This gas giant is known for its huge ring system. It is named after the Roman god of time, wealth, agriculture, and freedom. Due to Greek syncretism, this god also came to be the father of Jupiter and the husband of Ops, but his role is quite different from his Greek counterpart Cronus. He was the patron of the Saturnalia, a festival of feasting, revelry, and liberation. His original wife was Lua.
The classical symbol of this planet is a downward-facing sickle, an icon of Saturn's role as the god of agriculture. It is also the alchemical symbol for lead, so inspired because lead is the heaviest classical element and Saturn is the slowest classical planet. This symbol is considered to be composed of two sub-parts: the Saturnian cross to the upper left, and the crook of the scythe. It is represented in Unicode as U+2644, by the symbol ♄.
As of July 2018, there are 62 known moons of Saturn, not counting the very many small bodies that constitute its rings, 53 of which are named. Most of Saturn's moons are named after Titans from Greek mythology, but some are named after other figures from Greek myth, or giants from other mythologies. Each of the symbols of these moons will have a Saturnian cross, a cross usually placed in the upper left, to distinguish and unify them as satellites of Saturn. The 53 named moons are presented here in increasing order of orbital radius:
Name |
Description of referent |
Description of symbol |
Symbol |
Pan |
As 4450 Pan, Greek god of wilderness and shepherds. |
A pan flute, as 3360 Syrinx, with Saturnian cross. |
|
Daphnis |
Son of Hermes, beloved of Pan, who taught him to play the pan flutes. |
Head of Hermes, Saturnian cross. |
|
Atlas |
One of the twelve Titans in Greek myth, condemned to bear the weight of the celestial heavens after the titanomachy. |
Circle with solar dot, halfcircle below, Saturnian cross. |
|
Prometheus |
As 1809 Prometheus, a Titan son of Iapetus who created humanity and stole fire from the gods. |
An eagle (Aquilae), as the one that ate his liver constantly as punishment, with Saturnian cross. |
|
Pandora |
As 55 Pandora, the first woman in Greek myth, and the indirect cause of evil in the world. |
A pithos (jar), with lid tilted up from right corner, with Saturnian cross. |
|
Epimetheus |
As 1810 Epimetheus, Titan from Greek myth, dull brother of Prometheus. |
|
|
Janus |
Roman god of beginnings, endings, transitions, and duality. He has no Greek counterpart. |
Depiction of the two-faced head, Saturnian cross. |
|
Aegaeon |
Also named Briareus, one of the Hecatoncheires that helped overthrow the Titans. |
A large 8-pointed starburst with a short downward arrow, Saturnian cross. |
|
Mimas |
A giant from Greek mythology, offspring of Gaia and Uranus, killed by the Olympian gods. |
Large Greek capital letter Mu, Saturnian cross. |
|
Methone |
One of the Alkyonides from Greek myth. |
Greek capital letter Mu with kingfisher wings and Saturnian cross. |
|
Anthe |
One of the Alkyonides from Greek myth. |
Greek capital letter Alpha with kingfisher wings and Saturnian cross. |
|
Pallene |
One of the Alkyonides from Greek myth. |
Greek capital letter Pi with kingfisher wings and Saturnian cross. |
|
Enceladus |
One of the giant offspring of Gaia and Uranus from Greek myth, slain by Athena, buried under Mount Etna. |
Simple mountain with Saturnian cross. |
|
Tethys |
A Titan from Greek myth, daughter of Gaia and Uranus, sister-wife of Oceanus. |
A vertical wave representing both a river and a snake, broad horns with a Saturnian cross on the left one. |
|
Telesto |
One of the 3000 Oceanids of Greek myth. She personified success and liked to wear yellow dresses. Honestly, what a role model. |
As Venus, but turned clockwise 90 degrees, and with the Oceanus symbol (wave crossing the circle's bottom.) |
|
Calypso |
As 53 Kalypso, a nymph or nereid from Greek myth who detained Odysseus on Ogygia |
A veil with a Saturnian cross |
|
Dione |
As 106 Dione, in some sources a Titan and mother of Aphrodite. |
As Venus, but turned clockwise 90 degrees. |
|
Helene |
As 101 Helena, |
Apple symbol with Saturnian cross. |
|
Polydeuces |
Another name for Pollux, the divine twin of the mortal Castor, the children of Leda who became Gemini. |
Left half of Gemini, with Saturnian cross. |
|
Rhea |
As 577 Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the Olympian gods of Greek myth. |
Like the symbol for Rhea, an up-crescent in a circle, but with a Saturnian instead of Jovian cross. |
|
Titan |
The general name of all of the original children of Gaia and Uranus, predecessors of the Olympian gods in Greek myth. |
Saturn, but with a small circle in the crook. |
|
Hyperion |
"The high one," one of the original twelve Titans in Greek myth. Fathered Helios, Selene, and Eos with Theia. |
Half-circle with solar dot and Saturnian cross. Meant to convey a downward-looking eye a connection to the Sun. |
|
Iapetus |
"The piercer," one of the original twelve Titans in Greek myth. Husband of Asia or the Oceanid Clymene, father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. |
|
|
Kiviuq |
Wandering hero in Inuit myth. |
Vertical kayak, with Saturnian cross at the top, and a wave crossing it, representing all the natural and supernatural forces that trouble him on his journeys. |
