ORION THE MYTH

 

 

Some stories have the scorpion killing Orion with its sting. However the general consensus is that he engaged the scorpion in battle but quickly realised its armour was impervious to any mortal's attack. Orion then jumped into the sea and swam toward Delos. But Apollo had witnessed Orion's struggle with the scorpion and would not let him escape so easily. He challenged his sister Artemis, who was an excellent shot, if she could hit that small black object far away in the sea, the head -- he told her -- of an infamous and treacherous villan. Artemis struck the object with her first shot. She then swam out to retrieve her victim's corpse, and discovered she had killed Orion. Artemis implored the gods to restore his life, but Zeus objected. So she put Orion's image in the heavens.
In his eternal hunting, Orion is careful to keep well ahead of the scorpion. In fact Orion has disappeared over the horizon by the time Scorpio rises in the east, as it becomes his turn to rule the evening sky.

 

 

Another story is goes like this:

 

 

Orion was the son of Neptune. He was a handsome giant and a
mighty hunter. His father gave him the power of wading through
the depths of the sea, or as others say, of walking on its
surface.

 

 

Orion loved Merope, the daughter of Oenopion, king of Chios, and
sought her in marriage. He cleared the island of wild beasts,
and brought the spoils of the chase as presents to his beloved;
but as Oenopion constantly deferred his consent, Orion attempted
to gain possession of the maiden by violence. Her father,
incensed at this conduct, having made Orion drunk, deprived him
of his sight, and cast him out on the sea shore. The blinded
hero followed the sound of the Cyclops' hammer till he reached
Lemnos, and came to the forge of Vulcan, who, taking pity on him,
gave him Kedalion, one of his men, to be his guide to the abode
of the sun. Placing Kedalion on his shoulders, Orion proceeded
to the east, and there meeting the sun-god, was restored to sight
by his beam.

 

(Thanks to https://www.dibonsmith.com/ori_con.htm)