3 - The Cult of Horus and the Origins of Astronomy Nr. 3

The Cult of Horus
and the Origins of Astronomy Nr. 3

Machalett wrote as follows (our translation from the German):[6]

"The dragon on the back of the rock 11 [the Falcon Stone]:

If one goes up the steep incline to the left or right around the Falcon Stone and examines the Falcon Stone from the back, then one recognizes with astonishment and is indeed startled by the fact that the giant head which forms the Falcon Stone is crowned by a giant dragon. The dragon extends heavy and large from the right of the stone’s ridge upwards to the middle of the stone, its glance directed toward the major group of Extern Stones below. Far above the eye level of the observer, one clearly recognizes the massive body and the serrated back, the hanging tail and the front and rear extremities of the dragon. The head is clear and distinctive together with eye sockets, neck and throat sac. It is a primal animal that we find before us, a lizard as a complete stone replica. The work was molded by human hand! Clearly recognizable are traces of work on the back, abdomen, and head. It is a distinct dragon, and we know that the Extern Stones are called the 'Dragon Stone' in local vernacular."

The names "Falcon Stone" and "Dragon Stone" applied to the Extern Stones are thus confirmed in local vernacular. These are the first - if incomplete - indications that both dragon and falcon are portrayed there.

As marked in the photo above, a human-head also marks the stars of the constellation Hercules. These sculptures too I identified independently, without knowing Machalett’s previous identifications.

In addition, there are two heads of figures that Machalett apparently did not see. To the right there is the head of a bear marking the stars of Ursa Major and to the left is another head that seems to represent a dog. These latter are the stars to the left of the constellation Hercules.

II. The Falcon and the Dragon in Conventional Astronomy

Problem 1. The Falcon at the North Celestial Pole

To support the hypothesis that the Falcon Stone represents Ursa Minor as a falcon, it was essential to demonstrate that the falcon had been used by the ancients as an early symbol for the stars found at heaven’s center.

However, there was no such proof available in the conventional history of astronomy. According to the mainstream, the falcon is mentioned only in connection with a stellar constellation in Persian astronomy, indeed as representing Aquila, the constellation of the eagle. Aquila lies far from heaven’s center and originally probably was chosen for this region of the sky because of the eagle-shaped "hole in the Milky way" found there.

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[6] Walter Machalett, Die Externsteine, Hallonen-Verlag, Maschen, 1970.
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