The Pentades

[Jim Eshelman]

This list isn't here anywhere and should be. It's the earliest form known to me of what became the zodiac, dating from nearly 5,000 years ago. We only have half the sky - the half that was above the horizon at the heliacal rising of Sirius - but much was already known and catalogued. Perhaps the most important feature is that we can already see the emergence of a zodiac with constellations exactly 30° wide - not wandering diversely sized constellations. [However, the stars that seem to be Aquarius are strangely located.] Below, the zodiacal longitude listed is the point (in the zodiac as we now know it) that each pentade began (meaning x°00' of the sign), followed by a translation of its Egyptian name (when known) and some notes about what it represented in the sky in today's terms.

NOTE: When "2" is used, I think it's just a device to signal a plural. Thus, "2 sons" just means "sons," or "2 spirits" just means "spirits [more than one]."

[Still building this]

5° Cap - tpy-'Knmwt - beginning of Kenmut
10° Cap - s'wy Knmwt - 2 sons of Kenmut
15° Cap - hr hpd knmwt - under rump of Kenmut - these three are Aquila
20° Cap - h't h3w - beginning of thousands - Milky Way near Delphinus
25° Cap - h't d3t - beginning of ferry
0° Aqu - phwy d3t - end of ferry
5° Aqu - tm3t hrt - top of box (or throne, or wing)
10° Aqu - tm't hrt - bottom of it
15° Aqu - ws3t - bird
20° Aqu - bk3t - pregnant
25° Aqu - tpy-'hrt - beginning of jar-stand
0° Pis - hntt-hrt - top of jar-stand
5° Pis - hntt-hrt - base of jar-stand
10° Pis - hntt-n-tns - (some part of jar-stand) - these four seem to be Aquarius
15° Pis - hnwy - two fishes - Pisces
20° Pis - @ - in the middle of the boat - Pegasus
25° Pis - @ - the press
0° Ari - @ - ? dark place ?
5° Ari - @ - beginner of the Divider -
10° Ari - @ - the Divider - Midheaven when Sirius was rising
15° Ari - @ - sheep
20° Ari - @ - 2 sons of 2 sheep
25° Ari - @ - under rump of sheep - these six are Aries
0° Tau - @ - beginning of 2 spirits - Pleiades
5° Tau - @ - 2 spirits
10° Tau - @ - 2 souls
15° Tau - @ - 2 sons of 2 souls - Hyades including Aldebaran
20° Tau - @ - top of [unknown]
25° Tau - @ - ? pot or building ?
0° Gem - @ - 2 sons of (pot or building?)
5° Gem - @ - thousands
10° Gem - @ - lower arm - Orion
15° Gem - @ - leg - Orion
20° Gem - Gemini [the diagram of Gemini is shown]
25° Gem - @ - the toe - Orion
0° Can - @ - Sothis - Sirius