Auriga

Auriga was the Latin word for a charioteer or driver, from Latin *or-ig-, 'he who manages the (horse's) bit' [1], compounded of aureae (plural), 'bridle of a horse', and -iga, 'driver'. Aureae stands for oreae (plural), a derivative of os, genitive oris, 'mouth'. The suffix -iga derives from agere, 'to set in motion, drive, lead' [Klein].

Auriga is identified with Erichthonius, the son of the goddess Athena (Roman Minerva) and Hephaestus (Roman Vulcan) who, being deformed and unable to walk, invented the chariot. Erichthonius is a name that suggests wool (eri), or fight (eris), and the suffix -chthonius means earth or ground (chthon) [2]. He is the child produced by Hephaestus' aborted attempt to have sex with Athena. In the fight (eris) that ensued between the two, some of Hephaestus' semen fell on Athena's leg. The goddess wiped it off in disgust with a woolen cloth (eri) and threw it to the ground. Gaia (Earth) gave birth to the child. Erichthonius, in his childhood, enjoyed the protection of Athena, who hid him in a basket or chest woven from Actaean osiers (willows), as she did not want the other gods to know that she was taking care of the child. She gave the basket to the daughters of Cecrops, king of Athens, to guard, instructing them not to open it. They disobeyed, and terrified by what they saw, leaped from the Acropolis to their deaths. Erichthonius was said to have a snake or dragon form for his lower body instead of feet. He is represented in the statue of Athena in the Parthenon as the snake hidden behind her shield, because it was said that when the basket was opened he jumped out and hid behind the shield of Athena (the Aegis). A snake was kept in a basket at the foot of Athena's statue in the Parthenon, representing him [the snake might be the hamadryad, or king cobra, from *sem-¹, described more fully below]. Early histories did not distinguish between Erichthonius and Erectheus, his grandson, but by the fourth century BCE they are entirely distinct figures [3].

As they struggled, some of his seed fell to earth, and from it a boy was born, the lower part of whose body was snake-formed. They named him Erichthonius, because eris in Greek means “strife”, and khthon means “earth”. [Hyginus Fabulae 166 4].

Erichthonius became, by all accounts, a benevolent king of Athens, inheriting the throne from Cecrops, the first king of Athens (who some think was his father). "Having inherited his father's (Hephaestus') lameness, found necessary some means of easy locomotion. This was secured by his invention of the four-horse chariot" (Allen, Star Names). According to the Parian marble (the Parian Chronicle) he taught his people to yoke horses and use them to pull chariots, smelt silver (which had been discovered by Indus) and till the earth with a plough (which is said to have been invented by Bootes). It was said that Erichthonius invented the quadriga, or four-horse chariot [5].

Erichthonius represents a charioteer who invented and drove the four-horse chariot. Helios, the ancient Greek's sun-god, was usually depicted riding a chariot which was drawn by four horses, but without a charioteer. Indian mythology has a charioteer, Aruna, or Arun, that resembles Erichthonius in some ways. In the Hindu Pantheon Surya, the sun, is shown drawn by seven horses (though in earlier depictions it was four) with his charioteer, the lame Aruna, seated in front of him. "According to Hindu mythology, Aruna or Arun refers to the Charioteer of the Sun, including the rising Sun. Aruna refers to the redness of the rising Sun. He is believed to be a cripple (without thighs). This figure of the Hindu mythology has the literal meaning, in Sanskrit, of the reddish one. Aruna is also the name of the Hittite god of the sea" [6].

"The charioteer for Sun God is Aruna. 'Arunodayam' (Rise of Aruna) ..., the charioteer rises first as he is in the driving seat, and then comes Surya (the sun). This Aruna is a result of a half developed embryo" [7]

