The Legend of Canis Major

Canis Major: referred to as a dog in several mythologies.

Egypt: the bright star Sirius rises with the Sun heralding the flood of the Nile's waters. Egyptians considered the bright star to be a watchdog who indicated the coming deluge. The constellation was the representation of their dog-god, Anubis. Its rising marked the beginning of the Egyptian calendar year.

Greece: one of the two hunting dogs of Orion the hunter. The dogs and the hare, Lepus, were placed in the sky after Orion was accidentally killed by Artemis. See the Greek legend of Orion.

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