The constellation Virgo has various origins in different
mythologies. In most myths, Virgo is depicted as a virgin maiden associated with wheat. In
Greek and
Roman mythology, Virgo is related to
Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest and autumn, or her daughter
Persephone, queen of the
Underworld and goddess of spring. Another association is with the myth of Parthenos, which explains how the constellation Virgo came to be. According to this legend, Parthenos is the daughter of
Staphylus and
Chrysothemis, and sister to
Rhoeo and
Molpadia.
Apollo impregnated Rhoeo, and upon discovering her pregnancy, her father, assuming it was from an unknown suitor, locked her in a box and cast it into a river. Parthenos and Molpadia, fearing their father’s wrath, accidentally allowed a valuable bottle of wine to be broken by one of their swine. In terror, they fled and threw themselves off a nearby cliff. Apollo saved them, placing Molpadia in
Castabus, where she became the local goddess
Hemithea, and Parthenos in
Bubastis, where she was worshipped as a local goddess. Another version of the story posits that Parthenos was Apollo’s daughter, and the constellation commemorates her early death.
Zeus or
Dionysus placed them in the sky as constellations: Erigone as Virgo, Icarius as
Bootes, and Maera as
Canis Minor. In
Egyptian mythology, the Sun’s presence in Virgo marked the beginning of the wheat harvest, thus linking Virgo to the wheat grain. In
Christianity, the birth of
Jesus to a
virgin in
Bethlehem is symbolically connected to Virgo. The ancient Zodiac began with Virgo and ended with Leo. In
Hindu astrology, the comparable sign to Virgo is
Kanya, which also means "maiden." ==See also==