Editing Boötes (section)

== History and mythology ==

In [[ancient Babylon]], the stars of Boötes were known as SHU.PA. They were apparently depicted as the god [[Enlil]], who was the leader of the [[Babylonian religion|Babylonian pantheon]] and special patron of farmers.{{sfn|White|2008|p=207}} Boötes may have been represented by the animal foreleg constellation in ancient Egypt, resembling that of an ox sufficiently to have been originally proposed as the "[[foreleg of ox]]" by Berio.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Berio|first=Alessandro|year=2014|title=The Celestial River: Identifying the Ancient Egyptian Constellations|url=http://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp253_ancient_egyptian_constellations.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp253_ancient_egyptian_constellations.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|journal=Sino-Platonic Papers|volume=253|page=43|bibcode=2014SPP...253....1B}}</ref> [[File:Bootes-foreleg.png|thumb|left|300px|The constellation of Boötes overlaid on the ancient Egyptian foreleg constellation]]

[[Homer]] mentions Boötes in the ''[[Odyssey]]'' as a celestial reference for [[History of navigation#Antiquity|navigation]],<ref>Homer, Odyssey, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hom.+Od.+5.270&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136 book 5, 272]</ref> describing it as "late-setting" or "slow to set".{{sfn|Mandelbaum|1990|p=103}} Exactly whom Boötes is supposed to represent in [[Greek mythology]] is not clear. According to one version, he was a son of [[Demeter]],<ref>Levy 1996 pp=141</ref> [[Philomenus]], twin brother of [[Plutus]], a plowman who drove the oxen in the constellation [[Ursa Major]].{{sfn|Ridpath|2001|pp=88–89}} This agrees with the constellation's name.<ref>Levy 1996 pp=141</ref> The ancient Greeks saw the [[asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] now called the "[[Big Dipper]]" or "Plough" as a cart with oxen.{{sfn|Thompson|Thompson|2007|p=102}}{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}} Some myths say that Boötes invented the [[plow]] and was memorialized for his ingenuity as a constellation.{{sfn|Pasachoff|2000|p=133}}

Another myth associated with Boötes by [[De astronomia|Hyginus]] is that of [[Icarius (Athenian)|Icarius]], who was [[apprentice|schooled]] as a [[vineyard|grape farmer]] and [[winemaker]] by [[Dionysus]]. Icarius made wine so strong that those who drank it appeared [[poisoning|poisoned]], which caused [[shepherd]]s to avenge their supposedly poisoned friends by killing Icarius. [[Maera (hound)|Maera]], Icarius' dog, brought his daughter [[Erigone (daughter of Icarius)|Erigone]] to her father's body, whereupon both she and the dog died by [[suicide]]. Zeus then chose to honor all three by placing them in the sky as constellations: Icarius as Boötes, Erigone as [[Virgo (constellation)|Virgo]], and Maera as [[Canis Major]] or [[Canis Minor]].{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}}

Following another reading, the constellation is identified with [[Arcas]] and also referred to as Arcas and Arcturus, son of [[Zeus]] and [[Callisto (mythology)|Callisto]]. Arcas was brought up by his maternal grandfather [[Lycaon (king of Arcadia)|Lycaon]], to whom one day Zeus went and had a meal. To verify that the guest was really the king of the gods, Lycaon killed his grandson and prepared a meal made from his flesh. Zeus noticed and became very angry, transforming Lycaon into a [[wolf]] and [[resurrection|giving life back]] to his son. In the meantime Callisto had been transformed into a she-[[bear]] by Zeus's wife [[Hera]], who was angry at Zeus's [[infidelity]].{{sfn|Ridpath|2001|pp=88–89}}{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}} This is corroborated by the Greek name for Boötes, ''Arctophylax'', which means "Bear Watcher".{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}}

Callisto, in the form of a bear was almost killed by her son, who was out hunting. Zeus rescued her, taking her into the sky where she became Ursa Major, "the Great Bear". Arcturus, the name of the constellation's brightest star, comes from the Greek word meaning "guardian of the bear". Sometimes Arcturus is depicted as leading the [[hunting dog]]s of nearby [[Canes Venatici]] and driving the bears of Ursa Major and [[Ursa Minor]].<ref>Levy 1996 pp=141</ref>

[[File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Boötes as depicted in ''[[Urania's Mirror]]'', a set of constellation cards published in London {{circa|1825}}. In his left hand he holds his hunting dogs, Canes Venatici. Below them is the constellation Coma Berenices. Above the head of Boötes is [[Quadrans Muralis]], now obsolete, but which lives on as the name of the early January [[Quadrantid]] meteor shower. [[Mons Mænalus]] can be seen at his feet.]]

