Depictions of halley's comet in native american rock art

DEPICTIONS OF HALLEY’S COMET IN NATIVE AMERICAN ROCK ART © Peter Faris, 2008 Photo: Halley’s comet, 1910, computer enhanced.

NOTABLE HISTORIC APPEARANCES OF HALLEY’S COMET. AD 1066: Records indicate that Halley’s comet was four times larger than Venus, and it shone with a light equal to a quarter of that of the moon. This appearance was also recorded in the Bayeaux Tapestry. AD 1301: Observed by Italian painter Giotto di Bondone, he used Halley’s Comet as the Star of Bethlehem in his Nativity Scene in the Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy, completed in 1305. AD 1456: This close approach was seen as saber-like in form. The tail of the comet extended over 60 degrees of the sky.

Bayeaux Tapestry, A.D.1066 Interpreted as a bad omen by King Harold of England, and a good omen by Duke William of Normandy, the 1066 appearance of Halley’s Comet predicted the Norman conquest of England.

Penasco Blanco trail, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.
The upper figures are often identified as a depiction of the Supernova of AD 1054.
On the cliff below in faded paint can be seen the definite form of a large comet.

The AD 1054 Supernova explosion resulted in today’s Crab Nebula.

Field sketch of comet from Penasco Blanco trail, Chaco Canyon, NM, 1997.

12 years after the explosion of the Crab Nebula supernova in AD 1054, the AD 1066 appearance of Halley’s Comet was recorded on the cliff below.

The AD 1301 appearance of Halley’s Comet was recorded as the star of Bethlehem in Giotto de Bondone’s Nativity Scene, completed in the Arena Chapel of Padua, Italy, in AD 1305. It was just as obvious to the inhabitants of the pueblos of the Rio Grande valley and the Galisteo basin in New Mexico.

Ancestral Pueblo peoples of New Mexico produced many representations of sky themes such as four-pointed stars and birds in their imagery. Star petroglyph, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988. The Galisteo Basin was occupied by ancestral pueblo peoples from the early 13 th century. Their zenith occurred in the mid-15 th century. This assures that they must have seen both the AD 1301 and the AD 1456 appearances of Halley’s Comet.

Many examples of these symbols can be found combined in the same panels. Galisteo Dike, 1988.

In many instances the symbolism became combined as stars developed attributes of eagles. A comet would be readily identified as a star with a tail. Galisteo Dike, NM, 1988.

The image of a star with an eagle tail is common throughout central New Mexico. Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988.

Other star symbols began to acquire facial features . Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988.

Stars with facial features and bird attributes developed. Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM, 1988.

Petroglyph Park, West Mesa, Albuquerque, NM. Photo by Julia Grundmeyer.

Galisteo, NM, 1988.

The personified stars began to acquire torsos and other humanoid features. Galisteo, NM. 1988.

Galisteo, NM, 1990.

A final form of these star beings places the eagle tail upon the star head as a headdress. Galisteo, NM. 1990.

The final manifestation is Nangosohu, the Star or Chasing Planet kachina from Hopi.

Depictions of halley's comet in native american rock art

by Peter on Nov 27, 2010

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