i need help with my school worksheet and i cant find this awnser on the web. plz help
2006-12-13 07:41:20 · 5 answers · asked by sarah ♥ you 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
The constellation Hydra resembles a twisting snake, and features as such in some Greek myths. In Greek mythology, a crow serves Apollo. It is sent to fetch water, but it rests lazily on the journey, and after finally obtaining the water in a cup, takes back a water snake as well, as an excuse. According to the myth, Apollo saw through the fraud, and angrily cast the crow, cup, and snake, into the sky. The origin of this story is likely to be the juxtaposition of this constellation with those of Crater, and Corvus, in the area of the sky known as the Sea.
The Hydra was also considered to be the Lernaean Hydra (as defeated by Heracles for one of his Twelve Labours) by the Greeks. Its position in the sky (below the ecliptic), together with the constellation Cancer (which lies near its head) may be the origin of parts of the myth.
2006-12-13 07:52:51 · answer #1 · answered by Carson's Mom 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because when the ancient Greeks saw the stars in the sky they connected the dots and thought it created the form of the mythical hydra.
A hydra is a cool creature in that it's usually portrayed with one or two heads initially. A hydra does not die when you cut off its head (which is what heroes ALWAYS do when they come across one...see the Disney movie Hercules). Instead, its head regrows. For every head removed, two appear. It makes it a very formiddable beast that looks wicked in images!
2006-12-13 07:52:02 · answer #2 · answered by Maggs 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because most constellations have names based in myth. That's how the ancient civilizations explained the stars. Somebody connected some dots in the sky and named it after the monster with lots of heads.
2006-12-13 07:50:24 · answer #3 · answered by omouse 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ancients looked at the stars and made up stories about them. When they saw a particular group, they gave it a name so they could remember what they were. They often thought that these stars actually WERE the creatures/gods, etc. Basically, they were named after each other.
2006-12-13 07:50:20 · answer #4 · answered by Uther Aurelianus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because it looked like the seven (or nine) headed hydra
2006-12-13 08:33:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