Chacya constellation
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The Chacya constellation is a constellation of six stars that, according to Caseic folklore, used to have eight stars. It was historically used one of the more important constellations for navigation. It has been used as a symbol of the Chacya Kingdom.
Name
The name Chacya is commonly believed to have come from a Framjinche word meaning either "northern" or "eastern". Navigationally, the constellation is used to find north. It is unknown whether the Chacya Kingdom was named before or after the constellation.
Characteristics
From the island of Casea, the constellation is visible at all times during the year. The constellation currently consists of six bright stars, which are close together in the sky, and visible even with extreme light pollution. In the distant past, it is possible that the constellation had eight bright stars, but this theory is disputed among historians.
From left to right, the bright stars are named thus:
- Caewi meaning "relaxed" or "at rest"
- Orac meaning "moderation" or "temperance"
- Sugrec meaning "restraint" or "forbearance"
- Yofremen it meaning "to clean up" or "to declutter"
- Oyoji meaning "divine" or "sacred"
- Sincyei meaning "industrial" or "mineral"
Traditionally, the two absent stars are referred to as Cronostec meaning "strength" or "will" and Erec meaning "logic" or "reason". Folklorically, the star Sincyei is also known by the former name Gritec meaning "joy" or "good times".
Folklore
According to Framjist folklore, the stars were created during the birth of Chae (the god of water), as dust was launched away from the ground as Chae burst out of Achea (the god of the ground). The dust is said to have launched at such high speed that it burned, hence producing starlight. Because the stars of the Chacya constellation are close together, they are believed to have been related, forming a sofaic. It is said that Gritec was the biggest star within the sofaic, which made Cronostec and Erec, the two smallest stars, jealous. Cronostec and Erec thus conspired to kill Gritec, but their plan was foiled and Gritec responded by eating Cronostec and Erec, which caused Gritec to become larger. Cronostec and Erec then attempted to cut their way out of Gritec's stomach, causing Gritec to become angry, going from blue to red. Eventually, Gritec died, cut open from the inside, then collapsed under its own weight. Cronostec, Erec, and the remains of Gritec were crushed together, forming a new star, which was named Sincyei. As Sincyei formed, it spit dust all over the other stars, much to their annoyance. Thus, the other stars of the constellation tend to avoid Sincyei except for Oyoji.
Navigation
Because the constellation is always visible at night and easy to locate, it has commonly been used to find north. This is done by drawing imaginary lines, one extending from Orac through Sugrec, and one separating Oyoji from Sincyei. North is halfway between where these imaginary lines each intersect the horizon.
Symbolism
The Chacya constellation is associated with northern Casea, and is known for its use as a symbol of the Chacya Kingdom. The constellation became symbolic of the kingdom after the rise of Acyalig II during the 900s TT. Acyalig II is said to have believed that the folklore surrounding the constellation was actually a prophecy, where Cronostec and Erec represented the First Nayela Union and the County of Nomache respectively. On 7-11 1116 TT (Caseic Calendar: C428-Y-16), Acyalig II launched a military campaign to conquer both states, and on 18-11 1116 TT (C428-Y-27) the campaign successfully ended, doubling the land area of the Chacya Kingdom at the time. After the success of the military campaign, Acyalig II declared the Chacya constellation be used as a symbol to represent the kingdom.