Musca Australis

Musca domestica is the housefly, belonging to the family Muscoidea, the order Diptera (di-, two + ptera, wing). The word musca comes from the Indo-European root *mu- 'Gnat, fly, to buzz'. Derivatives: midge (from Old English mycg, midge, from Germanic *mugjo). Suffixed extended form *mus-ka-; mosquito (family Culicidae), Musca, muscid, muscarine (derived from the red form of the mushroom Amanita muscaria and found in decaying animal tissue), mush² (to travel, especially over snow with a dogsled), musket (from Latin musca, a fly). Suffixed extended form *mus-ya; myiasis (from Greek muia, mua, a fly). [Pokorny 2. mu- 752. Watkins] Klein supplies more cognates: Myiarchus, Stegomyia, and the mug- of mugwort 'fly or knat plant', which refers to its use since ancient times to repel insects.

Fly Agaric: Mushrooms, depending on the genera, have their own specific chemical properties that can target specific areas of the brain. One is the Amanita muscaria, commonly called Fly Agaric, a bright red cap with white polka dots; the toadstool. Muscarine is a trace compound, and was first isolated in the fly agaric, Amanita muscaria. Muscarinic receptors are found in the parasympathetic nervous system and are involved in a large number of physiological functions including heart rate and force, contraction of smooth muscles and the release of neurotransmitters. In the brain, muscarinic receptors participate in many important functions such as learning, memory, and the control of posture. 

The male sparrow-hawk (Accipiter nisus) was formerly called a musket, and the gun called a musket, operated by a musketeer, was named after the bird.

Belzebub, Baal Zebul, Baalzebub, or 'Beelzebub, is depicted as both a god of flies and also as a fly. Accaron, Ekron, or Akir, was the seat of the worship of the god Belzebub. Modern name Tel Mikne is identified as Ekron. "As Beelzebub he is the god of flies, which are begotten of the sun's rays on the stagnant water" [1] (mosquitoes breed on stagnant waters).

“Belzebub was the idol of Accaron, and the word is translated as 'man of flies,' for a fly is called zebub. The most impure idol, therefore, was called 'man of flies' because of the filth of idolatry, or its uncleanness” [The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville, 6th century A.D., p.185.]

Mythology has one story about a fly: Metis was the first wife or mistress of Zeus, she transformed herself into various shapes and when in the shape of a fly Zeus swallowed her. Metis was already pregnant with Athena. Dwelling inside of Zeus Metis immediately began making a helmet and robe for her fetal daughter. The hammering as she made the helmet caused Zeus great pain in his head. Hephaestus cut open Zeus's skull with an axe and Athena leaped out fully grown and armed. Metis meant 'cunning' or 'skill' in Ancient Greek. Metis gave Zeus the drug, an emetic, which forced Cronus to vomit all the children he swallowed (flies vomit digestive juices onto their food).

"Apomyios (from Greek apo-myia, 'away from flies', it might make a good name for a fly-spray), a surname given by the Cyrenians to Zeus, for delivering Hercules from flies during sacrifice. Sacrifices were yearly offered to Zeus Apomyios.

This constellation should also represent the mosquito, a Spanish word, diminutive of mosca, 'fly', from Latin musca. Mosquitos are of the family Culicidae, the Latin word for mosquito (also called gnats) was culex:

“The gnat (culex) is named from 'sting' (aculeus) because it sucks blood, for it has a tube in its mouth, like a needle, with which it pierces the flesh so that it may drink the blood" [The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville, 6th century A.D., p.270.]

