The Legend of Cetus Cetus: found in the region of the sky usually assigned as the celestial sea, this constellation is considered the representation of a monster of some sort.
Mesopotamia: the monster, Tiamat, depicted here as a sea monster approaching the bound goddess Istar, and later as a dragon, where she is associated with the constellation Draco in the early creation myths of the area. In her incarnation as a serpent, Tiamat was killed by Marduk and made into the heavenly vault and the land. See the Mesopotamian legends of Andromeda, Draco, Hercules, Hydra and Perseus.
Greece: the origins of the mythologies of this character are older than the story of Perseus. Cetus was the mother of Phorcids who gave rise to the serpent-guard in the Garden of the Hesperides, the Gorgons, Cerberus the three-headed dog guardian of Hades, the Hydra, the Chimera and others. See the Greek legends of Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Pegasus and Perseus.
17th century Christian legend: the depiction of the whale that swallowed Jonah.Back to the Constellations
