Dowth, Newgrange, Knowth - an Irish Triad
If you're looking for a dreamworld go here. For I am offering truth; although my truth. For what it is worth.... based on reading and research. I have not political, religious or financial agenda. I hope you enjoy the path of revelation.
The ancient Irish megalithic sites of Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth are among Europe's most impressive and important archaeological monuments. Brú na Bóinne (which is Irish for Palace of the Boyne) is a World Heritage Site in County Meath near the river Boyne. For general information on Newgrange I advise you to visit the excellent websites www.knowth.com/ and www.newgrange.com/.
Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth can, as I have noticed, be considered a physical projection of a celestial 'Triad' (1). These three passage-mounts seem to express ancient knowledge on the returns of a magnificent, almost forgotten, celestial event: the return of Halley's Comet. Thanks to the scientific and underestimated publication of Joseph L. Brady's: Halley's Comet: AD 1986 to 2647 BC, published by the British Astronomical Association in 1982 (2), and with the aid of Starry Night Pro Software, I was able to find celestial 'Triads' on the day of perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. I also found proof that it was easy to predict the next apparition of Halley's Comet. Let's find out what the ancient Irish Druids wanted to tell us!
To Knowth or not to Knowth thats the question!
The celestial nature of a comet seems to have been unknown to 'common' men. When they watched the apparition of a bright Comet they must have thought that it was a kind of divine message sent by a God or a divine ruler from heaven. The most significant moment in our ancestors life must have been the year of Halley's Comet return. This impressice comet could be seen in the morning at sunrise in the east and/or, on the same day, at sunset in the west but always in the vicinity of the sun. But could it only be seen at dawn or afterglow. Onty then?
No, not only then but the apparition of Halley's Comet is intensily related to the Sun. Halley's comet orbits, not completely, the sun before disappearing in the Universe again. It also could be seen at night when the sun lit up its magnificent tails, the comet sailing through the heavens like a crystal and translucent boat or ship. (= metaphor!)
The comet came back after its long journey through eternal darkness to expose itself in the magnificent rays of the Sun. The Sun seemed to make her ion- and dusttails grow, which appeared to be shining transparent or translucent wings, like the wings of a metaphorical fairy, so very connected to the Irish legendary past.
This celestial object became also related to the dark side of consciousness: Fear. Its unexpected, feathered, tailed, shining, haired, fiery and horned appearance became the greatest enemy of mankind. The comet became a ruthless ruler, a unabashed destructor, a raging killer. The comet became a metaphorical monster and demon and its reddish, horned and tailed apparition is also equivalent to the wellknown metaphor of the devil. The bright apparition of Halley's Comet is related to celestial fire and to earthly life. In Greek mythology the comet became known as Lucifer (sometimes falsely related to Venus as being another Morningstar) related to death.
So throughout the ages mankind recognised several metaphors with have been related to poisonous flying, fire-spitting and/or winged snakes. The noticed, when they saw the comet from aside that the iontail looked like the stinged tail of a scorpion. It resembled the shape of a fire-spitting dragon or an immense snake or serpent like a poisonous cobra like the Egyptian Djet. When it could not be seen in the Dark the metaphor of a (black) tailed dog was used for instance in the Scandinavian dog King or in any religion related to dogs (jackal) like Anubis in Egypt. The tails of this bright Comet had a recognisable structure of resembling the Ear of (holy) grain, the bones of a fish, a wind blown tail of a horse r its manes he structure of the leaf of a palmtree the structure of a feather. It was related to the germination of seed, ejaculation of semen and also to inevitable death. Halley's Comet is the Great Butcher with sometimes looked like a giant staff, a flail or mace by which, thousands, if not millions, of people, often as sacrificial victims, where killed.
No human emperor or tyrant can beat the number of victims and the worldwide psychological impact that can be related of our most impressive cyclic astronomical event. And yet its importance seems to be suddenly ended as if religion had no history. The reason for this abrupt ending have I found using the same publication on Halley's Comet from the hand of Joseph L. Brady. An Era ended when the Comet no longer returned against the same fixed backgrounds of stars. The sequence of Halley's Comet, with planet Jupiter in Leo, return ended on June 22 164 BC, so close near the summer solstice, when the planet Jupiter appeared in Sagittarius instead of Leo. It was as if the Sky fell. The ability of priests of predicting the next return of the comet in relation to the fixed stars and the orbit of Jupiter was lost, the King of planets forsaked, and this disaster led to the birth of Christianity. The Comet that was related to the intelectual growth of Humankind was banished and was replaced by the personage of Jesus. The Copts destroyed many hieroglyphs and images of the known shapes of the Sungod in ancient temples in Egypt that belonged to the old worship based on the comets' returns.
