Cygnus

In Greek mythology there are four characters known as Cycnus or Cygnus, listed on this Wikipedia webpage.

The words Cygnus and cygnet, a young swan, are from Latin cygnus, 'swan', Greek kuknos.

The English word swan comes from the Indo-European root *swen- 'To sound'. Derivatives: swan¹ (from Old English swan), sone (a subjective unit of loudness, as perceived by a person with normal hearing), resonate, sonic, sonnet, sound¹, unison, (these words from Latin sonus), sonar, sonant (voiced, as a speech sound), sonata, sonorous, assonance, consonant, dissonant, resound, (these words from Latin sonare, to sound). [Pokorny swen- 1046. Watkins] The trumpeter swan's call has been likened to the sonorous notes of a French horn.

Swans spend a lot of their time swimming on lakes, it is also where they do their courting. The word sound, from Latin sonare, is sound⁴. The words sound³ (a long wide body of water, the air bladder of a fish), and sound⁴ (to measure the depth of water, to dive swiftly downwards) are related to the the word swim [Pokorny swem- 1046. Watkins]. To dive swiftly downwards is sound⁴. In the myth concerning Cycnus the friend of Phaeton, it was said; "after Phaeton died, Cycnus dove repeatedly into the river Eridanos attempting to retrieve Phaeton's body. The gods turned him into a swan". In reality swans seldom dive but they plunge their head and neck below the surface with tail tipped up to feed on roots or pondweeds, this habit was seen as having another purpose as explained by the author of The Glorious Constellations; "this story (of Cygnus searching for Phaeton) explains why swans wander over water seemingly in search of something and deep in thought and occasionally plunge their heads below the surface".

“But in some cases, with incorrect usage and improperly, a sound is called a 'voice,' as for example "the voice of the trumpet bellowed," and (Vergil, Aen. 3-556):  ... and voices broken on the shore. For the word proper to rocks on the shore is 'sound' (sonare). Also, (Vergil, Aen. 9.503):  But the trumpet far off (made) a terrible sound with its sonorous brass.” [The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville, 7th century AD, p.96.]

Swans are known for their swan-song, it was believed that swans sing only once in their lifetimes, just before they die. A swan-song has the meaning of a person's last piece of creative work, or performance, especially in literature, music, or art.

"To be swanlike is to greet one's death with a song of exceptional beauty, as in a famous passage of Plato (Phaedo 84D—85B), where Socrates hopes his own prophecy will match that of swans, "who, though they also sing in earlier times, sing especially well when on the point of death, because they are about to go off to the god whose servant they are." Their god, of course, is Apollo, famous for his associations with singing swans and their distant northern retreat in the land of the Hyperboreans" [p.31-34]. "Indeed, after Phaethon's death, his friend, Cygnus, is metamorphosed into a swan—whose lamenting death song is of proverbial beauty (2.376—80) [p.176-177]."  [Metaformations, Frederick Ahl].

In mythology Zeus took the form of a swan to seduce Leda. Perhaps he could be called a swain, means a lover or wooer.

Men marching and singing are like swans The Similes of the Aeneid http://boston.k12.ma.us/BLA/studentprojects/APlatin/outline.html

Arion is one title for  the star Alpha Cygnus, Deneb Adige: "This star also was Aridif, from Al Ridf, the 'Hindmost'; variations were Arrioph, and Arion" [Allen, Star Names]. Both Arion and Orpheus were famous lyre-players turned into swans at death. Arion 2, who lived in Corinth was the best citharist or lyre-player of his time. On his return from an artistic tour in Italy, he was robbed by the crew of his ship and forced to cast himself into the sea. Against all odds, however, he landed on shore in Greece, riding on the back of a dolphin.

"Now Arion2, not wishing to die in a meaningless way, decided to take for his shroud the sophisticated attire he used to wear at competitions, and with it on sing a final song to life, as swans generously do". http://www.maicar.com/GML/Arion2.html

Arion1 was the title of a black horse and Cygnus would seem an unlikely placement for it, it might relate to the fact that under those white feathers of swans is pure black skin?

