Mother Camels

The protecting Mother Camels (Arabic al'awa'id العوائذ) is the name given by ancient Arabic nomadic tribes to an asterism in the constellation of Draco. Instead of the head of a dragon, the asterism was interpreted as a ring of mother camels (formed by Gamma Draconis, Xi Draconis, Nu Draconis and Beta Draconis) surrounding a foal (the faint star HD 161693 (Alruba) in the middle), with another mother camel (Mu Draconis) running to join them.[1][2]

The Arabs did not see the constellation Draco as it is now. The Mother Camels were protecting the foal from the attack of two hyenas or wolves (Al Dhī᾽bain – Zeta Draconis and Eta Draconis). The faint pair Omega Draconis and 27 Draconis was known as the "hyena's claws" (أظفار الذئب, Al Aṭhfār al Dhīb).[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (rep. ed.). New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc. p. 207-212. ISBN 0-486-21079-0.
  2. ↑ Garfinkle, Robert A. (2008). Star-Hopping: Your Visa to Viewing the Universe (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-0521598897. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
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