Archaeoastronomy and Ancient Technologies 2017, 5(1), 13-39

DOI: 10.24411/2310-2144-2017-00002

Rediscovering the celestial cuneiform puns that imparted the "Birth of Pegasus" myth

John McHugh

Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA; e-mail: jjmchugh72164@comcast.net

Abstract

In a recent article the author has shown that Pegasus' appearance in Greek astronomy - as a Flying Horse severed at the navel - displays a one-to-one correlation with wordplay encrypted in its older, Mesopotamian title as the "Field". The current article expands on this idea, demonstrating that additional wordplay encrypted in the cuneiform terms for the Mesopotamian "Field" constellation embodied in the Pegasus Square and an adjacent star-figure imparted the words: "Medusa ('Ruling'), Perseus, cut-off, her, skull, leaped-forth, Chrysaor ('Golden-Sword'), the horse, named, Pegasus ('Springs'), because, he-was-born, near, the springs, of, the god, Ocean", - words which mirror the creation story of Pegasus in Theogony lines 280-282. Additional puns expose the celestial identity of the Greek god Ocean, while simultaneously disclosing why he was incongruously identified as a "River" in Greek mythology. Cuneiform literature confirms that the Mesopotamian astronomer was a "writer" whose overarching precept held that the constellations comprised a sacred "text" that imparted inviolable wisdom through the medium of wordplay. Archaeological and textual data insinuates that this Mesopotamian celestial conviction was transmitted directly into the Hellenic cultural sphere in the eight century BC. And circumstantial evidence implies that the first author to mention Pegasus, Hesiod, was directly or indirectly familiar with this Mesopotamian astronomical arcana prior to writing Theogony. The author's conclusion argues that the aforementioned Mesopotamian celestial esoterica allowed Hesiod, or someone collaborating with him, to decipher the strand of puns that explained Pegasus' mythical "Birth" story, which he then rendered into Greek as lines 280-282 of Theogony.

Keywords: celestial, mythology, constellation, heavenly, writing, lumashi, puns, wordplay

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