STAR CONSTELLATIONS
Examples of Rock Art Star
Constellations.
Carved Cup Marks on the rocks or stones are generally interpreted as holes in which our ancestors offered
all kind of things in order to behave their Gods and Goddess. However there are
some real and concrete explanations to the cup marks.
Cupmarks
are showed on the rocks as single, in groups, in circles and in lines. Below on
the pictures the cupmarks are showed in groups as star constellations of the
most common and known constellations on the celestial ceiling.
Generally
the cupmarks are painted in white colour because the symbolize mostly the light of the stars.
The
first picture above from the island Bornholm, Almegaard in Denmark, show the star
constellation of Cassiopeia compared with the star map on picture 2. Picture 3
from Denmark, Bornholm, Allinge, Madseloekkebakke, are showing the Hyades with the giant
red star Aldabaran in Taurus compared to the star map on picture 4.
Picture
1 is from Sweden, Bohuslen, Litsleby, shows with red lines the star constellation
of the Big Bear or the Big Dipper compared to the star map on picture 2 and rock carvings
on a stone from Denmark, Ketting Church on picture 3.
Picture
1 from Sweden, Bohuslen, Litsleby, show in the red square the star
constellation of Orion. Picture 2 shows a so called frottage or rubbed charcoal
picture directly from the rock. Picture 3 shows the star map constellation of
Orion.
Here are 2 more rock carving
pictures of the Orion constellation. The first are from Sweden, Bohuslen, Torsbo,
compared with the star map in the middle and the second are from Sweden,
Finntorp,
where the author of the white painting of the cupmarks have forgotten to mark
and paint the cup mark showing the star Rigel beside the yellow arrow.
And
yet another picture of Orion from Madsebakke, Allinge, Bornholm, here animated
and compared with a Star Atlas picture of Orion. 2 of the yellow cupmarks are crumbled
and not marked.
Picture
1 from Denmark, Udsholt near Aalborg show a group of carvings. The black marked
carvings shows Little Bear or the Little Dipper. The circle with the 4 spokes
marks the circumpolar centre on the night sky.
The
Circle is often generally interpreted as a Sun wheel which is a reasonably
interpretation. But the symbol also can describe a marking of the celestial
polar centre.
The
picture above from Venslev, Denmark, shows some Star Constellations.
The celestial polar centre on the night heaven could very well also have been showed
with concentric circles with Cup Marks and rings showing the apparently revolving
heaven around a centre. Or for that matter with the same figures on a bronze age
shield.
The
shown pictures are just some few clear examples of Cup Marks showing something
which have to do with the star constellations and the night sky.