But the many metaphors that have been used in the past by the learned show us Halley's Comet was really there in the shape of a bearded, horned ferocious black Bulls. Our ancestors discovered that this Bull of Heaven must be made of iron because when meteors were found, after falling from Heaven, they contained iron. Iron is wellknown in mythology and in folklore. Our ancestors knew the returning Comet contained Iron as well because, when it would be made of water, they might have reasoned, wouldn't it have melted in the vicinity of the Sun? And how could they otherwise still observe its tails on the next apparition?
The Bull of Heaven stayed in the Darkness for many years and then suddenly it appeared with its long translucent horns and long shining Tail. The apparition of Heavens Bull has always been related to occurences of plagues and disasters. Sometimes its apparition caused drought. Sometimes its apparition by shook the earth. Sometimes its apparition was associated with floods. Sometimes it is related to famine like the return of Halley's Comet in 1066 AD when a drougth lasted seven years and forced the inhabitants of ancient Cairo, as the story goes, to eat rats and human flesh. As long as Comets appear they have been related to natural disasters and to the death of ancient and often mythical Kings. It killed many people by its violent devilish nature and to avoid problems with it humankind seem to have invented rules ro satisfy the supposed needs of this celestial creature including human and animal Sacrifice.
But what if a 'King' is a metaphor for Comet (2)? What if we can interpretate the mythological death of Kings to the last day of the visibility of this bright Comet? What if the metaphorical years of rule of a mythical Kings are, in fact, days of visibility of the comet after the day of perihelion passage of our brightest Comet? What if the metaphorical ascending of the Throne of Heaven refers to the noticable day of perihelion passage of Comet Halley? What if the ancient avatar of a King, composed by its many metaphors has never been an earthly ruler but appears to be a celestial object, its image created by the ancient Irish Druids and their ancestors, that we now know by the name of Halley's Comet?
What if each name of a King, in several ancient Cultures, can be adressed to one specific return of Halley's Comet? Than we may conclude that Kings in different cultures will turn out to point at the same apparition of the Comet! Like the Kings name that seems to be related to the Newgrange 'Fish' and which is related to the mythical Salmon of Knowledge. The image of fishbones has been found on a standing stone inside the passage-mount of Newgrange and this image is obviously a metaphor for Halley's Comet. I have found that the day of the perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, based on ancient knowledge of the Druids, might be around december 21 but certainly occured, based on the relation between Jupiter and the constellation of Leo, in the year 3099 BC!
When the ancient Irish Druids spread their teachings on the Laws of Heaven, including sacred Knowledge on the periodicity of Halley's Comet, many years before the construction of the Giza pyramids in Egypt, they seem to have spread the Comet metaphor of fishbones: King Salmon of Knowledge that possibly became the Wise King Solomon? We might expect they did because, as we will see, there is a strong parallel between the construction of Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth and the construction of the Giza Pyramid Complex in Giza.
Although the 'fishbones' is my interpretation (in the literature it has been called a leave of fern) based on the relation to the legend of the Salmon of Knowledge which is obviously related to the river Boyne and to fertility. Did the constructors of the Newgrange passage-mount on purpose allowed the falling water, drip into a bowl of stone, which might be used as a mirror, to reflect the heaven above? Doesn't it make sense that the ancient skywatchers, who practised archaeoastronomy, watched Halley's Comet disappear over the pole of the northern hemisphere, drawing Spirals in the air, after which it proceeded its journey into the celestial oceaan? Could this be one of the reasons of choosing a salmon as a metaphor for the Comet because this animal also vanishes after a short while into the endless ocean.
The ancient Irish druids, wise and learned men, certainly knew that a Comet, we now know by the name of Halley's Comet, could be seen by naked-eye and which presented itself in many metaphoric shapes, had a orbital period. It returned after about 75 years (3). They also seem to have known, as I discovered, that on every third return of this Comet planet Jupiter could be found against the same background of the fixed stars (4) for instance the Zodiac constellation of Leo. The return of our brightest comet could be predicted without the aid of Newton's laws.
