The Arabs and the Stars: Texts and Traditions on the Fixed Stars and Their Influence in Medieval Europe (Variorum Collected Studies)

The influence of Arabic-Islamic science on European astronomy is still evident in the number of terms and star names which derive from the Arabic. These articles examine what the Arabs - and other peoples of the Islamic world - knew about the fixed stars and the constellations, and the astrological traditions they associated with them. Professor Kunitzsch shows how the early folk astronomy of the Arabs was radically altered, without being swept away, by the discovery of ancient Greek, also Indian and Persian, sources; by far the most important of these was the Almagest of Ptolemy. This knowledge was then transmitted to medieval Europe, to Byzantium and, especially, to Spain, as the articles go on to describe, and was a vital factor in stimulating the development of scientific thought in the West. Cover 1 Half Title 3 Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 11 Preface 13 I: Star Catalogues and Star Tables in Mediaeval Oriental and European Astronomy 19 II: Das Fixsternverzeichnis in der "Persischen Syntaxis" des Georgios Chrysokokkes 30 III: Die arabische Herkunft von zwei Sternverzeichnissen in cod. Vat. gr. 1056 61 IV: Two Star Tables from Muslim Spain 68 V: New Light on al-Battani's Zij 78 VI: On the Mediaeval Arabic Knowledge of the Star Alpha Eridani 83 VII: Observations on the Arabic Reception of the Astrolabe 89 VIII: Remarks Regarding the Terminology of the Astrolabe 99 IX: Al-Khwarizmi as a Source for the Sententie astrotabii 105 X: On the Authenticity of the Treatise on the Composition and Use of the Astrolabe Ascribed to Messahalla 116 XI: The Astronomer Abu 'I-Husayn al-Sufi and his Book on the Constellations 138 XII: Zum "liber hermetis de stellis beibeniis" 164 XIII: Neues zum "liber hermetis de stellis beibeniis" 178 XIV: Stelle beibenie — al-kawakib al-biyabaniya. Ein Nachtrag 183 XV: Die "Unwettersterne" und die "Geomantie" des Zanati 189 XVI: Zur Tradition der "Unwettersterne" 198 XVII: Abu Ma'šar, Johannes Hispalensis und Alkameluz 209 XVIII: al-Kutb, as an Astronomical Term 232 XIX: al-Madjarra 235 XX: al-Manazil 240 XXI: John of London and his Unknown Arabic Source 247 XXII: The Star Catalogue Commonly Appended to the Alfonsine Tables 255 XXIII: Peter Apian and 'Azophi: Arabic Constellations in Renaissance Astronomy 265 XXIV: A Note on Star Names, Especially Arabic, and their Literature 274 XXV: Zur Namengebung Kairos (al-Qahir = Mars?) 277 XXVI: Der Sternhimmel in den "Dichterischen Vergleichen der Andalus-Araber" 294 XXVII: Zeus in Bagdad. Zu einem Gedicht von Abu Nuwas 309 XXVIII: The 'Description of the Night' in Gurgami's Vis u Ramin 325 XXIX: Annotated Index of Nautical Star Names 343 Indexes 347 i. General Index 347 ii. List of Star Tables 351 Star Catalogues And Star Tables In Mediæval Oriental And European Astronomy -- Das Fixsternverzeichnis In Der Persischen Syntaxis Des Georgios Chrysokokkes -- Die Arabische Herkunft Von Zwei Sternverzeichnissen In Cod. Vat. Gr.1056 -- Two Star Tables From Muslim Spain -- New Light On Al-battānī's Zīj -- On The Mediæval Arabic Knowledge Of The Star Alpha Eridani -- Observations On The Arabic Reception Of The Astrolabe -- Remarks Regarding The Terminology Of The Astrolabe -- Al-khwārizmī As A Source For The Sententie Astrolabii -- On The Authenticity Of The Treatise On The Composition And Use Of The Astrolabe Ascribed To Messahalla -- The Astronomer Abu ʼl-Ḥusayn Al-Ṣūfī And His Book On The Constellations -- Zum Liber Hermetis De Stellis Beibeniis -- Stelle Beibenie--al-kawākib Al-biyābānīya. Ein Nachtrag -- Die Unterwetterstern Und Die Geomantie Des Zanātī -- Zur Tradition Der Unterwettersterne -- Abū Maʻsār, Johannes Hispalensis Und Alkameluz -- Al-Ḳuṭb, As An Astronomical Term -- Al-madjarra -- Al-manāzil -- John Of London And His Unknown Arabic Source -- The Star Catalogue Commonly Appended To The Alfonsine Tables -- Peter Apian And 'azophi' : Arabic Constellations In Renaissance Astronomy -- A Note On Star Names, Especially Arabic, And Their Literature -- Zur Namengebung Kairos (al-qāhir = Mars?) -- Der Sternhimmel In Den Dichterischen Vergleichen Der Andalus-araber -- Zeus In Bagdad. Zu Einem Gedicht Von Abū Nuwās -- The Description Of The Night In Gurgānī's Vīs U Rāmīn -- Annotated Index Of Nautical Star Names. Paul Kunitzsch. Chiefly Reprints Of Articles Published Between 1964 And 1987. English And German. Includes Bibliographical References.