Taurus the Bull
Myths & Legends
The zodiac, which is said to have originated in Babylon as long as 2,500 years ago, is a circle of constellations through which the Sun moves during the course of a year.
The first myth associated with this constellation concerned the Babylonian "Bull of Heaven," Ishtar and Anu, and Gilgamesh. He knew, however, that she had disposed of her previous lovers in various unpleasant ways, and that she was both faithless and unreliable. Finding herself rejected, Ishtar appearled to her father, Anu, king of the gods, to create a giant Bull of Heaven that would kill Gilgamesh. This bull was Taurus.
A Variety of Myths
Various other bulls have been associated with the constellation. There was the white bull mentioned by the Roman poet, Virgil, which said to open "the gate of the year his golden horns." White bulls were also sacrificed at sunset on the fifth day of the Babylonian new year festival, when the equinoctial New Moon appeared in the sign of Taurus.
Europa and the Bull
Much better known that this or the Babylnian Bull of Heaven is the bull in the Greek legend of Europa. Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with the king of Phoenicia's extraordinarily beautiful daughter, Europa. In order to deceive her into submitting to his dubious intentions, Zeus turned himself into an incredibly handsome bull and set himself to graze among her father's herd. When Europa, who was playing by the seashore with her friends, saw Zeus as the bull, she was overcome by how majestic, yet gentle he seemed.
The Abduction
Europa approached him, and he knelt in front of her. At this, she climbed onto his back, and put a wreath of flowers around his horns. Zeus then sprang immediately to his feet and swam across the sea to Crete. There he had his wicked way with Europa under a plane tree. (This particular tree as then granted the divine privilege of keeping its foliage through all the seasons.) Europa bore Zeus three children. Among them was Minos, who later ruled over the island after the king of Crete, Asterius, adopted all three children and invited Europa to become his wife.
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