Allen in Star Names says "it [Cygnus] was considered to be Orpheus, placed after death in the heavens, near to his favorite Lyre" [Lyra].

"Several etymologies for the name Orpheus have been proposed. A probable suggestion is that it is derived from a hypothetical PIE verb *orbhao-, 'to be deprived', from PIE *orbh-, 'to put asunder, separate' [Orpheus was torn asunder by the Maenads]. Cognates would include Greek orphe, 'darkness', and Greek orphanos, 'fatherless, orphan', from which comes English 'orphan' by way of Latin. Orpheus would therefore be semantically close to goao, 'to lament, sing wildly, cast a spell', uniting his seemingly disparate roles as disappointed lover, transgressive musician and mystery-priest into a single lexical whole. The word 'orphic' is defined as mystic, fascinating and entrancing, and, probably, because of the oracle of Orpheus, 'orphic' can also signify 'oracular'" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus

The word orphan comes from the Indo-European root *orbh- 'To change allegiance or status'. Derivatives: orphan (from Greek orphanos), robot (from Czech robota, compulsory labor, drudgery, servitude, from rab, slave), Gastarbeiter (a guest worker, especially one in Germany, from Old High German arabeit(i), labor, from Germanic *arbaithi-). [Pokorny orbho- 781. Watkins] Latin Orbona was goddess of orphans; the sense of which seems to be 'thing that changes allegiance' (in the case of the slave, from himself to his master).

Orphism, Orphic Mysteries was a religion of ancient Greece, prominent in the 6th century B.C. According to legend Orpheus founded these mysteries and was the author of the sacred poems from which the Orphic doctrines were drawn [1]. In Greek mythology Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice. He succeeded in charming Hades with his lyre (Lyra), and he was allowed to lead his wife out of the underworld on the condition that he not look back at her until they reached the surface. Just before they arrived at the surface his love for her overcame his will and he glanced back at her, causing her to be drawn back to Hades [2].

“The swan is the bird that the Greeks call olos. It is called 'swan' (olor) because it is 'entirely' white in its plumage; for no one mentions a black swan; in Greek 'entire' is called kuknos. The cycnus (i.e. cygnus, another word for swan, borrowed, in fact, from the Greek kuknos just cited) is named for singing (canere) because it pours out a sweetness of song with its modulated voice. It is thought to sing sweetly because it has a long curved neck, and a voice forcing its way by a long and winding path necessarily renders varied modulations. People say that in the Hyperborean regions, when musicians are singing to citharas, swans come flocking in large numbers, and sing with them quite harmoniously. Olor is the Latin name, for in Greek they are called kuknos. Sailors say that this bird makes a good omen for them, just as Aemilius (Macer) says (fr. 4): The swan is always the most fortunate bird in omens. Sailors prefer this one, because it does not immerse itself in the waves.^" [Note by translator: Isidore's source for Macer's lines, Servius's commentary on Aen. 1.393, originally read "is never immersed" for "does not immerse itself." Because swans are never overwhelmed by waves, they are an omen of good weather. ] [The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville, 7th century AD, p.264-265.]

Latin olor is related to auk, a diving sea birds of the family Alcidae, "from Old Norse alka, which probably derives from the Indo-European imitative base *el-, *ol-, 'to shout, cry', whence also Latin olor (for *elor), 'swan', Middle Irish ela, 'swan', and possibly also Greek elea, 'a marsh bird', elorios, 'a water bird'" [Klein]. Alcedinidae are a family of birds comprising the kingfishers, from Latin alcedo, 'kingfisher', which is Latinized from Greek alkhuon, Latin halcyon. The kingfisher (of the family Alcedinidae), that was said to nest on the sea and was believed to be able to calm the waves for fourteen days centered on the winter solstice (i.e., seven days before and seven days after). 

