# Belarusian

## Introduction

Astronomy constellations found in Belarus, a country in Eastern Europe bordered
by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and
Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest.

## Description

Belarus is landlocked and contains large tracts of marshy land and thousands of
lakes. Forests cover about 40% of the country. Belarus is exceptional in that
people in the villages have preserved their traditional knowledge about the
stars and related beliefs, right through to the present time. The illustrations
are by no means exhaustive. In fact, many asterisms have multiple recorded
meanings, ranging from ancient to Christianized.

## Constellations

##### Elias's Cart

The burning cart that is ridden by Elias, the Christianized version of a
constellation previously seen as simply a large cart.

##### The Cross

A Peter’s cross.

##### The Crown

The thorn wreath that was put on Christ’s head.

##### The Mowers

These three stars stand one after another in the manner of people mowing the
fields.

##### The Nail

The north star is seen as a nail around which the skies revolve.

##### The Serpent

St. Yuri killed this serpent and hung it near the star that always stands in
the same place.

##### The Sieve

It was said that "God used to sift grains of _zhito_ through it".

##### The Small Cart

Ursa Minor resembles the large cart of Ursa Major.

##### The Throne

Lord Jesus's chair.

## References

 - [#1]: Tsimafei Avilin. 2009. [Astronyms in Belarussian folk beliefs](https://www.academia.edu/1586571/Astronyms_in_Belarussian_folk_beliefs). Archaeologia Baltica.
 - [#2]: Tsimafei Avilin. Belarussian Folk Astronomy. [The author's website, in Belarusian](http://aviti.livejournal.com).
 - [#3]: [Belarusian Ethnoastronomy](https://www.academia.edu/6901765/Belarusian_Ethnoastronomy).
 - [#4]: [Ethnoastronomical aspect of traditional belarusian fitonimicon: problem statement](https://www.academia.edu/8787640/Ethnoastronomical_aspect_of_traditional_belarusian_fitonimicon_problem_statement).
 - [#5]: [Meteor Beliefs Project: East European meteor folk-beliefs](https://www.academia.edu/1586711/Meteor_Beliefs_Project_East_European_meteor_folk-beliefs).

## Authors

Text and data by Alexander Wolf, Tsimafei Avilin and Johan Meuris.

Illustrations by Johan Meuris.

## License

Text and data: TODO

Illustrations: Free Art License