|
Ijiraq |
The caribous-man shape shifter monsters from Inuit myth. |
Circle representing human head, caribou horns, Saturnian cross on upper left horn. |
|
Phoebe |
"Shining," one of the original twelve Titans in Greek myth. Mother of Leto and Asteria with Coeus, grandmother of Apollo and Artemis. |
Sort of a cross of Leto and Asteria's symbols: a comet glyph with small composed sun and moon in the circle, Saturnian cross. |
|
Paaliaq |
A fictional Inuit shaman in Michael Kusugak's "The Curse of the Shaman." |
A right-facing squirrel, with a Saturnian cross on the tail. |
|
Skathi |
Skaði, a jötunn from Norse myth. Goddess of winter, hunting, and skiing. Her main stories concerns her demand for justice from her father's death by Loki. |
Mountain with crossed skis within it, Saturnian cross. |
|
Albiorix |
A giant from Gaulish myth whose name is known from an inscription near Sablet, France. Identified with Mars. |
As Mars, but reversed, and with a Saturnian cross instead of arrow head. |
|
Bebhionn |
Bébinn or Bébhinn, a goddess of birth from Irish mythology. |
|
|
Skoll |
A giant wolf from Norse myth that chases the horses that drive the chariot that carry the Sun. Twin of Hati. |
A wolf head with Saturnian cross over small Sun. |
|
Erriapus |
A giant in Gaulish myth. |
A capital E with Saturnian cross. |
|
Tarqeq |
Tarqeq or Tarqiup Inua, god of the moon, hunter, fertility, and animals in Inuit myth. |
Left-facing crescent moon, Saturnian cross, left arrow. |
|
Siarnaq |
A giant from Inuit myth, supposedly a goddess of animals, perhaps another name for Sedna [1]. |
As the Symbol for Sedna, but the upper left is just a Saturnian cross. |
siarnaq |
Tarvos |
A bull god from Gaulish myth, sometimes depicted as carrying three cranes on his back |
As Taurus, with three marks on top and Saturnian cross on left horn. |
|
Hyrrokkin |
"Fire smoked," a giantess from Norse myth who was enlisted to push the funeral vessel of Baldr and Nanna because she was the only one strong enough. |
Her steed: a wolf with serpent reins, Saturnian cross on left ear. |
|
Greip |
Giantess in Norse myth, sister of Gjalp and daughter of Geirrothr, who tried to kill Thor until he killed them. |
Inverted Thor hammer, with handle as the bottom part of Gemini (denoting her status as twin of Geirrothr), and Saturnian cross. |
|
Mundilfari |
God from Norse myth, father of Sól, the sun goddess, and Máni, the moon goddess. |
Composed sun and moon symbols, Saturnian cross. |
|
Suttungr |
A jotunn from Norse myth, who once possessed the magical mead of poetry. He sequestered it in a mountain and made his daughter watch over it. |
Jug shape under a mountain, Saturnian cross. |
|
Jarnsaxa |
A jotunn from Norse myth, said to be the bride of Thor. |
Thor's hammer, but rotated clockwise 90 degrees, with a cross that is both Saturnian and female. |
|
Narvi |
Narfi/Nörfi/Nörr, jotunn from Norse myth, father of Nott, goddess of night. |
|
|
Bergelmir |
The progenitor of the frost giants or jötunn from Norse myth. Escaped the death of Ymir in a debatedly Noah-like way. |
A figure on a boat over a wave, Saturnian cross. |
|
Hati |
A giant wolf from Norse myth that chases the horses that drive the chariot that carry the Moon. Twin of Skoll. |
A wolf head with Saturnian cross over small Moon. |
|
Farbauti |
A jotunn from Norse myth, a giant associated with storms and lightning, father of Loki. There's sort of a metaphor here about lightning causing a wildfire. |
|
|
Thrymr |
King of the jotunns of Norse myth. Once stole Thor's hammer Mjolnir. |
Inverted Thor hammer, X over the bottom of the handle. |
|
Bestla |
Giant from Norse myth, mother of Odin, Vili, and Ve by Borr. |
|
|
Aegir |
Ægir, as the exoplanet AEgir, is a jotunn from Norse myth and the god of calm seas. |
Same symbol, a jug containing a water wave, with a Saturnian cross. |
|
Fenrir |
Or Fenris, or Fenrisulfr, a monstrous wolf who is prophesied to kill Odin at the end of the world. |
A wolf head with Saturnian cross over small Earth. |
|
Kari |
A giant from Norse myth, personification of the wind. |
A counter-clockwise spiral, with a Saturnian cross in the upper left. |
|
Loge |
A giant from Norse myth, god and personification of wildfire. Not to be confused with Loki. |
Large triangle representing fire, Saturnian cross. |
|
Ymir |
A primordial giant from Norse myth, ancestor of all the jotunns, whose body became the universe. |
A depiction of Ymir's birth: a teardrop of poison coming from a river/snake, Saturnian cross. |
|
Surtur |
A jotunn from Norse myth. Guardian of the fiery realm of Muspell, wielder of a bright sword |
A flaming sword: sword glyph with an upright triangle piercing it; Saturnian cross at top point. |
|
Fornjot |
An ancient giant-king from Norse myth, father of Logi, Ægir, and Kari. |
Pentimal numeral 3, with Saturnian cross. |
|
Additionally, Saturn has two ghost moons - moons that were claimed to have been discovered, but never verified by a second observer. They are included here, just in case they are re-observed or their names are re-used.Here are some other titans and giants from myth that could be used as potential names for other moons of Saturn:
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