Introduction

con·stel·la·tion

ˌkänstəˈlāSH(ə)n/Submit

noun

plural noun: constellations

a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure

For years, people have been curious about the stars and what stories they can tell. Constellations have been constant reminders to humans about stories from the past, letting legends' legacies live on forever. Even since before I was around, people were using the night sky to tell the stories of their beliefs and ideas. When the Greeks showed up, they took some control of the constellations, using the star formations to tell the stories of Greek heroes (myself included). There are 88 modern constellations, 12 of which are the zodiac. Almost all the rest tell Greek myths, both those known by all and the stories that very few know. Even today in 2018, people all over the world have their own stories about the stars (but the Greeks told them best). I like to think I am a pretty big deal as a constellation (I am the twenty-fourth largest in size, after all).

For me, though, the stars are personal. Every night, I see my friends twinkling in the night sky, bringing me back to my life from long, long ago. During the day, I rest, but each night I look out at everyone around me, remembering the good times we once had. Lucky for me, my wife, Andromeda, is just to my west. Unfortunately for both of us, her mother and my mother-in-law, Cassiopeia, is just north of me. Close by is Pegasus, a reminder to myself of how I killed Medusa as well as a reminder of the time I saved my wife. Oh, the good old days. Everyone around me helps me remember my past and how I came to become a constellation myself. Oh sorry, I realized I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Perseus, and these are my star stories.