Several [[former constellations]] were formed from stars now included in Boötes. [[Quadrans Muralis]], the Quadrant, was a constellation created near [[Beta Boötis]] from faint stars.{{sfn|Moore|2000|pp=341–342}} It was designated in 1795 by [[Jérôme Lalande]], an astronomer who used a [[quadrant (instrument)|quadrant]] to perform detailed [[astrometry|astronometric measurements]]. Lalande worked with [[Nicole-Reine Lepaute]] and others to predict the 1758 return of [[Halley's Comet]]. Quadrans Muralis was formed from the stars of eastern Boötes, western [[Hercules (constellation)|Hercules]] and [[Draco (constellation)|Draco]].{{sfn|Levy|2008|p=51}} It was originally called ''Le Mural'' by [[Jean Fortin]] in his 1795 ''[[Atlas Céleste]]''; it was not given the name ''Quadrans Muralis'' until [[Johann Bode]]'s 1801 ''[[Uranographia]]''. The constellation was quite faint, with its brightest stars reaching the 5th magnitude.{{sfn|Star Tales Quadrans Muralis}} [[Mons Maenalus]], representing the [[Mainalo|Maenalus]] mountains, was created by [[Johannes Hevelius]] in 1687 at the foot of the constellation's figure. The mountain was named for the son of Lycaon, [[Maenalus (mythology)|Maenalus]]. The mountain, one of [[Diana (mythology)|Diana]]'s [[hunting]] grounds, was also holy to [[Pan (mythology)|Pan]].{{sfn|Star Tales Mons Maenalus}}

=== Non-Western astronomy ===
The stars of Boötes were incorporated into many different [[Chinese astronomy|Chinese constellations]]. Arcturus was part of the most prominent of these, variously designated as the celestial king's throne (''Tian Wang'') or the [[Azure Dragon|Blue Dragon]]'s horn (''Daijiao''); the name ''Daijiao'', meaning "great horn", is more common. Arcturus was given such importance in Chinese celestial mythology because of its status marking the beginning of the [[lunar calendar]], as well as its status as the brightest star in the northern night sky.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Two constellations flanked ''Daijiao'': ''Yousheti'' to the right and ''Zuosheti'' to the left; they represented companions that orchestrated the seasons. ''Zuosheti'' was formed from modern [[Zeta Boötis|Zeta]], [[Omicron Boötis|Omicron]] and [[Pi Boötis]], while ''Yousheti'' was formed from modern [[Eta Boötis|Eta]], [[Tau Boötis|Tau]] and [[Upsilon Boötis]]. ''Dixi'', the Emperor's ceremonial banquet mat, was north of Arcturus, consisting of the stars [[12 Boötis|12]], [[11 Boötis|11]] and [[9 Boötis]]. Another northern constellation was ''Qigong'', the [[Seven Dukes]], which mostly straddled the Boötes-Hercules border. It included either [[Delta Boötis]] or [[Beta Boötis]] as its terminus.{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}}

The other Chinese constellations made up of the stars of Boötes existed in the modern constellation's north; they are all representations of weapons. ''Tianqiang'', the [[spear]], was formed from [[Iota Boötis|Iota]], [[Kappa Boötis|Kappa]] and [[Theta Boötis]]; ''Genghe'', variously representing a [[lance]] or [[shield]], was formed from [[Epsilon Boötis|Epsilon]], [[Rho Boötis|Rho]] and [[Sigma Boötis]].

There were also two weapons made up of a singular star. ''Xuange'', the [[halberd]], was represented by [[Lambda Boötis]], and ''Zhaoyao'', either the [[sword]] or the spear, was represented by [[Gamma Boötis]].{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}}

Two Chinese constellations have an uncertain placement in Boötes. ''Kangchi'', the lake, was placed south of Arcturus, though its specific location is disputed. It may have been placed entirely in Boötes, on either side of the Boötes-Virgo border, or on either side of the Virgo-Libra border. The constellation ''Zhouding'', a bronze [[tripod]]-mounted container used for food, was sometimes cited as the stars [[1 Boötis|1]], [[2 Boötis|2]] and [[6 Boötis]]. However, it has also been associated with three stars in [[Coma Berenices]].{{sfn|Star Tales Boötes}}

Boötes is also known to [[Native American culture]]s. In [[Yup'ik language]], Boötes is ''Taluyaq'', literally "[[fish trap]]," and the funnel-shaped part of the fish trap is known as ''Ilulirat.''{{sfn|Jacobson 2012}}