Heart-Star, Cutter- Star: A New Interpretation of the Concept of bābanī-Star

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3989/aem.2019.49.2.05

Keywords:

constellations, effects of the stars, star names, medieval Arabic astrological texts

Abstract


Medieval astrologers writing in Arabic used the term “heart-stars” to refer to three unusually bright stars that appear in the zodiac circle. They are Qalb al-Thawr (the Heart of Taurus, which appears as the eye of the bull), Qalb al-Asad (the Heart of Leo, which is in the lion’s chest) and Qalb al-‘Aqrab (the Heart of Scorpio, which appears in the thorax of the scorpion). In the northern constellation of Andromeda there is a bright star called Qalb al-Ḥūt (the Heart of the Fish), but its astrological signifi cance was not so great. This paper illustrates how these astrologers attributed an evil influence to the three heart-stars on the zodiac circle. According to them, the heart-stars had an affinity with the planet Mars, which was known to have maleficent powers. Due to this connection, the heart-stars could block the motion of any heavenly body on its way around the circle of the zodiac. This meant that the heart-stars had a harmful effect on human affairs. In a prediction on the length of a human life, they were used to determine the date of death. In some astrological texts, the heart-stars were distinguished with a Persian adjective: the biyabāniyya stars.

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References

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Published

2019-12-30

How to Cite

Díaz-Fajardo, M. (2019). Heart-Star, Cutter- Star: A New Interpretation of the Concept of bābanī-Star. Anuario De Estudios Medievales, 49(2), 509–531. https://doi.org/10.3989/aem.2019.49.2.05

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Section

Miscelaneous Studies