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Constellations and cultures

posted by Mathias

Mathias
Posts: 14
Constellations and cultures 1 of 2
April 23, 2026, 2:14 a.m.

Maybe an easy one, for once! I assume given how the names of the days of the week in Ruveran culture are drawn from the original stars' names that the stars are known by the same names in Ruvera as in the Caliphate (but please correct me if I'm wrong).

But are the constellations also known by the same names, in the same configurations? I ask this because of the way some hours of the day are named for constellations in the Caliphate (eg camel, jackal) which correspond to constellations (and to animals that only exist in the Caliphate), and which are not called the same in the Kalentoi tradition - so just wondering!

April 23, 2026, 2:14 a.m.
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Mistsparrow
Posts: 211
Re: Constellations and cultures 2 of 2
April 24, 2026, 4:29 p.m.

It's generally safe to assume that the stars themselves are known by the same names in both Ruvera and the Sirdabi Caliphate -- though ordinary people may not necessarily know all of the names of the stars in either land, any more than they do today. Communities may also have their own more colloquial names for the stars; for instance, the star commonly known as the Weaver in Idiri lands actually has the formal name of Haqasheb which would be used by astrologers.

Constellations are more of a mixed bag. Several constellations do have the same names in both the Caliphate and Ruvera, in part because the lands of the Adelantean basin tend to share many of the same myths and folklore tales. The zodiac constellations are known by the same names in both lands, even the Sunspider despite the fact that virtually no one in Ruvera knows what an actual sunspider is. The only exception is the Jinni Queen, which is often known as the Sorceress instead. But in either case it represents the legendary heroine Karibad, while the Archer represents her brother Ro.

Outside the zodiac, some constellations representing creatures that might be considered exotic in Ruvera still have those names anyway, because people are familiar with these creatures from the New Song which documents the travels of Kalen and Elen. The Camel constellation is one of these (although it's still sometimes confusing to people because the constellation is of a two-humped camel, but most illustrations of the New Song depict the single-humped dromedary). Constellations like the Jackal are more likely to be given names derived from similar local animals, so this one is more typically known as the Wolf in Innithel. And then, yes, not all cultures have the same constellations at all, and may group stars in subtly different configurations, or create different constellations entirely. Someday I will get more of this written up for the wiki!

April 24, 2026, 4:29 p.m.
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