THE NORTH STAR // The North Star is known to almost all cultures in the northern hemisphere. Its location close to the North Pole (i.e. above the Earth’s axis) means that, unlike most other stars, it appears fixed in the sky. It’s this steadfast nature that has guided millions of wayfinders throughout history on journeys across the world. One of the easiest ways to recognize the North Star is to first find the Big Dipper, locate its two pointer stars and look along the pointer stars to a position in the sky five times the distance beyond them. While there’s no single star that plays the same role seen in the southern hemisphere, there is a constellation of four stars, called the Southern Cross that orients travelers south.
ENGLAND. Lodestar, meaning ”a star that leads or guides” (14th-17th century)
CHINA. Tien Hwang Ta Ti, meaning the “the supreme god in nature” (early China)
INUIT, NORTHERN CANADA. Niqirtsuituq, representing “the leadership of the elders”
ISLAM, MIDDLE EAST. Al Kiblah, meaning an “evil star”, a forever motionless hole in the sky
NAVAJO, NORTH AMERICA. Nahookos Bikq “Central Fire”, cosmic center of the night sky
TUAREG, NORTH AFRICA. Tatrit tan Tamasna, meaning "star of the plains”
NORTHERN INDIA. Grahadhara, meaning “the Pivot of the Planets” (Hindu folklore)
2 WHY THE NORTH STAR STANDS STILL, A PAIUTE LEGEND - Story A North Star legend from the Paiute people, a Numic tribe that has traditionally lived in the Great Basin region of the United States in what is now eastern California.
3 THE HISTORY AND FOLKLORE OF TIBETAN ETHNOASTRONOMY, BY MARA JOHNSONGROH - Essay A history of the North Star within Tibetan culture (see page 13).
4 BIG DIPPER CULT AND MYOKEN WORSHIP IN JAPAN - Article An overview of the history of North Star worship in Japan.
