Arcturus

The brightest star, ARCTURUS (Alfa Boötes), is located on Boötes’ left knee. Shade is „smiling and massaging“ (C894) Kinbote’s knee because of this (the word „knee“ appears 7 times and „left“ 64 times).

Why did Kinbote relocate into his „rented suburban house“ on February 5, 1959, only to observe John Shade for the first time on one of his „first mornings“ (F19)? Due to the „golden red star, Arcturus rises fifty days after the winter solstice“ (Hesiod) [1]. In the previous year, 1958, the winter solstice fell on December 22. „Fifty days“ plus December 22 is roughly equivalent to several mornings following February 5, 1959. (The math is: 50 days = 9 days in December + 31 days in January + 5 days in February + a few mornings (maybe five?) This means that the Foreword was signed at Cedarn under the fixed star Arcturus (see „Stellarium“). Yes, Nabokov planned when he would introduce his hero into the scene. And he researched different people’s traditions related to the star Arcturus and incorporated them into his story.

The son of Callisto Arcas is the central theme of this particular lexicon. According to Greek mythology, Аrkas is the GUARDIAN of the Big Bear. The words „arctic“ (1) and „Arcas“ share the same root.

„A watchman, Father Time, all gray and bent“ (P474), „watchman“ (29), „keeper“ (16), „viewer“ (18), „protector“ (5), „observer“ (16), „astronomer“ (2), „custodian“ (1), „attendant“ (13), „secure“ (8), „ward“ (1), and „spectator“ (7) are all descriptions of Arcturus. An exquisite example can be found in C47–48: „My bodyguard of black junipers watched the stars and the omens.“ People, omens!

The myth of Arcas and his hunting hounds may provide some context for the text’s depiction of the hordes of „dogs“ in the „Stellarium“ cluster.

As the 13^th„nakshatra“ (Nishtya, or Outcast) in Hindu mythology, the Moon Mansion Arcturus is credited with introducing terms like „exile“ (10) and „outlaw“ (1).

The Mi’kmaq people of eastern Canada were Native Americans who regarded Arcturus as Kookoogwéss, the OWL. [2] This pattern, in my opinion, can be found in C922, „The Message Man, the Owlish Nincompoop.“

Within the spear-shaft of the Boötes lies a faint yellow star known as Delta Boötis (δ Boötis), Princeps. „Princeps“ is Latin for PRINCE (25), or „prime.“ “The stars of Boötes were incorporated into many different Chinese constellations. The northern constellation was Qigong, the Seven Dukes, which was mostly across the Boötes-Hercules border. It included either Delta Boötis or Beta Boötis as its terminus” (Robson 2005: 44).

Within the Boötes constellation lies the triple star system known as Mu Boötis (μ Boötis). The original name is Alkalurops, but it has also been called Inkalunis, Clava, and Venabulum. The Greek word kalaurops (καλαύρoψ) means „shepherd’s staff.“ When we add the Arabic prefix „al,“ we obtain „Alkalurops.“ (See the „Bat“ cluster for other „staff“ connections.)

Epsilon Boötis (ɛ Boötis), “Izar” (Arabic “girdle” or “loincloth”), and “Pulcherrima” (Latin “the most beautiful” or “loveliest”) enter the synonymic string: “belt” (3), “strap” (3), “waist” (1), “sash” (1), and “beautiful” (20), on the other hand. In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium (Cairo, 1650) of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, an Egyptian astronomer and sheikh, this star was labeled “Mintek al Aoua” [3] in Latin Cingulum Latratoris, meaning “belt of barker.”. Here falls the following substring: “messenger” (3), “herald” (2), and “Iris” (12).

A motif from an Egyptian tradition depicts Boötes as a HIPPOPOTAMUS, a guardian goddess who held the malevolent pole stars in check.[4] Gradus, our buddy, „asked the price of a little hippopotamus made of violet glass“ (C697).

The early Catholics knew Boötes as SAINT SYLVESTER. [5] That reference is exactly what Nabokov had in mind when naming the character Sylvia. Do consider a significant sentence in C691:

You nearly lost the opportunity to meet our brightest star, said Sylvia.

“Sylv” plus “ester” is “Sylvester”. In the sentence listed above, “star” comes first. The word “brightest” designates “light” and “luminosity”, the purport of which is “saint”. Once again: “brightest star… Sylvia” = saint + ester + sylv = SAINT SYLV ESTER = Boötes. “Changeless Sylvia,“ or rather, changeless Boötes. This may be going a little too far. Still, though.)

Shade’s verses: “The setting sun bronzed the black bark” (P51) or “The setting sun that lights the tips of TV’s giant paperclips” (first two lines of The Swing), seem to be an allusion to Virgil’s 1^st Georgic (68 and 204 lines). [6]

At the very end of the novel, the narrator speaks about “bigger, more respectable, more competent Gradus” who “will quietly set out”.

But whatever happens, wherever the scene is laid, somebody, somewhere, will quietly set out – somebody has already set out, somebody still rather far away is buying a ticket, is boarding a bus, a ship, a plane, has landed, is walking toward a million photographers, and presently he will ring at my door – a bigger, more respectable, more competent Gradus (C999).

According to E. W. Bullinger (The Witness of the Stars from 1893), a biblical interpreter of the constellations: “The ancient Egyptians called him [Boötes] Smat, which means one who rules, subdues, and governs. They also called him Bau (a reminiscence of the more ancient Bo), which means also THE COMING ONE (Robson, 1923). Like Gradus.

Boötes is depicted as a human figure with a club in his outstretched hand. [7] The narrator employed motifs about the constellation’s genesis; as previously indicated, he multiplied the language using the principles of polysemy, synonymy, etymology, association, and so on.

Arcturus

[1] < http://www.constellationsofwords.com/stars/Arcturus.html

[2] < http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2008JRASC.102…59D/0000059.000.html >

[3] < http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1895MNRAS..55..429K >

[4] <http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/constellations/bootes.html>

[5] <http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Bootes.html>

[6] <http://files.libertyfund.org/files/1174/0563_Bk.pdf>

[7] <http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Bootes.html>