This ancient Knowledge, almost certainly knewn to the Irish Druids and based on keeping records of each return of our brightest comet, seems to be unknown to Historians and Archaeologists. They haven't even considered the possibility that the year of the return of our brightest Comet was known to our Irish ancestors. How great must have been the victory of the ruling class of priest-astronomers when they discovered that the Comet was not only periodic, which must have been known from very early times, but that there seems to be a rhythm, a Maat in its returns. When they discovered this fact they metaphorically slew the Black Bull of Heaven.
We can still recognise the battle between men and Black Bulls in the history of Egypt, Crete and in the practise of Bullfighting. Now we can also understand the discovery of the remains of a Bull found inside the sarcophagus of the so-called Kings Room in the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Kings, Bulls and apparitions of Halley's Comet are definitely related by the power of metaphors. Now we can understand why the Kings of Egypt where known by the title of 'Mighty Bull' and that for instance the mythical Egyptian King Narmer on the famous Narmer Palette was depicted by a long hairy tail of a Bull.
Being able to predict the right year of the next return of our greatest Comet, might be considered one of the greatest achievements of mankind in the field of ancient astronomy. Ancient Irish druids might be held responsible for incorporating this sacred Knowledge in ancient stone monuments and stone circles by using... celestial 'Triads'.
Celestial Triads show the ancient rhythm or 'maat' of the Heavens. Celestial Irish Triads seem to have been of huge importance in relation to fixing the exact year of the apparition of Halley's Comet. It is indeed remarkable that often, in the weeks of Halley's Comet return, several planets and stars could be seen relatively very close to each other.
These Triads, which we can still notice on Irish megalithic monuments as cupmarks or other carvings, offer us an opportunity to reconstruct the exact day or week of Halley's Comet perihelion passage. We can, using astronomy software, go back in time and observe the morning and evening sky and notice the same celestial events that ancient Irish skywatchers seem to have noticed before: There existed an Divine Order in the Universe. Temples and temple-complexes became related to the orbit of Jupiter, the King's planet, and the day of perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
As a reward for the ritual killing of Heavens' Black Bull the ancient Irish Druids where related to 'Giants' and this Title of Honour we can find all over the World. The legendary landing of beardless Giants, probably looking for ancient metals like Gold, on the Peruvian/Ecuadorian coast is almost certainly related to Irish Druids. The name of 'Nanasca' or 'Nasca' or 'Nazca', related to the mysterious Nasca lines is certainly not Quechua in origin. I have found symbols and drawings in the Nasca-Palpa plain, for I have rented a plane for an hour when I visited the spot in 1999, and a legend related to metaphors of a Comet that strongly indicate that learned men, used this spot to periodically observe Halley's Comet on the Western hemisphere. It is no secret among astronomers that the apparition of Halley's Comet could be watched better from the Southern than the Northern hemisphere! The ceremonial centre if Nasca is called 'Cahuachi'. The meaning of this Quechua word is: 'Make them see, make them predict, to have bad luck' (4). Prediction is the magic word in relation to Nasca and its culture.
In Egypt we can notice (almost) the same structure of planning in the famous Giza pyramids. Even though it might be so that the Irish druids have not been responsible for supervising the construction of every individual Giza-pyramid we might expect their knowledge of Comet Halley's return has been used in its Masterplan, as they have incorporated the same sacred knowledge, hundreds of years earlier in Ireland, the mythical 'Atlantis'. In the same time we must be aware of the red-haired Egyptian mummies that might reveal proof that the ancient Irish where the people generally known, in Greek, as Phoenicians. In my opinion, for what it is worth, I think ancient astronomical knowledge has travelled from France into Anatolia (between 14.000 BC and 11.000 BC) and from the Anatolia/Kaukasus region ancient knowledge travelled by land or river, to France, todays England into Ireland.
It is very important, for a better understanding of the ancient Irish legends and for a better understanding of the architecture of 'the Giants', that an Irish astronomical Triad is: (Gilbert de Jong)
A group of two planets and a star (near the ecliptic plain for instance Regulus in Leo) or a group of three planets (a combination of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter or Saturn) that could be seen on the relatively close to each other on the day Comet Halley could be seen, by naked eye, closest to the sun.