A Greek title for Auriga was "Eniochos, the Rein-holder, transcribed as Heniochus by Latin authors" (Allen, Star Names). [The suffix -chus means holder from IE *segh-, and is also the suffix of Ophiuchus' name]. The Charioteer of Delphi, also known as Heniokhos (Iniohos, the rein-holder), is one of the best-known statues surviving from Ancient Greece, erected 474 BC, to commemorate the victory of a chariot team in the Pythian Games. The butterfly-fishes are the genus Heniochus. The enio- or latinized henio- of Heniochus comes from Greek, enioi, 'some', related to the prefix heno- in henotheism, 'the worship of one God without denying the existence of other Gods', and henotic, 'unifying; harmonizing', from Greek enotikos, 'serving to unite', from enoun, 'to make one, unite' [Klein], from the Indo-European root *sem-¹ 'As one, together with'. Derivatives: hendiadys (a figure of speech in which two nouns joined by and are used instead of a noun), henotheism, simultaneous, assemble, ensemble, (these words from Latin simul, at the same time), single (from Latin singulus), sempre (always), sempiternal (enduring forever), bonze (a Buddhist monk), samhita (a collection of sacred devotional hymns in Sanskrit constituting one of the four Vedas), samsara (the eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth), Sankhya (a system of Hindu philosophy based on a dualism involving the ultimate principles of soul and potential matter), sannyasi (a wandering mendicant and ascetic), Sanskrit (the classical literary language of India), same, homeo- (same), homo- (same, from Greek homos, same), homily (from Greek homilos, crowd), homolographic (maintaining the ratio of parts, from Greek homalos, like, even, level), seem (from Old Norse soema, Old English seman, geseman, 'to conciliate' literally 'to make one', and to Old Norse samr, 'same'), seemly, haploid (the haploid number is the number of chromosomes in a gamete of an individual, from Greek haploos, simple), some, handsome, -some¹, simile, similar, assimilate, resemble (from Latin similis, of the same kind), hetero- (from Greek heteros, one of two, other), simple, simplex, simplicity (from Latin simplex, simple), hamadryad (the king cobra, Ophiophagus hannah, is also called hamadryad, from Greek hama, together with, at the same time). [Pokorny 2. sem- 902. Watkins] The names Sam, Samantha, Samuel. Same might relate to Siamese twins - two people sharing part of the same body. Simian? "An ape is called 'simia' because it is similar to humans" [The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville, 7th century AD].

Erichthonius was, according to some legends, autochthonous (born of the earth), Erichthonios, referred to as the 'beneficent autochthon' [8]. Automedon was the charioteer of Achilles. The automobile is the modern counterpart of the chariot, 'auto-mobile', 'self-propelling', from Greek autos, 'self'. Socrates (Phaedrus 246a - 254e), uses the Chariot allegory to explain his view of the human soul. One horse being well-behaved and the other troublesome, and some souls have difficulty controlling the black horse, even with the help of the white horse [9]. "Aristotle spoke of autarkia - having your origin in yourself. Capacity for self-movement implied divinity and immortality. The divine or immortal element in us is 'auto-kinetic' or, as we say today, 'automobile'" [10] From Greek autos, 'self', we get the words auto-, autism, automatic, autopsy ('a seeing for oneself').

The word Auriga, a Latin word for a charioteer, is generally believed to be a compound of aureae (plural), 'bridles of a horse', and -iga, 'driver'. The word Auriga might also be broken down into au-riga. The suffix -riga might relate to rig (from Old Norse rigga), a vehicle with one or more horses harnessed to it. The au- part of Auriga might just mean 'self', from Greek autos, au-tos, (Greek -tos, Latin -tus, means 'the'); 'the self'; and the -riga; might also relate to regere, meaning ruler; ruler of the self? The name Eric, resembles Erichthonius, and comes from Old Norse Eiríkr, derived from ei, 'ever' and ríkr, 'ruler'.

Auriga is associated with Erichthonius, and the alpha star of this constellation, Capella, is associated with Amaltheia (Amalthea) the nanny-goat, who suckled the infant Zeus. The stars zeta, Hoedus 1, and eta, Hoedus 11 are her Kids, which she put aside in order to suckle the baby Zeus, as a wet-nurse would do. The Kids, two stars in Auriga the Charioteer, were treated as a separate constellation by Manilius. A nanny is a person who rears children other than her own, as Amalthea raised Zeus, and Erichthonius was raised by Athena. When Zeus became an adult, he made a shield from the hide of this goat after she died. This was Zeus 'aegis' which protected him and frightened his enemies [11], it had the goulish star Algol (beta Perseus) in the center. The skin of Amalthea, the aegis, from Indo-European *aig- 'goat', is the goatskin shield or breastplate of Zeus, Athena was so favored by her father that she was the only god-child of Zeus allowed to wear the Aegis [12]. In Greek the word aigis bore a dual meaning, both 'stormy' and 'goatish,' hence the close connection between goats and storms in myth [13]. A title given to Auriga was 'The Good Shepherd'; the Good Shepherd expresses a similar meaning to 'aegis'; under the protection, guidance or patronage.