Latin aculeus comes from the Indo-European root *ak- 'Sharp' also 'high point'. Derivatives: edge, selvage, egg² (from Old Norse *eggja, to incite, goad), ear² (ear of corn etc., from Old English æhher, ear, spike, ear of grain), acicula (a slender, needlelike part or structure, such as the spines or bristles of some plants and animals), acuity (keenness), aculeate (having a stinger), acumen (quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight), acupuncture, acute, aglet (end of shoelace), ague (fever), eglantine (a prickly rose, from Latin acus, needle), acerose (needlelike, as the leaves of pine, from Latin acus, chaff). From the root *ka-mer-; hammer, heaven (Old English heofon from Teutonic base *hama(n)-), heavens, awn (a slender, bristlelike appendage found on the spikelets of many grasses), paragon (from Greek akone, whetstone), acerate, acrid, acrimony, eager¹, carvacrol (minty plant extract used in flavoring perfumes and disinfectants), vinegar (from Latin acer, sharp, bitter), acerbic (bitter tasting), exacerbate (from Latin acerbus, bitter, sharp, tart), acid (from Latin acere, to be sharp), acetabulum (the cup-shaped cavity at the base of the hipbone into which the ball-shaped head of the femur fits, “vinegar cup” in Latin), acetum (vinegar), ester (an organic compound formed in reaction between acid and alcohol, from Latin acetum, vinegar), acme, acne (from Greek akme, point). From the root *ak-ro-; acro-, Acropolis (in Athens the 'highest point of the city', the Parthenon of the goddess Athena), acrobat (akros, high, + bainein, bat-, to walk), acromion (Gr. akron meaning 'tip or point' and omos for 'shoulder'. The outer end of the scapula to which the collarbone is attached. Greek words meaning 'tip, summit or extreme' and 'shoulder', from Greek akros, topmost), mediocre (from Latin ocris, rugged mountain). From the root *ok-su-; amphioxus (a marine organisms, structurally similar to the vertebrates but having a notochord rather than a true vertebral column), oxalis (wood sorrel, from Greek, from oxus, sour), oxygen (atomic number 8. a gaseous element essential for breathing), oxytone (a word having the stress or the acute accent on the last syllable.), oxyuriasis (infestation with pinworms), paroxysm (a sudden outburst of emotion or action: a paroxysm of laughter, or orgasm). [Pokorny 2. ak- 18, 3. kem- 556. Watkins]. Acacia (related to akis, a point or thorn). Klein adds chemise, camise, camisado, camisole, shame.

Metis was transformed into a fly when Zeus swallowed her. Dwelling inside of Zeus Metis began making a helmet and robe for her fetal daughter Athena. The hammering as she made the helmet gave Zeus a headache. Ham for smith may be related to 'hammer' which a smith of the metal working trades uses. Coptic word 'hamnoub' meant 'goldsmith' where 'ham' translates as 'smith' and 'noub' means 'gold'. Hammer is from Old English hamor.

Malaria, which comes from mosquitos, was formerly called ague. Carbon dioxide (mainly from the out-breath) and lactic acid are the two best-studied mosquito attractants [2].

Greek akron, top point, or high place, from neuter of akros, meaning 'tip or point'. There has been a suggestion of an association between Akron and Ekron: The city Akron, in Ohio "was not named for Ekron. The Akron web site says that its name is based on the Greek word 'akros' meaning 'high point'" [3]. Akron in Ohio has a sister city Kiryat Ekron or Qiryath Eqron is an Israel. Modern name Tel Mikne (el-Muqanna) was identified as the biblical Philistine city of Ekron or Accaron or Akir, the seat of the worship of the god Beelzebub. As the tel in the name Tel Mikne suggests it was a mound or hill and what the Greeks called an acropolis.

[1] The English word fly comes from the same Indo-European root as the Roman name Pluto; (from *pleu- 'To flow'), who is identified with Greek Hades (from Indo-European *weid-), lord of Hades, the underworld. If these words belong here in Musca then that could make Hades and Heaven the same place which seems unlikely? After Jesus died on the Cross (adjacent Crux) and was buried and rose again, he descended into Hades and then ascended into Heaven. Flies are the order Diptera (di-, two + ptera, wing). Perhaps there are two wings to Hades? "Hades is divided into two parts of which no one can cross (Crux) over from one to the other. On the Hell side of Hades there are both angels and humans being confined awaiting their eternal punishment. In this 2nd compartment there is a division for both angels and humans" [4]. Hades is translated Hell, but many dispute this association because the mythological Hades seems to have been a place where all the dead went. [The word Hell might belong to adjacent Carina].

© Anne Wright 2008.