As early as 14.000 BC mankind seemed to be aware of the returning comet and compaired its hairy appearance with the tail and the manes of a Horse or, when the comet could be seen in frontal view, its iontails looking like long horns (5), they seem to have compaired its feracious appearance with the long horns of a strong Bull.
So the metaphor of a strong (black) Bull and the mained and long-tailed (white) Horse became synonymous with the returning Comet. Metaphors, and their seem to have been many of them, will reveal the secret of the ancient Irish Duids!
The Irish druids knew the secret. They knew the comet would return after 75 years. They knew after 3*75 years = 225 years planet Jupiter would have the same background of fixed stars. So how did they express their knowledge? Can we find evidence in Ireland for this ancient knowledge? I will answer the question myself: yes, we can! They left us an impressive legacy of their work: stonecircles, architecture, legends, songs and... Triads.
The Structure of the Masterplan
Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth are without doubt three ancient spots that are thematically related although the construction of each site show a timegap of about 200-250 years. The construction of these stone monuments might have spanned different phases based on different apparitions of our most famous comet.
The Masterplan of these three megalithic sites seems to be inspired on a 'Triad'. They simply scanned the sky, when they noticed the bright comet coming close to the sun and looked for the position of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter (and probably the moon) and when three of the wandering planets, or two planets and a fixed star where close to each other they watched the position of the celestial Triad to a bright band of stars: the Milky Way or the 'Celestial River'.
Than these wise men looked for a useful spot a Genius Loci, near a 'real' river and they marked three spots, in the arrangment of the three celestial objects representing the position of the celestial Triad on the day of perihelion passage of the Comet. Based on archaeological evidence (construction dates of Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth) and by the detected rhythm on the returns of Halley's Comet, the celestial Triad responsible for the Masterplan of Dowth, Newgrange and Knowth can be found in the year 3549 BC. Between May 21 and June 1 3549 BC Mars, Jupiter and Regulus are close to each other in Leo and can be seen at sunset in the west. We might expect that between May 21 and June 1 3549 BC the ancient druids watched this tailed star coming closest to the sun.
Halley's Comet is travelling with a speed of about 40 km/second. So in one day it travels 40*3600 seconds*24 hours = 144000 km! In its orbit around the sun it reaches a highest point where the dust tail seems to be almost upright when watched from earth. When the sun is rising (or setting) with the tail of the comet (almost upright) clearly perceptable, the joined form of these two celestial objects might have been formed a metaphorical golden or silver Throne in Heaven. A sacred chair. A metaphor related to the King's Soul.
After this remarkable celestial event the ancient priest-astronomers waited 225 years or 3*75 years when Jupiter could be found against the same background of stars: Leo. In the mean time two other returns of Halley's Comet have occured but Jupiter could not be seen against the same fixed background of stars (Leo).
After a long time in the year 3324 BC, with Jupiter in the constellation of Leo, they noticed Halley's Comet again, and this seem to have inspired the druids to have construct the passage-mount of Dowth. The first spot in the celestial Triad. It seems reasonable to assume that on the spots related to the 3549 BC apparition where already marked in some way and that the passage-mount of Dowth was altered or renewed. The Druids, who might be held responsible for the construction of these passage mounts, might have incorporate significant celestial events on the stones that can be found inside or near to this monument and that might be related to the year of the Comet's return. The darkness inside the passage-mound is probably metaphorically related to the darkness of the Universe. We can notice this relation also in an Egyptain word KM.T, pronounced as 'Kemet'. Sound like 'Komet'. Kem or KM means 'black' in Egypt and .t might be translated as 'from the'. So Kemet , so deeply related to the history of Egypt, means 'From the Black'. And that is the exact spoty where comets come from: The Black Universe. Therefore, and I have found much more evidence for this assumption, religion in Egypt, and its the same to all pre-Christian religion, is Comet-centric. We might notice at this point that the Irish where able, hundreds of years before the first dynasties of Kings started in Egypt, where already ´expecting´ the Kings return.
