References

From All Skies Encyclopaedia


In many cases, there is a very limited corpus of literature dealing with the identifications of constellations.

Dictionaries and Tools

Historical Maps

Interactive digitals Maps and Globes

Standard References

Citation Form Bibliography
Blume, Haffner, Metzger (2012/16) Blume, Dieter; Haffner, Mechthild and Metzger, Wolfgang, Der gemalte Himmel zwischen Wissenschaft und Phantasie. (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2012/ 2016)
  • Vol. 1 (2012). 800-1200 Sternbilder des Mittelalters.
  • Vol. 2 (2016). Sternbilder des Mittelalters und der Renaissance.
Delporte (1930) Delporte, Eugène, Délimitation scientifique des constellations (tables et cartes) (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1930) [online link] -- published on behalf of the International Research Council of the International Astronomical Union.
Dekker (2013) Dekker, Elly, Illustrating the Phaenomena: Celestial Cartography in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (Oxford: Oxford University Press) ISBN 978-0-19-960969-7.
Gössmann (1950) Gössmann, Felix, Planetarium Babylonicum oder Die sumerisch-babylonischen Stern-Namen (Rome: Verlag des Päpstl. Bibelinstituts, 1950 [= Šumerisches Lexikon, Teil IV, Band 2]) [online link].
Hoffmann and Wolfschmidt (2022) Hoffmann, Susanne M and Wolfschmidt, Gudrun (eds.). Astronomy in Culture – Cultures of Astronomy. Proceedings of the Splinter Meeting in the Annual Meeting of the German Astronomical Society, Sept. 14-16, 2021; Nuncius Hamburgensis 57, (Ahrensburg: tredition & Berlin:OpenScienceTechnology, 2022)
Kanas (2012, 2019) Kanas, Nick (2012, 2019). Star Maps. History, Artistry, and Cartography, Springer Science & Business Media, ISBN 1461409179, 9781461409175 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-13613-0.
Kurtik (2007) Куртик, Г.Е., Звездное небо Древней Месопотамии. Шумеро-аккадские названия созвездий и других светил [The Star Heaven of Ancient Mesopotamia: Sumero-Akkadian Names of Constellations and Other Heavenly Bodies] (St. Petersburg: Aletejja, 2007) [online link].
Ridpath (1988, 2018) Ridpath, Ian, Star Tales (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 1988) ISBN 0-7188-2695-7 [Internet Archive link] -- a revised and expanded edition was published in 2018 [ISBN 978-07188-9478-8] -- online version on Ridpath's website.
Warner (1979) Warner, Deborah Jean, The Sky Explored: Celestial Cartography 1500-1800 (New York / Amsterdam: Alan R. Liss, Inc. / Theatrum Orbis Terrarum Ltd., 1979) ISBN 90-221-2003-1.
Zotti et al. (2020). Zotti, Georg; Hoffmann, Susanne M.; Wolf, Alexander; Chéreau, Fabien & Chéreau, Guillaume, "The Simulated Sky: Stellarium for Cultural Astronomy Research", Journal of Skyscape Archaeology, 6(2) (2020), 221--258 https://doi.org/10.1558/jsa.17822.

Library

Babylonian

The dictionary of Babylonian celestial names had been compiled by G. Kurtik (2007) based on Gössmann (1950). Kurtik's version is much improved and enriched, however it has been reworked by himself until his death in April 2023 and further reworked and translated to English by the research group led by Wayne Horowitz and Susanne M. Hoffmann.

As we present them here, the references for the Babylonian Sky Culture are so rich that they need to go to another website.

Chinese

The rich literature is compiled at the separate page linked above; here are the main sources:

Citation Form Bibliography
Ho (1962) Peng-Yoke Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” Vistas in Astronomy, 5 (1962), 127-225 [ADS link].
Pan Nai (2009) Pān Nài [潘鼐], Zhōngguó Héngxīng Guāncè Shǐ [中国恒星观测史] (Shanghai: Xuélín Chūbǎnshè, 2009) [Internet Archive link] -- revised edition of a work first published in 1989.
Pan Nai & Wang De-chang (1981) Pān Nài [潘鼐] & Wang De-chang, “The Huang-You Star List of the Song Dynasty: A Chinese Star List of the Early Medieval Period”, Chinese Astronomy & Astrophysics, 5 (1981), 441-448 [ADS link] -– first published in Chinese in Acta Astronomica Sinica, 22 (1981), 107-119.
Pankenier (2013) Pankenier, David W., Astrology and Cosmology in Early China: Conforming Earth to Heaven (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013) ISBN 978-1-107-00672-0 -- the appendix [pp. 444-511] contains an English translation of Sīmǎ Qiān [司馬遷]'s "Treatise of the Celestial Offices" [chapter 27 of the Shǐjì [史記]] with the earliest comprehensive description of the Chinese constellations.
Rufus & Hsing-chih T'ien (1945) Rufus, Will Carl & Hsing-chih T'ien, The Soochow Astronomical Chart (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1945) [HathTtrust link].
Sun Xiaochun & Kistemaker (1997) Sun Xiaochun & Kistemaker, Jacob, The Chinese Sky during the Han: Constellating Stars and Society (Leiden [etc.]: Brill, 1997 [= Sinica Leidensia, vol. XXXVIII]) ISBN 90-04-10737-1.
Boshun Yang (2023) 杨伯顺, Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD Dissertation, University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei)

Greco-Roman

The dictionary of Greco-Roman celestial names is compiled by members of the IAU WGSN.

