"The Lion"
Location: R.A. = 10h 30m, Dec. = 20 N
Mythology: Leo
is considered to be one of the oldest known constellations. In addition,
the form of Leo shows up in many cultures: China calls the star group
the Yellow Dragon; the Hebrews associate the Lion with the tale of Daniel
and the lion's den; some even claim that the Sphynx of ancient Egypt is
based on the form of the constellation Leo. The most familiar story
concerning Leo does come from Greek mythology, in which Leo is the nemean
Lion killed by Hercules -- the first of his twelve labors.
According to Greek mythology, the Lion lived in a cave near the village
of Nemea near Corinth. The origin of the Nemean Lion is not clear
-- some reports offer that it is the product of Orthus (a two-headed dog),
who guarded the cattle of Geryon; other stories claim the Nemean Lion is
the offspring of Typhon, the monster sent by Gaea during the war of the
Titans. The Nemean Lion was vicious, and had a hide that could not
be pierced by any weapon. According to legend, Hercules fought with
the Lion for a month. Since no weapon was able to penetrate the hide
of the Lion, Hercules eventually had to wrestle the monster to the ground
and strangle it. Hercules then used the claws of the Lion to skin
it. This skin became the armor of Hercules -- with the Lion's head
acting as a helmet and the skin acting as body armor. Since no weapon
could penetrate the hide, this was indeed a great asset to Hercules as
he completed his other labors.
Interesting Facts: Leo is an easily recognizable constellation, actually looking like a lion resting in grass. Leo is also easy to find: using the Big Dipper, pretend to drill a hole in the bottom of the cup -- the water will "drip" out of the Big Dipper onto the back of Leo. The bright star in Leo, Regulus ("Little King"), is often said to be the Lion's heart.