names are also variable, according to the mythographer, and include:
Servius gives a set of five names that doesn't match any other known lists: Pytho, Synecho, Baccho, Cardie, Niseis.
Additionally, Thyone
and Prodice were supposed to be daughters of Hyas by Aethra
, and have been added to the group of stars.
The Greeks believed that the heliacal rising
and setting of the Hyades star cluster
were always attended with rain, hence the association of the Hyades (sisters of Hyas) and the Hyades (daughters of ocean) with the constellation of the Hyades (rainy ones).
The Hyades are also thought to have been the tutors of Dionysus
, in some tellings of the latter's infancy, and as such are equated with the Nysiads
, the nymphs who are also believed to have cared for Dionysus, as well as with other reputed nurses of the god - the Lamides, the Dodonides and the nymphs of Naxos
. Some sources relate that they were subject to aging, but Dionysus, to express his gratitude for having raised him, asked Medea
to restore their youth.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the Hyades (icon; Ancient Greek: Ὑάδες "the rainy ones"), are a sisterhood of nymphs that bring rain.
The Hyades were daughters of Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
(by either Pleione
Pleione
Pleione may refer to*Pleione , a figure in Greek mythology*Pleione , a star belonging to the Pleiades star cluster*Pleione , a genus mainly of ground orchids. Prefer to grow on tree-trunks and in rock crevices...
or Aethra, one of the Oceanides) and sisters of Hyas
Hyas
Hyas, in Greek mythology, was a son of the Titan Atlas by Aethra . He was a notable archer who was killed by his intended prey. Some stories have him dying after attempting to rob a lion of its cubs. Some have him killed by a serpent, but most commonly he is said to have been gored by a wild boar...
in most tellings, although one version gives their parents as Hyas and Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
. The Hyades are sisters to the Pleiades
Pleiades (Greek mythology)
The Pleiades , companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. They are the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the Hesperides...
and the Hesperides
Hesperides
In Greek mythology, the Hesperides are nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, located near the Atlas mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean....
.
The main myth concerning them is envisioned to account for their collective name and to provide an etiology
Etiology
Etiology is the study of causation, or origination. The word is derived from the Greek , aitiologia, "giving a reason for" ....
for their weepy raininess: Hyas was killed in a hunting accident and the Hyades wept from their grief. They were changed into a cluster of stars, the Hyades
Hyades (star cluster)
The Hyades is the nearest open cluster to the Solar System and one of the best-studied of all star clusters. The Hipparcos satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and infrared color-magnitude diagram fitting have been used to establish a distance to the cluster's center of ~153 ly...
set in the head of Taurus
Taurus (constellation)
Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is a Latin word meaning 'bull', and its astrological symbol is a stylized bull's head:...
.
Their number varies from three of the earliest sources to fifteen of the late ones. The names are also variable, according to the mythographer, and include:
- Aesyle or Phaesyle
- AmbrosiaAmbrosiaIn ancient Greek mythology, ambrosia is sometimes the food or drink of the Greek gods , often depicted as conferring ageless immortality upon whoever consumes it...
- Cleeia
- Coronis
- Eudora
- Pedile
- Phaeo or Phaeote
- Phyto
- Polyxo
Servius gives a set of five names that doesn't match any other known lists: Pytho, Synecho, Baccho, Cardie, Niseis.
Additionally, Thyone
Thyone
Thyone can refer to:*An alternative name for Semele in Greek mythology*Thyone, a moon of Jupiter*A star in the Pleiades cluster *Thyone, a genus of sea cucumbers...
and Prodice were supposed to be daughters of Hyas by Aethra
Aethra
In Greek mythology, Aethra or Aithra was a name applied to four different individuals:-Mother of Theseus:...
, and have been added to the group of stars.
The Greeks believed that the heliacal rising
Heliacal rising
The heliacal rising of a star occurs when it first becomes visible above the eastern horizon for a brief moment just before sunrise, after a period of time when it had not been visible....
and setting of the Hyades star cluster
Hyades (star cluster)
The Hyades is the nearest open cluster to the Solar System and one of the best-studied of all star clusters. The Hipparcos satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and infrared color-magnitude diagram fitting have been used to establish a distance to the cluster's center of ~153 ly...
were always attended with rain, hence the association of the Hyades (sisters of Hyas) and the Hyades (daughters of ocean) with the constellation of the Hyades (rainy ones).
The Hyades are also thought to have been the tutors of Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
, in some tellings of the latter's infancy, and as such are equated with the Nysiads
Nysiads
The Nysiads or Nysiades were the nymphs of Mount Nysa who cared for and taught the infant Dionysus.Their names include:* Ambrosia* Arsinoe* Bromia or Bromis* Cisseis* Coronis* Erato...
, the nymphs who are also believed to have cared for Dionysus, as well as with other reputed nurses of the god - the Lamides, the Dodonides and the nymphs of Naxos
Naxos (island)
Naxos is a Greek island, the largest island in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture....
. Some sources relate that they were subject to aging, but Dionysus, to express his gratitude for having raised him, asked Medea
Medea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
to restore their youth.