The original sources are compiled in a separate page.

Indonesian Archipelago

Citation Form Bibliography
Maaß (1920/21) Alfred Maaß, "Sterne und Sternbilder im malaiïschen Archipel", Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 52/53 (1920/21), 38-63 [JSTOR link].
Maaß (1924 & 1926) Alfred Maaß, "Sternkunde und Sterndeuterei im malaiïschen Archipel", Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, 64 (1924), 1-172 & 347-460 [KITLV link] with a "Nachtrag" in ibid., 66 (1926), 618-670 [KITVL link].
Maaß (1932) Alfred Maaß, "Altjavanische Tierkreisbecher", Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 64 (1932), 105-112 [JSTOR link].
Maaß (1933) Alfred Maaß, "Die Sterne im Glauben der Indonesier", Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, 65 (1933), 264-303 [JSTOR link].
Oudemans (1881) Jean Abraham Chrétien Oudemans, "Mededeeling betreffende de sterrenbeelden, wier hoogte boven den horizon, op een bepaald oogenblik van den nacht, door de Javanen ten behoeve van den landbouw geraadpleegd wordt", Verslagen en Mededeelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen, Afdeeling Natuurkunde, Tweede Reeks, 16 (1881), 177-194 [Google Books link] -- also published as a separatum [Google Books link].
Pannekoek (1919) Antonie Pannekoek, "Een merkwaardig Javaansch sterrenbeeld", Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, 69 (1929), 51-57 [KITVL link].
Schadee (1914) Schadee, Merie C., "De Tijdrekening bij de Landak-Dajaks in de Westerafdeeling van Borneo", Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië, 69 (1914), 130-139 [JSTOR link].

Early Modern

Secondary literature (modern authors who write about specific cases of identifications or constellation history) is collected on a separate page.

Citation Form Bibliography
Lodewijcksz (1598) Lodewijcksz, Willem, D'eerste boeck. Historie van Indien, waer inne verhaelt is de avontueren die de Hollandtsche schepen bejeghent zijn ...: Daer by ghevoecht ... de conterfeytsels der inwoonderen (Amsterdam: Cornelis Claesz, 1598) [online link] , PDF.

Several partial or complete journals describing the events of the "Eerste Schipvaart" have been preserved - the journal of Willem Lodewijcksz, published in Amsterdam in April 1598, is generally considered to be the most important one.

Reprinted with copious notes in the first volume of:

  • Rouffaer, Gerret Pieter & Ijzerman, Jan Willem (eds.), De Eerste Schipvaart der Nederlanders naar Oost-Indië onder Cornelis de Houtman, 1595-1597 : Journalen, documenten en andere bescheiden, uitgegeven en toegelicht (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1915--1929 [= Werken uitgegeven door de Linschoten-Vereeniging, vols. VII, XXV & XXXII]), 3 vols. [Internet Archive link 1] / link 2] / link 3].

Some of the other journals were already published in October 1597 by the Middelburg publisher Berent Langenes who issued revised and expanded editions in December 1597 and early 1598:

  • Langenes, Barent (ed.), Iournael Vande Reyse der Hollandtsche Schepen ghedaen in Oost Indien, haer Coersen, Streckinghen ende vreemde avonturen die haer bejegent zijn (Middelburg: Barent Langenes, 1597) [online link of the 1598 edition].

Contemporary translations, mainly based on the 1597/98 edition of Langenes, were published in English, German, Latin and French:

  • German: Hulsius, Levinus (transl.), Kurtze Warhafftige Beschreibung der newen Reyse oder Schiffahrt, so die Hollendischen Schiff, in denn Orientalischen Indien; verricht : Welche Anno 1595. in Martio, Alda außgefahrn und erst im Augusto deß verlauffenen 1597 Jahrs, widerkommen seind. Darinne der gantz succes der Reyse, was sich täglich verlauffen und zugetragen, erzält wird (Nürnberg: Christoff Lochner, 1598) [Internet Archive link].
  • English: Phillip, William (transl.), The Description of a voyage made by certaine Ships of Holland into the East Indies : With their adventures and successe : Together with the description of the Countries, Townes, and inhabitants of the same : Who set forth on the second of April 1595. and returned on the 14. of August, 1597 (London: John Wolfe, 1598) (pdf).
  • Latin:
  • French:
de Houtman (1603) De Houtman, Frederick, Spraeck ende woord-boeck inde Maleysche ende Madagaskarsche Talen, met vele Arabische ende Turcsche woorden ... : Noch zijn hier byghevoecht de declinatien van vele vaste sterren, staende omtrent den Zuyd-pool, voor desen tijdt noyt ghesien (Amsterdam: Jan Evertsz. Cloppenburgh, 1603) [online link] (in Dutch).

Translations are available in:

  • French (Marre 1881): Marre, Aristide, “Catalogue des étoiles circumpolaires australes observées dans l'Ile de Sumatra”, Bulletin sciences mathématiques et astronomiques, 1 (1881), 336–352 [ADS link].
  • English (Knobel 1917): Knobel, Edward Ball, “On Frederick de Houtman's catalogue of southern stars, and the origin of the southern constellations”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 77 (1917), 414–432 [doi link / ADS link] with errata in ibid., 77 (1917), 580 [doi link / ADS link].
  • Spanish (Selga 1918/19): Selga, Miguel, "Un catálogo antiguo de estrellas australes", Revista de la Sociedad Astronómica de España y América, 8 (1918), 84-90 & 9 (1919), 11, 44-46 & 62-63 [online link].