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A Historical View of the Hindu Astronomy, From the Earliest Dawn of Science in India to the Present Time - John Bentley - Complete Book

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They found also another figure of it under Leo in the circular calendar, and another figure in a boat in the Cdendar of the Portico, and from thence drew their conclu- sion of the extraordinary antiquity of thec^e sculptured zodiacs as they conceived them to be. Digitized by Google 252 APPENDIX. It is well known to astronomers, that the constellations appear to ris6 and set differently at different times of the year. Thus, when the sun is in the same part of the heavens with a zodiacal constellation, that constellation will then appear to rise or set with the sun ; and the time of such rising or setting would be recorded in the calendar, and all the risings or settings of the constellations with the sun, would follow each other in regular succession. But when the sun gets round to the opposite part of the heavens, then the same constellation would 2^)pear to rise at sunset, and to set at sunrise : the time of the year of such observation being inserted in the calendar, it will be found of course to differ about six months from the former. There are other risings and settings of the constellations which it is not necessary to mention, because their effect is to be considered in the same way. Now suppose this calendar is ta be translated into hieroglyphics, with all the different risings or settings of the constellations sculptured on stone, according to the.different times of the year at which they occurred, such translation would be made by putting the figure of the con- stellation in those very places where the name of the same is ia writing : consequently the figures of the same constellation would appear in different situations, and at six signs distant from the ori- ginal. Thus the situation of Aquarius is between Capricorn apd Pisces : but according to the Roman calendar, Aquarius sets on the 25th of July, about six signs distant from the situation of the original. Now this is the very figure given in the supposed Zodiac, of Dendera, even with the very date attached to it, (see No. 66, in the Calendar of the Portico, PL vii ;) and all that was done in the translation into hieroglyphics, was to substitute the figure of the constellation in the room of the name, and attach the date to it; which is represented by the figures 5. 5. 1. 1+8. 3. 1. l=25th. of July. There is another date which refers to the 13th of August, the time for which Aquarius is marked in the circular calendar as entirely setting, (see No. 50, PI. viii.) He is there placed near the. figure of Diana with her bow, whose day in the Roman calendar, is the 13th of August, and accordingly so marked in the hierogly- phic circular calendar, by the figures 5 and 8-13, undemeadi, with another figure of Diana with the crescent on her head. No. 49. Having thus far explained the cause of the deception, in respect to the supposed extraordinary antiquity of those sculptured Roman > calendars, I shall now proceed to give a general outline of their, contents, which will render them easier to be understood after-, wards. Digitized by Google APPENDIX. 253 First. The Date. Both the calendars, that is, of the portico, PI. vii. and circular one of the interior of the temple, PI. viii. begin with the date 708 (of Rome), at the instant of midnight, and conjunction of the sun, and moon at Rome. Second. The Phases of the Moan. The new and full moons and quarters are occasionally marked throughout that year by a variety of symbols denoting the moon ; such as, 1st. — An oval or circle, generally placed on the head of some figure. See Plate vii. No. 31, 39, 48, 65, 60, &c. Plate viii. No. 12, 19, 27, 67, 58, 62, &c. 2nd. — An oval or circle, including within its disc some other figures, in allusion to the spots on the moon. See Piate vii. No. 22, 77. Plate viii. No. 7, 17, 23. 3rd. By the figure of an eye, whether included within a circle or not. See Plate viii. under No 1 ; also No. 23, and under 73. 4th. By the figure of an animal like a sheep, sometimes with a circle or oval on its head. See Plate viii. No. 12, 60, 86. 6th. By a bird, particularly the Ibis, whether united to any other of the symbols or not. See Plate vii. No. 77, 91. Plate viii. No. 60, 78. - 6th. By the figure of a man, with the head and beak of an Ibis, l/^ See Plate viii. No. 1. Plate vii. No. 53. 7th. By the figure of a fish? See Plate viii. No. 8, 9, and 16. There may be other symbols of the moon, which the reader may discover. Third. The Sun's entrance into the Signs. The day on which the sun enters the sign is sometimes marked by a figure of a man with a hawk's head, as a symbol of the sun ; sometimes by a female figure, and sometimes by other figures in- tended to represent the sun. Besides these, there is also a mark to express the sun's ingress into the sign, (see Plate ix.) All these figures have in general the day of the month marked in tablets close to them, except the last, which is to be found in the middle column only, but with the day marked close to it. The sun en- ters the sign twice in every month, on two different days. Thus the sun enters the sign Capricorn on the 18th December, but the win- ter solstice is marked on the 25th, making a difference of seven days. The cause of this apparent inconsistency I shall endeavour Digitized by Google 264 APPENDIX. to explain hereafter. See the Roman cstendar, as also Columella, at the four cardinal points of the year, or radier the months of December, March, June and September. Fourth. The Fettivah and AganaHas. The festivals and agonalia8> (or sacrifices,) are generally marked by such figures as seem best to convey an idea of the thing in- tended; and the days of the month on which the same occur acre always marked. See Plate vii. No. 7 8, 33, and 97 ; and Plate viii. No. 4, 5, 24, 36, and 83, for the agonalias or sacrifices. The number of days the festival lasts is generidly marked by as many stais. Fifth. The Rising and Setting qf the CanxteUaticm. The rising and setting of the constellations are simply marked by their figures, sometimes with dates, and sometimes not, the situation in most cases being sufficient to point out the time nearly, as well as the kind of rising or setting. The figures of the zodi- acal constellations, as they stand in order, most probably are meant to represent the signs only, there being no regard pcdd to proportion^ the manner or positions in which they stand, or their distances from each other, or. from other known figures near them. Sixth. The Seasons of the Year. The seasons are generally marked with the figures of Anubises, or figiires of meaor animsds of any description, with dogs' heads or faces, or dogs' feet. These figures are of a great variety of shapes, but invariably marked with something canine, which makes ^^ifth them easily known at first sight. Some are female, but mostly male. Whe^r the. diffieienoe in their shapes depends on any par- ticular time, of the year^ I have not been able to ascertain with sufficient precision* When they represent the time of harvest, they are figured with an instrument to rei^ or cut down the com. See Plate viii. No. 59, 61, 75. The seasons appear to vary, being sometimes earlier, sometimes later by two months, which appear to be all referred to, not only in the Roman calendar, but also in the hieroglyphic translations of it, which therefore obliges me to g^ve here a table of the different seasons for the sake of reference. Digitized by Google APPENDIX. Table of the dRffereni Seaanu. 255 A B C D Spring begins 11 Janaarj, 9 February,* 23 February, 12 March. Middle 25 Febroarj, 25 March,* 9 AprU, 25 April. Summer begins U AprU, 18 May,* 25 May. 13 June.* Middle 24 Mj. 24 June,* ©July, 26 July. Autumn begins 11 July, 11 August ♦ 24 August, 12 September. Middle 24 August, 9 October, 26 October. Winter begins 11 October,* 12 Norember, 24 Norember, 12 December. Middle 24 November, 25 December,* 10 January, 26 January. The* refers to the Roman calendar^ where the dates here arranged in order wiH be found. Those not marked are known by consider- ing that a whole season is, on a medium, 91| days, and half a season 45 or 46 days. The letters A, B, C, and D, at the heads of the columns, serve for the purpose of referring to the particular season intended in the following translation. Seventh. Birdt of Passage.