Orpheus (with whom this constellation is identified) could also calm or quite the seas;

"enchanted all animals through his playing of the lyre and even succeeded in calming a storm-tossed ocean". http://www.lyricalworks.com/home/commentary.htm

On The Shield of Heracles translated by Evelyn-White:

(ll. 413-423) Then Cycnus, eager to kill the son of almighty Zeus [Hercules], struck upon his shield with a brazen spear, but did not break the bronze; and the gift of the god saved his foe. But the son of Amphitryon, mighty Heracles, with his long spear struck Cycnus violently in the neck beneath the chin, where it was unguarded between helm and shield. And the deadly spear cut through the two sinews [the two vocal cords? two bands of sinew that produce sound]; for the hero's full strength lighted on his foe. And Cycnus fell as an oak falls or a lofty pine that is stricken by the lurid thunderbolt of Zeus; even so he fell, and his armor adorned with bronze clashed about him. ...(ll. 467-471). But the son of Alemena [Hercules] and glorious Iolaus [Hercules' charioteer] stripped the fine armour off Cycnus' shoulders and went, and their swift horses carried them straight to the city of Trachis. ...(ll. 472-480) ... But Anaurus, swelled by a rainstorm, blotted out the grave and memorial of Cycnus; for so Apollo, Leto's son, commanded him, because he used to watch for and violently despoil the rich hecatombs that any might bring to Pytho [3].

Etruscan word for swan is Tusna "Perhaps from *Turansna, 'of Turan.' The swan of Turan" [4].

Speculation

Etymologically, consonants 'sound together' with vowels, while vowels are 'vocal', being pronounced with the vocal cords. Consonant derives from Latin consonans, formed from com- 'together' and sonare 'to sound'. The thought was that consonants cannot be sounded alone - they must be connected with a vowel (related to vocal) to be uttered [5]. Zeus took the form of a swan to court Leda, from this union Leda gave birth to the twins of Gemini, (maybe the two vocal chords?). The larynx, or voice box, Pyxis (also known as the mast of the ship, Argo Navis), the larynx houses the vocal cords (vocal related to vowel); the two balls of light on the mast of the ship Argo Navis (Pyxis) were called Castor and Pollux, who are the Twins of Gemini.

The astrological influences of the constellation given by Manilius:

"Hard by is the place allotted to the Swan :  as a reward for the shape with which he [Jupiter or Zeus] snared the admiring Leda, when, a god changed into a snow-white swan, he came down and offered his feathered form to the unsuspecting woman. Now too with outspread wings it flies among the stars" [Manilius, Astronomica, 1st century AD, book 1, p.31.]

"Its down and glittering wings figured by stars. Accordingly he who at its rising leaves his mother's womb and beholds the light of day shall make the denizens of the air and the race of birds that is dedicated to heaven the source of his pleasure and profit.

"From this constellation shall flow a thousand human skills (artes): its child will declare war on heaven and catch a bird in mid-flight, or he will rob it of its nestling, or draw nets up and over a bird whilst it is perched on a branch or feeds on the ground (swans have a reputation for being hostile to other birds). And the object of these skills is to satisfy our high living. Today we go farther afield for the stomach than we used to go for war: we are fed from the shores of Numidia and the groves of Phasis; our markets are stocked from the land whence over a new-discovered sea was carried off the Golden Fleece. Nay more, such a man will impart to the birds of the air the language of men and what words mean; he will introduce them to a new kind of intercourse, teaching them the speech denied them by nature's law.

"In its own person the Swan hides a god (as being in the disguise of Jupiter) and the voice belonging to it; it is more than a bird and mutters to itself within. Fail not to mark the men who delight to feed the birds of Venus in pens on a rooftop, releasing them to their native skies or recalling them by special signs; or those who carry in cages throughout the city birds taught to obey words of command, men whose total wealth consists of a little sparrow (for such performing birds). [Manilius, Astronomica, 1st century AD, book 5, p.331].

© Anne Wright 2008.