Written in the Stars: Constellations, Facts and Folklore

by Alison Davies

Ever looked up and longed to know more about the constellations that inhabit the night sky? This is the perfect guide to discovering the stars and their stories. Written in the Stars leads you through the heavens above as you discover the scientific facts, legends and myths that surround the 88 constellations of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Uncover the patterns in the stars through the richly illustrated pages of this charming book, which brings each of the constellations to life. Discover the secret to why crows are as black as coal, which goddess weaves coloured clouds, who cut their hair to protect their husband, and which is the smallest star in the sky. Visually stunning, with metallic ink throughout, Written in the Stars captures the beauty of our twinkling night sky and is the perfect gift for novice stargazers and armchair astronomers alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Astrology, Mythology, Nature, Science, Spirituality, Magick

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Arimo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple and interesting collection of myths behind the constellations of the sky. Instead of a very deep analysis, expect lightweight snippets that mainly focus on Greek and Roman mythology. The book doesn't really help finding the constellation of the sky and it's not on the same level as HA Rey's stargazing books, but it's still okay.

This book is supposed to be checked every now and then. If you read it from cover to cover like I did, you will find issues with the structure: all the most interesting constellations are explained in the beginning, and the last chapters are focused on unremarkable, newer constellations with less mythology behind them.

Otherwise the book is "ok" (2 stars), but I'm giving the Finnish localisation an extra star. The Finnish version adds a few sentences about Finnish myths and also tells wether or not the constellations are visible in the northern latitudes.

[Katie Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book except for the part where the author said "Aphrodite and Cupid." It includes the names of the stars in the constellations which is AWESOME but it isn't very helpful for actually finding them constellations in the night sky. However, it makes a great companion for any decent sky map and provides the stories behind every one of the 88 official constellations.

[Cherith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover but good grief this is a pretty book! Full of delightful myths and interesting facts this is a charming little book. The illustrations are gorgeous and there is information on when best to view constellations, from which hemisphere and the names of the individual stars that make up the constellations. I really loved it and it has inspired me to start star gazing.

[ABCme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations with a short story for each constellation. It has a Contents, a Monthly Guide and a list of Gods and Goddesses. The only thing missing is an alphabetical list: when you search for a particular constellation, you have to go through the whole book, unless you know which group it's in. I use this beauty with my Compendium of Constellations cards.

[Emily Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great design. Beautiful illustrations! This is literally one of the prettiest books I own and it’s just lovely. Some of the information is repetitive and the coordinates they offer for where to look for certain constellations is vague, but otherwise the book would make an excellent gift for young and old stargazers and modern mystics who want to know the stories behind the names and shapes of constellations.

[Janika Puolitaival · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mukavasti tietoa tähtitaivaan myyttien takana. Plussaa siitä, että suomennokseen lisätty tähtikuvioiden näkyvyys Suomessa, huolellista työtä.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This looks very pretty sitting on a table or shelf but it isn’t all that informative. It’s more of a mythology primer than a guide to constellations; the illustrations with each are cute, but they don’t include the actual constellation in the image, which is disappointing. Instead constellations are drawn out on a single spread at the beginning of each section (grouped by story, and not necessarily by position in the sky? There is no real context so it’s unclear) Show me how the ancients decided this group of stars looked like a great bear, for example! Show the stars’ names within the constellation instead of just listing them out with no context!
This book is very general, just touching on each of the ancient myths attached to each constellation with a single paragraph or less. No real details or in-depth stories. It’s almost exclusively Euro-centric, most of the stories are based in Greek origins or made by other European stargazers. A few other cultures, mainly Babylonian/Sumerian, and very occasionally Native American tribes get a passing mention but this only seems to be when these other traditions happen to line up with the established Greek story. Overall a kind of dry and shallow primer, made for aesthetics. I may come back to this one but I actually couldn’t make it cover to cover. If you are looking for actual constellation guides/info/maps, this is not the book for you.

[ReadingSloph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a great deal. I thought the artwork was really good, I liked the information given about when are where to see the constellations and I really enjoyed the lore around them. I am a fan of Greek mythology and so I loved knowing who was behind some of the most well known constellations and the stories behind them, and I also like learning about other constellations that I don't know so well due to the fact I've never been south of the equator.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

wasn't a fan and didn't end up finishing this book. the folklore/myths are quick summaries and lack any of the more interesting details. there aren't really maps of the night sky or anything super interesting to draw you in. very much a book meant for someone that is passively interested. if you're someone like me and you love myths then you're going to want something a little more in depth than what this provides.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautiful to look at but ultimately disappointing. It only contains rudimentary information about the folklore and mythology surrounding each constellation and does not include accurate maps representing their places in the sky. Though the drawings are very lovely and I liked that it listed the brightest stars in each constellation, there were many grammatical and typesetting errors that spoiled the overall effect.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book, all blues and creams and silvers. Each constellation is only given a tiny paragraph per page to highlight the myths and history behind it.

Sadly, I noticed a handful of grammatical errors ranging from spelling errors to odd spacing in the middle of a word to two instances where the meaning of the constellation's name was a repeat of it's location in the sky.

[Tamara Fahira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Give this one four stars because I don’t understand those what-so-called constellations at all, but with beautiful design and a fairly detailed explanation, I can recommend this book to you. This book captures the beauty of the stars and is the perfect gift for novice stargazers and armchair astronomers alike.

[Rat Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

While you won't do a *tonne* of learning, this is a low brain energy, beautifully illustrated and fun look at each constellation in the night sky with a little description with each one. I would say this is a "coffee table book" - looks stunning, easy to flick through and fun. Glad to have this pretty little number in my collection!

[Cynthia Troncquo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really thought this book very interesting. I learned a bit about each constellation origin of name and rhe myths or history behind them. It's a fun book to have around at home or gift as a gift for someone intrested in stars, mythology or history

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Magic sits in the stars. ✨

Let's not forget, the stars have seen all of life on Earth unfold beneath them. Like eyes, blinking and watching, these tiny, enduring beads of light witness and hold our stories and memories long after we're gone."

[Pedro Pepper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Davies’s writing has a gentle touch and is filled with poetic imagery. She explores themes like self-discovery and the paths we take in life effectively, almost like an intimate conversation with the reader.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. I liked learning about the Greek mythology and genera background to the constellations.

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lyhyt hakuteos tähtikuvioiden historiasta. Jokaisesta kuviosta kerrotaan pieni tausta, tärkeät tähdet, sijainti taivaalla ja näkyvyys Suomessa.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This is a fun book of facts and some folklore related to constellations. If you enjoy this kind of thing, which I really do, you will like this book.

[Leslie Carnahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. 💗 Loved the illustrations. SOOOOO much information that I didn't know before. I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. :)

[Karen Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cultura é uma maravilha mesmo adoro ler coisa aleatória.

[Alicia Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book.

[Teresa Tursi · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful book written in a simple language that talk about the most important constellations, their stars, their forms in the sky and their history

[Miss K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of short writings about constellations and the myths and stories connected to their names, as well as the history of science and astronomy. I loved the artwork, too.

[Karolina Pałka · Rating 2 out of 5]

While beautiful, it's not particularly informative.