The name, Amalthea, "from Greek Amaltheia, which is probably related to Greek malthakos, 'soft, light, weak', malakos, 'soft'" [Klein] (from *mel-¹ 'soft'). Greek malakos, 'soft' is related to the word amalgamate to join or unite; amal-gamate; as though joining the two gametes. Erichthonius is credited with introducing marriage (Greek gamos) among the Athenians. The gametes might be the Kid Goats, with Amalthea having something to do with the amalgamation (the yoking together of horses and carriage)? A gamete is a cell that fuses with another gamete during conception, the female produces the larger type of gamete—called an ovum (or egg)—and a male produces the smaller type—called a spermatozoon (or sperm cell), when the two are paired they are called gametes, from Greek gametes, 'husband', or gamete, 'wife', from Greek gamein 'to marry'. When the two cells 'marry', each carrying 23 chromosomes (the same number for each, the haploid number, these words from *sem-¹ above), they make one completely new cell; the zygote or conceptus, with 46 chromosomes (the diploid number), carrying a unique combination of genes. The zygote might be adjacent Orion. Gamete comes from the Indo-European root *geme- 'To marry'. Derivatives: gamete, gamo- (sexual union, union of parts), -gamous, -gamy, from Greek gamos, marry, union, joined, bigamy. [Pokorny gem(e)- 369. Watkins]

The snake, Erichthonius, might be the hamadryad, or king cobra, from *sem-¹ which is also the root of the Greek word for charioteer, or coach driver, Heniochus. The Cobra is the most feared of all poisonous snakes and its name comes from the Portuguese cobra de capello (hooded snake) A rearing cobra with a dilated hood (uraeus) was also a potent symbol of royalty in ancient Egypt [14]. Capella is the alpha star of this constellation, Latin capella is a diminutive of capa, from Late Latin cappa, hooded cloak. Coaches are carriages with hoods; French Cocher, the Italian Cocchiere were titles for Auriga - related to the word coach. [Perhaps a relationship between Hoedus, the Latin traditional name for haedi, kid goats, and hood?]

Pliny and Manilius treated the alpha star, Capella as a constellation by itself, also calling it Capra, Caper, Hircus, and by other hircine titles. Charles Earle Funk (Thereby Hangs a Tale) says that because goats were perceived as enjoying the freedom to change their minds, we use the word caprice to mean a whim. The suffix -rice in 'caprice' is related to the words hirsute (from Latin hircus, 'he-goat'), and horror, from riccio 'curl, frizzled,' literally 'hedgehog,' in which the hair is said to stand erect like spines, as though in horror, from Latin ericius. This word, caprice, might belong to Capricorn but because of the horror stories associated with Auriga I imagine that the suffix '-rice' in caprice must have something to do with this constellation also. Auriga contains and the capricious Kid Goats, and the Nanny Goat, whose skin after she died became the aegis of Zeus, adorned with the petrifying Medusa's head in its center. One story tells us that the goat, Amalthea, was so ugly that it could frighten even the Titans. Latin ericius resembles the prefix of Erichthonius' name, Eri-chthonius, which is thought to be from eri, or eris, strife or fight. It was said that the daughters of Cecrops took one look at Erichthonius as a baby and were so horrified by what they saw that they leaped from the Acropolis to their deaths.

"The windblown clouds, supposedly, are skittish goats. But language is itself capricious: the supposed goat in 'caprice' was originally a hedgehog. The word is from the Italian capo, head, and riccio, hedgehog, and originally meant 'horror', in which the hair is said to stand erect like spines. ... capricious could translate as 'curly-headed'. Clouds, although not capricious in the hedgehog sense, are often metaphorically perceived as hair, just as the sea is [Charles Earle Funk, Thereby Hangs a Tale].

There is a similarity between the name of the Greek title, Eniochos, for this constellation, Latin Heniochus, and the name Enoch (Hebrew hanokh, translated to the Greek Henoch). The city on the Euphrates, Uruk (Biblical Erech, Eresh, now Warka) "was recognized at once by Sayce, and many others, as identical with the Biblical word, Enoch" [15]. The theory that the modern name of Iraq could be possibly derived from the name Uruk is not proven [16]. Erech resembles Erichthonius. There are some parallels between these characters: Both Erichthonius and Enoch inherited cities already built. Cain built Enoch and named after his son Enoch (Genesis 4:17), which is identified with Uruk or Erech. Uruk has sanctuaries of the goddess Inanna, who is also called Nana or Eanna; this constellation has a nanny-goat Amalthea, Capella. "Enoch walked with God" and lived 365 years; the Charioteer, Aruna, travels with the sun 365 days a year.

