Tianshe (天社)
Tianshe means Celestial Altar of the Earth Deity, was an asterism representing the altar for sacrifices to the Earth god. It lies in the region of the modern constellations Vel/Pup, and was established by the Gan school about two millennia ago. Since it is located outside the system of the 28 lodges, it was classified as one of the “outer asterisms”. Some Han-dynasty scholars also referred to it as Tiangong She (天公社, “Heavenly Earth-God Altar”).
Etymology and History
The Gan asterisms, as a systematic body, emerged in the late Western Han, constructed upon the framework of the earlier Shi asterisms. At the time of the formation of Tianshe, the region already contained the Shi asterism Tianji (天稷,“Celestial Cereals”), representing the altar for sacrifices to the Grain deity. Perhaps deliberately, the Gan asterisms Tianshe and Tianmiao (天庙,“Celestial Ancestral Temple”) were set in association with Tianji, together constituting a celestial zone thematically dedicated to ritual sacrifice. This convergence reflects the ritual ideology of the Han period: as prescribed in the ritual classic Liji (礼记, Book of Rites), when a royal capital was laid out, altars to She (社, Earth deity) and Ji (稷, Grain deity) were to be built to the right of the royal palace, while the ancestral temple (庙, Miao) was to be located on the left—the left being the position of honor.
Later sources added a mythological dimension: it was said that Goulong 句龙, son of the water-controlling figure Gonggong 共工, was able to regulate water and land, and thus was worshipped together with She; his spirit was believed to become the stars.
Beyond its role in state cults, Tianshe was also thought to preside over local and village-level worships and sacrifices.
Identification of stars
| Star Names or Orders(Qing) | Ho PENG YOKE[1] | Yi Shitong[2]
Based on catalogue in 18th century |
Pan Nai[3]
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map |
SUN X. & J. Kistemaker[4]
Han Dynasty |
Boshun Yang
before Tang dynasty* |
Boshun Yang[5]
Song Huangyou(1052) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st/Determinative | gamma Vel | gamma Vel | nu Pup | nu Pup | zeta Pup | nu Pup |
| 2nd | b Vel | b Vel | x Pup | pi Pup | gamma Vel | L2 Pup |
| 3rd | omicron Vel | delta Vel | D Pup | sigma Pup | a Vel | C Pup |
| 4th | delta Vel | E Pup | zeta Pup | c Vel | sigma Pup | |
| 5th | kappa Vel | kappa Vel | Pi Pup | gamma Vel | Lambda Vel | c Pup |
| 6th | N Vel | N Vel | c Pup | chi Car | M vel | zeta Pup |
* The "before Tang dynasty" version of Boshun Yang is revised here compared with his 2023 version in PhD thesis.
Maps (Gallery)
On the basis of Han star catalogs and descriptions of early star maps, the positions of the Shi asterism Tianji and the Gan asterisms Tianshe and Tianmiao can be approximately reconstructed. Among them, Tianji is the most securely identifiable.
Tianji lies close to the celestial horizon, with the Gan asterism Qifu (器府,“House for Musical Instruments”) immediately to its left. This spatial arrangement would allow Tianmiao to be placed only above, not directly to the left, of Tianji. Interestingly, however, the two earliest extant star maps—the Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunya-jido and the Dunhuang star map—both position Tianmiao immediately to the left of Tianji, near the horizon. This deviation was most likely influenced by ritual concepts.
| historical map | same in Stellarium |
|---|---|
Star Name Discussion (IAU)
In 202x, the name of the historical constellation "xxx" was suggested to be used for one of the stars in this constellation. ...
Decision: ...
References
- ↑ P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” Vistas in Astronomy, 5(1962), 127-225.
- ↑ Yi Shitong伊世同. Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 113.
- ↑ Pan Nai潘鼐. Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p306.
- ↑ Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. The Chinese sky during the Han. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.
- ↑ B.-S. Yang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 thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.
