Mercury in Mythology

Mercury was the Messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, thieves, and travel, the son of Maia and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin words merx, mercari (to trade), and merces (wages). Mercury's temple in the Circus Maximus in Rome was built in 495 BC as a chariot racing arena with viewing for 150,000 spectators. This was a fitting place to worship a swift god of trade and travel, since it was a major center of commerce as well as a racetrack. Since it stood between the plebian stronghold on the Aventine and the patrician center on the Palatine, it also emphasized the role of Mercury as a mediator.

  

In astronomy Maia is a star in the constellation Taurus and is the fourth brightest star in the Pleiades open star cluster, after Alcyone, Atlas and Electra, in that order. The name Maia originates with the Greek: Μαῖα and Latin: Maia. She is one of the daughters, and the most beautiful, of  Atlas and Pleione in Greek mythology - stars which are also included in the Pleaides star cluster (see below). Maia is a blue giant of spectral type B8 III, and a mercury-manganese star.

Maia was seduced by Jupiter (Zeus) and gave birth to Mercury. 

 


According to Greek myth, the seven daughters Electra, Maia, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Asterope and Merope were wandering through the woods one day, they were spied by Orion, who gave chase. To save them from Orion’s dishonorable intentions, Zeus transformed them into stars and placed them in the sky. A number of ancient temples on the Acropolis in Athens face the direction where the Pleiades rise.

In Maori legend Pleiades, or Matariki literally means the ‘eyes of god’ (mata ariki) or ‘little eyes’ (mata riki). Some say that when Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother were separated by their offspring, the god of the winds, Tāwhirimātea, became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens. Others say Matariki is the mother surrounded by her six daughters, Tupu-ā-nuku, Tupu-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Waipuna-ā-rangi and Ururangi. One account explains that Matariki and her daughters appear to assist the sun, Te Rā, whose winter journey from the north has left him weakened.

Matariki comes into view low on the north-eastern horizon, appearing in the tail of the Milky Way in the last days of May or in early June, just before dawn. This heralds the Māori New Year.

Various Māori tribes celebrated Matariki at different times. Some held festivities when Matariki was first seen in the dawn sky; others celebrated after the full moon rose or at the beginning of the next new moon. For all tribes, the importance of Matariki has been captured in proverbs and songs, which link it with the bright star Whānui (Vega):

Ka puta Matariki ka rere Whānui.
Ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e!

Matariki re-appears, Whānui starts its flight.
Being the sign of the [new] year!

Matariki is also associated with the winter solstice. It appears when the sun, drifting north on the shortest day in winter, reaches the north-eastern end of the horizon. The sun then turns around and begins its journey south.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(mythology)/ accessed 28th May 2012
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/matariki-maori-new-year/1 accessed 28th May 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus_Maximus/ accessed 28th May 2012
http://astrolosophy.net/universe/2011/05/maia_may_2011/ accessed 30th May 2012