After the return of 3324 BC they seem to have waited another 225 years. When the Comet finally arrived, again with Jupiter in the constellation of Leo, they seem to have constructed or altered the passage-mount of Newgrange. The Comet returned in the year 3099 BC and the day that the bright comet could be seen closest to the sun is probably on or very near the wintersolstice (december 21). Because of this remarkable date, because the chance of Comet Halley could be seen closest to the sun on the summer or wintersolstice is about 1:182 times (2 days:364.25 days) or, with a return of about 75 years: 182 * 75.9 = 13.814 years. On average we might expect the day of perihelion passage on one of the solstice on every about 13.814 years!
The accurate calculations of Joseph L. Brady, published by the B.A.A. in 1982, showed Comet Halley could be seen coming closest to the sun on June 21 on its apparition in the year 1445 BC. This year has been related to the biblical Moses and it also seem to have caused major changes on the temples of Karnak in Egypt.
Another 225 years went by. Again: Jupiter in Leo. Finally they where able to construct the site of Knowth: the last one spot could be finished after the comet's return of 2874 BC and we might suspect that astronomical circumstances in this year of Comet Halley's return are incorporated in the construction of this huge monument. So the total amount of years that past by is 225 + 225 +225 years = 675 years!
As I have suggested the return of Comet Halley is related to Kingdomship. It is. Heavenly Kingdomship seems to have its roots in very ancient French (Cave of Lascaux) and Irish traditions and its teachings seems to have been spread all over the world ever since. Kingdomship is related to heavenly rulership definitely not to earthly rulership. The Salmon of Knowledge, when accepted as a metaphor for the fishbone apparition of Halley's Comet and related to the site of Newgrange might have become King Sal(o)mon; a wise mythological King.
There are more indications that symbols and knowledge of the ancient Jewish people are in someway related to ancient Irish symbolism. The real origin of the Star of David, a symbol adapted by the jewish people, seems to be unknown but the starsymbol can be found on a stone in an ancient Irish ring of stones by connecting the five points in the circle.
So what is an Irish High King?
An mythical Irish High King seems to be a metaphor for the return of Comet Halley. On its return the Druids seem to have counted the days of its visibility after perihelion passage and the called it (metaphorically) 'the reignal years'. When they no longer could see the comet they called it 'the death of a King'. The period from the first notification to the perihelion passage they called it 'His way to the Throne'. The Throne of a King, often a kind of sacred stone, was ment for the King to sit upon when he returned. A Throne was ment for deceased kings, not for living ones, and the soul of the king 'the comets tail' was immortal. As I have mentioned before the Throne seems to be related to the (almost) upright dusttail of Comet Halley on the day of perihelion passage.
So it makes sense that 'attributes' of the King where in fact known metaphors of Comet Halley's. One of the most famous metaphors of the Comet is a beard. And so the 'avatar' of the King of Heaven is always bearded. Sometimes the Comet looked like a fearful flaming Sword and on another occasion it looked more like a Mycenean dagger or a lance. But also the metaphor of a shield is known in relation to apparitions of comets. One of the many metaphors that can be related to comets are the manes and/or tails of horses. This might well explain the composite and complex avatar of King riding a horse, carrying a shield, wearing a crown and ofcourse armed with a magic sword or lance.
Sometimes the Comet looked like the horns of a verocious Bull but also other horned animals The Comet could be seen at night when the universe was black, sometimes at sunrise when it appeared white or golden. Sometimes it looked purple. The King and the Comet are the same and when the comet comes its earthly servants had to obey. That is the main reason why we will never find the corpse of a King and we will only find his metaphorical Grave.