The astrological influences of the constellation given by Manilius:

"The Charioteer lifts his team from ocean and wrests his wheels up from the downward slope of the horizon where icy Boreas lashes us with his bitter blasts. He will impart his own enthusiasms and the skills, still retained in heaven, which as driver of a chariot he once took pleasure in on earth (that is, the constellation is identified with Erichthonius). The Charioteer will enable his son to stand in a light chariot and hold in check the four mouths curbed with foam-flecked bits (Erichthonius invented the quadriga, or four-horse chariot), guide their powerful strength, and keep close to the curve round which they wheel. Again, when the bolts have been drawn and the horses have escaped from the starting-pens, he will urge on the spirited steeds and, leaning forward, he will seem to precede them in their swift career; hardly touching the surface of the track with his light wheels, he will outstrip the winds with his coursers' feet. Holding first place in the contest he will drive to the side in a balking course and, his obstruction delaying his rivals, deny them the whole breadth of the circus-track; or if he is placed mid-way in the press, he will now swing to a course on the outside, trusting in the open, now keep close to the pointed turning-post, and will leave the result in doubt to the very last moment. As a trick-rider too he will be able to settle himself now on one, now on a second horse, and plant his feet firmly upon them: flying from horse to horse he will perform tricks on the backs of animals in flight themselves; or mounted on a single horse he will now engage in exercise of arms, now whilst still riding pick up gifts scattered along the length of the circus. He will possess virtuosity in all that is connected with such pursuits. 

Of this constellation, I think, Salmoneus may be held to have been born imitating heaven on earth, he imagined that by setting his  team of four on a bridge of bronze and driving it across he had expressed the crash of the heavens (referring to Phaeton's disastrous attempt to drive the sun-chariot one day) and had brought to earth Jove's very self; however, while counterfeiting thunderbolts he was struck by real ones and, falling after the fires he had flung himself, discovered in death that Jove existed. You may well believe that under this constellation was born Bellerophon, who flew amid the stars and laid a road on heaven (The Milky Way): the sky was the field over which he sped, whilst land and sea lay far beneath his feet, and his path was unmarked by footprints. By examples such as these are you to mark the rising figure of the Charioteer". [Manilius, Astronomica, book 5, p. 305-309].

Manilius referring to Capella:

Capella: Alpha Auriga: "The' Olenian goat (Capella, Olenian either as being on the left arm of the Charioteer, or as the daughter of Oleniss), keeping watch over the Kids which stray ahead, enstarred on the right in the cold north sky for her services as foster-mother of mighty Jove (Jupiter). She gave the Thunderer (Jupiter) sound nourishment, satisfying with her own milk the infant's hungry body and giving him therewith sufficient strength to wield his bolts. Of the Goat are born anxious minds and trembling hearts, which start at every noise and are apt to flutter at the slightest cause. Inborn in them, too, is a longing to explore the unknown, even as goats seek fresh shrubs on mountain slopes and rejoice, as they browse, to move ever further afield".  [Manilus, book 5 of Astronomica]

Manilius referring to the Hyades rising: 

Hoedus 1, Hoedus 1 (Zeta Auriga) and Hoedus 11, Hoedus 11 (Eta Auriga) when rising (on the Ascendant): "The Kids display their quivering chins, promise to mankind of their shaggy backs at a later hour, on the right horizon where the north wind blows. Think not that hence is fashioned a product of severe mien, that hence are born stern- faced Catos (Cato the Censor), an inflexible Torquatus (who killed his son) and men to repeat the deed of Horatius (Who killed his sister). Such a charge would be too much for the sign, nor does such greatness befit the frisking Kids, who rejoice in frivolity and stamp their young with a wanton breast. These abandon themselves to playful sport and nimble activity, and spend their youth in fickle loves. Though honor never inspires them to shed their blood, lust often drives them to do so, and their base desires cost even their lives; to perish thus is their least disgrace, since their triumph is a triumph of vice. The Kids also give to those born under them the custody of flocks, and beget a shepherd of their own kind, one to hang a pipe round his neck and draw from its different stops melodious strains".  [Manilus, book 5 of Astronomica]

Manilus referring to the Hyades setting:

Haedi 1 (Zeta Auriga) and Haedi 11 (Eta Auriga) when setting (on the descendant): "But when the heedless Kid, like one astray in secluded dells, looks for his brethren's tracks and rises at a distance far behind the flock, he fashions an adroit mind and a spirit which occupies itself with business of every kind, which falters not under cares, and which is never satisfied with home. Such men are the servants of the state, passing through the magistracies and judicial offices. When he is there, the auctioneer's spear (a spear was fixed in the ground at public auctions) will not look in vain for a lifted finger or confiscated goods lack a bidder; when he is there, no criminal will go scot-free or any debtor to the treasury defraud the state. He is the city's attorney. In addition, he indulges in a host of love affairs, and at the Wine-god's behest drops public business, when he reveals himself as agile at dancing and more supple than performers on the stage". [Manilus, book 5 of Astronomica].

© Anne Wright 2008.