Mythology Of Capricorn
In ancient Sumeria, the sign of Capricorn was often
associated with the planet Saturn and the Sumerian deity Enki.
But the full picture of Capricorn as we know it today comes
fromthe ancient Greeks. In Greek mythology, Cronus was a Titan,
and the father of the gods.
Just as he overthrew his own father, Uranos, Cronus knew he
would be overthrown by one of his children. So, as each of his
and Rhea's children was born, he swallowed them whole. Hestia,
Demeter, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, all of them were swallowed
before they could grow up and threaten his rule.
Rhea wanted children to play with, so when Zeus was born, she
wrapped a rock in swaddling clothes and gave that to Cronus
instead. Zeus was hidden away in a cave and raised by foster
parents. There are different versions of the myth. In one
version, Zeus was raised by a goat-tending nymph named Amalthea
or Adamanthea, and in another, by the goat herself (also named
Amalthea), but the one constant through all of them is that
Zeus was raised on goat's milk.
When Zeus was old enough, he released the imprisoned brothers
of Cronus--the Giants and the Cyclopes--who gave him power over
thunder and lightning. With their help, Zeus was able to
overthrow Cronus, and force him to spit out Zeus' brothers and
sisters.
The goat's horn later became the Horn of Plenty, or Cornucopia.
In some versions, the goat's skin became the Golden Fleece that
Jason and the Argonauts searched for.
In thanks for tending him as a baby, Zeus placed Amalthea in
the sky, as the constellation Capricornus, the Goat. More
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