History of Astrology
What on Earth is A Capricorn?
And why is the fish-goat an Earth Sign?
So begins the season of our loyal, workaholic fish-goat.
(December 22 to about January 19)*
Capricorns are supposedly the level-headed, goal-driven G.O.A.T.S of the zodiac. While some might consider this sign cold-hearted, others expect them to make strategic decisions and deliver results.
“Capricorns are skilled at navigating both the material and emotional realms,” writes Aliza Kelly in Allure. “However, because of their unwavering focus, Capricorns can sometimes be perceived as cold, unemotional, or even cutthroat — but that’s only because Capricorn has perspective.”
I’ve always considered Capricorn among the more — ah, cooler zodiac signs because they’re known for getting sh*t done. But I’d also expect a half-fish, half-goat to be a bit more indecisive than most textbook Capricorns. And why is the fish-goat an earth sign?
What on earth is a Capricorn? Where does this motif come from? Does this constellation have anything to do with the Tropic of Capricorn? Or is it confined to the realms of astrology and tarot?
What else can we learn about Capricorns from mythology and geography?
Capricorn Mythologies
Babylonian mythology
Some of the first Capricorn imagery comes from Enki, the Sumerian primordial god of wisdom and water. This fish-goat lived in the tree of life that spread power all over the earth.¹ This might help explain why despite their initially fishy appearance, we call Capricorns earth signs.
Greek and Roman roots
Capricorn comes from the Latin Capricornus, which meant ‘goat-horned.’ Greek mythology offers a few tales of this mighty sea goat. We might get this zodiac from the horny nature god Pan who turned himself into a sort of goat-fish to flee the wrath of Typhon.
Or Capricorns could come from the goat nymph Amalthea, who nursed the young Zeus and was later immortalized in the stars as a celestial ‘Thank You’ card. Other versions of this story say that Zeus later broke off Amalthea’s horns, creating the first never-ending magic goblet or cornucopia.¹
During the First Century AD Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder popularized the idea that every animal on land had a counterpart in the ocean. We have Hippocampi or ‘sea horses,’ modern-day sea lions, and this adorable sea bunny. If what Pliny the Elder described as a ‘sea pig’ is now known a sea cucumber, we can only wonder what his ‘sea-goat’ might be.
Probably something slimy.
Scandinavian goats
We get even more goats in Norse mythology.
Thor’s chariot is pulled by immortal goats, Tanngnjóstr, or “teeth grinder” in Old Norse; and “teeth bearer,” or Tanngrisnir.
The Prose Edda, which is an old 13th-century Norse textbook, “A goat called Heiðrún stands up (on its hind-legs) in Valhalla biting the buds off the branches of that very famous tree which is called Lærað.” And from this goat’s milk apparently runs the most delicious liquor ever made.¹
Sometimes this “very famous tree” is also the Norse Tree of Life. But it’s important to note that this myth tying super-cosmic goats to world trees could have carried over from Babylonian to Norse tradition.
These goats have covered a lot of ground to get to where they are now. And they still inspire a similar type of seasonal traveler today.
Yule Goats
Capricorn time falls during the Yule/Christmas/Holiday season, and thus enters the Yule goat² — in all its festive and grim reiterations.
The goat of straw
While a homemade Yule goat ornament might be made of a clump of straw topped with a nice ribbon, the Swedish town of Gävle celebrates the period between the start of Advent and Winter Solstice with a 40-foot-high straw behemoth in the castle square.
Yet there’s a problem: pranksters almost always succeed in burning the giant Yule goat down every year. “The town has observed this tradition since 1966, with the goat being damaged 37 times as of December 2019,” says the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
In Scandanavia today, rabble-rousers might celebrate Yule by Julebukking or traveling door-to-door in the style of trick-or-treating, singing carols, and demanding treats. Along their route, the group might grow larger as members of each household join the shenanigans.
Sometimes, one of these carolers would dress as a sinister Yule goat. This leads us to the most fearsome horned Christmas figure of all…
Krampus
In Lienz, Austria young men dress up for the annual Krampuslauf. They “parade through the streets in an ancient pagan ritual meant to disperse winter’s ghosts.”³
In case you haven’t met him yet, Krampus is a sort of horned demon that comes from Central European tradition. He follows Saint Nicholas to children’s homes on December 5th and beats or kidnaps youngsters that fall on the ‘naughty’ list. Krampus myths come from Norse pagan beliefs, and he’s become a pop culture smash hit.
What on Earth does Krampus have to do with Capricorns?
If we turn to popular magic and the Tarot for a moment, we find that every zodiac sign has a corresponding card. Capricorn’s card is The Devil (Very spooooky.)
But this devil — unlike Krampus — doesn’t intend to eat you. Or at least not yet. The Devil in Tarot is a warning card. It asks the reader to check thyself before ye wreck thyself. Are you too wrapped up in money or time or ‘stuff’ that you lose sight of yourself?
And so whatever the hell this horned creature is (goat or otherwise) it’s best you consider whether you’ve been on your best behavior… and then get well out of their way.
All these myths and holiday goat lore helps us better understand the cultural context of Capricorn behaviors. If nothing else, these fish-goats are stubborn. But they also have a wild, bordering on sinister side.
Or maybe telling all these scary goat stories around the winter campfire is just a coincidence. Maybe our ancestors just really liked goats.
If Capricorns are the type to stick around, then stories about Capricorns linger just a little longer.
Steadfast Sea Goats
Capricorns have a reputation for loyalty. But the Tropic of Capricorn, named over 2000 years ago because the sun was in the constellation Capricorn during the December solstice, might be called the ‘Tropic of Sagittarius” if it were named today.
That’s because centuries later, the sun no longer sits in this constellation at the Winter solstice. It now sits in Saggitarius. Earth’s axis shifts ever so slightly over time, which means that Capricorn won’t be back in its prior position for another 24,000 years.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the best time of year to see this constellation is September. But sparse glimpses of Capricorn appear for most of the calendar year. Capricorn is a very faint constellation. It’s difficult to see in light-polluted areas. But here’s hoping this constellation isn’t as elusive as the wild fish-goats of legend.
Looking for a full list of Capricorn personality traits? I like this one.
And while we may not have covered all Capricorn’s hidden corners, rest assured that this festive fish-goat — even if it is traveling across the sky year by year — isn’t going anywhere fast.
Works Cited
[1] Amsterdam, E. “On the Constellation Origin of the Place Name Hindeloopen.” Mediterranean Archaeology & Archaeometry, vol. 16, no. 4, 2016, pp. 369–78, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.220959.
[2] While I did independent research for this discussion on Capricorns, this section was heavily inspired by the most recent episode of Cats, Tea, and Witchcraft. There were SO many goat honorable mentions in this episode. Go check it out!
[3] Billock, Jennifer. “The Origin of Krampus, Europe’s Evil Twist on Santa.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 4 Dec. 2015, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/krampus-could-come-you-holiday-season-180957438/.
*Astrology is fun to explore, but it is not a science and should not be taken literally. History of Astrology aims to explore zodiac signs and spread curiosity, not offer advice.