An Overview of Triads
'Triads' of planets or planets and a star, or even in combination with the Moon, seem to have been very important for the ancient skywatchers to mark the year or exact day when Halley's Comet could be seen closest to the Sun. Because the Comet and the Triad could be watched simultaneaously on the whole Northern hemisphere (and on a great part of the Southern hemisphere) we might expect the same Structure of planning ancient monuments (for instance in Japan and China) as well. Here is an overview of noticable celestialTriads on the day of perihelion passage of Halley's Comet:
|
Day of perihelion |
Triads on the Day of perihelion |
Background of Fixed Stars; Zodiac Constellations |
| 3549-05-? (A) |
Regulus-Jupiter-Mars | Leo |
| 3324-09-17 or 18 (B) |
Mars-Regulus-Jupiter | Leo |
|
3099-12-21 |
Regulus-moon-Jupiter |
Leo |
| 2647-04-18 (D) |
Regulus-Jupiter- Saturn | Leo |
| 2423-09-17 (E) | Regulus-Jupiter-Mars | Leo |
| 2347- 07-21 | Spica-Mars-Saturn | Virgo |
|
2270-01-26 |
Jupiter-Saturn-Mars | Taurus |
|
2121-12-30 |
Venus-Jupiter-Mercury | Sagittarius |
| 1971-06- 10 | Regulus -Jupiter-Saturn-(Mars) | Leo |
| 1895-03-29 | Saturn-Mars-Jupiter |
Aquarius/ |
| 1746-08-19 | Regulus-Jupiter-Venus | Leo |
| 1594-02-02 | Jupiter-Saturn-Moon | Taurus |
| 1521-08-13 | Regulus-Jupiter-Mercury | Leo |
|
1143-04-15 |
Saturn-Mars-Spica | Virgo |
| 759-05-13 | Saturn-Jupiter-Spica-(moon) | Virgo |
| 694-11-01 | Venus-Mars-Spica | Virgo |
| 317-10-15 | Venus-Saturn-Spica | Virgo |
| 87-07-10 | Mars-Jupiter-Moon | Gemini |
(A) Triad probably responsible for the lay-out of the Dowth, Newgrange, Knowth Masterplan.
(B) Triad probably related to the the cairns of Loughcrew. The autumnal equinox is around 20/21 september while I suggested for the
perihelion passage of Halley's Comet, based on the Bronneger dolmens, the date of 17 and 18 september 3324 BC.
(C) This apparition of Halley's Comet seems to have been observed at brightest near or on the wintersolstice of 3099 BC and seems to be related to the famous site of Newgrange.
(D) Triad almost certainly responsible for the Masterplan of the Giza pyramids (4th dynasty of Kings).
April 18 2647 BC is also related to the Chair/Throne of Saint Patrick in Boheh. Every year on April 18 the sun seems to roll off Croagh Patrick at sunset in the west. Take a look at this brilliant gif-animation based on a photograph of Martin Byrne.
(E) Triad responsible for the Masterplan of the Abusir pyramids (5th dynasty of Kings)
Notes:
(1) See: Celt, ¶42] The three dark places of Ireland: the cave of Knowth, the cave of Slaney, the cave of Ferns. The image of the fern (or bones of the salmon) can be found inside the 'cave' of Newgrange. The cave near the river Slaney might than be the 'cave' of Dowth.
(2) A most interesting article on several metaphors of a Comet, and the possible phonetic relation, between King and Keng can be observed in this article on Chinese comets.
(3) See: Brady, Joseph. L. Halley's Comet AD 1986 to 2647 BC. 1982. This scientific paper published by the British Astronomical Association can be used to prove the existance and relation between celestial Triads and Halley's Comet. The oldest date, being april 18 2647 BC, offers an unique Triad of Regulus, Saturn and Jupiter. This Triad forms, without doubt, the blueprint for the famous fourth dynastie of Kings in Egypt: the famous Giza pyramids of Chafre (Jupiter in the Triad), Khufu (Saturn in the Triad) and Menkaure (Regulus in the Triad). This celestial event, the coming of the comet ('King') and the remarkable Triad mark one of the greatest moments in the History of Humankind. The Triad could be watched at Sunset almost in the Zenith.
(4) Using Starry Night Pro and the publication of Joseph L. Brady (see (2)) I found out that ancient skywatchers were able to predict the next apparition of Halley's Comet within the timeframe of one year by using (for instance) the planet Jupiter. On every third perihelion passage of Halleys Comet, this slow moving planet, with an orbit around the sun of 11.86 years, could be found in the constellation of Leo (often near Regulus)
(5) See: Silverman, Helaine , "Cahuachi in the Ancient Nasca World", University of Iowa Press, 1993 p. 305.
(6) See: Lehmann, Johannes , "The Hittites: People of a Thousand Gods", The Viking Press, (NY, NY 1977). He seems to have been the first one who considered the 'Bull of Heaven' and 'Snake of Heaven' being metaphors for a Comet although he didn't suggest they seem to have been metaphors for Halley's Comet.
