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How does this relate to the older word 'Canker' / 'Kanker' - is it the same thing? --Vitenka
(Google seems confused - looks like 'kanker' is a term that means, roughly, the same as 'icky' - and thus it could be an ulcer, an abcess - or yes - cancer. --Vitenka )
I found this in a [Take Our Word For It] backissue, but I'm not really sure if it answers the question. Cool site, though. -- JW
From Margaret Smith:
I am curious to know whether there is a meaningful relationship between the word cancer (as in the disease) and the astrological sign Cancer.
You have probably worked out already that cancer in Latin meant "crab". The disease was named by the ancient doctor Galen who thought that the swollen veins surrounding tumor resembled a crab’s limbs. The word was adopted in Old English as cancer and the Normans brought their version, cancre around 1100. The Romans pronounced their word canker and we spell it that way when we mean a disease of plants. The Norman French word survives as chancre "venereal ulcer".
The constellation takes its name from a very minor incident in the "Labors of Hercules". Due to a spell cast over him by the goddess Hera, Hercules slaughtered his own children. In atonement, the gods required him to spend twelve years in service to King Eurystheus of Mycenae who demanded that Hercules perform absurdly difficult tasks. One such task was to slay the Hydra, a multi-headed serpent-like monster. Hercules grappled with it and slashed at it with his sword, but as soon as he cut off one of its heads, two more grew back. Hercules was able to defeat the Hydra only with the help of his charioteer Iolaus who burned each stump with a flaming torch as the heads were cut off, preventing the heads from growing back. Eventually, Hercules managed to slaughter the monster but not without some interference from Hera.
Hera sent a crab scuttling out from the swamp to distract Hercules by nipping at his feet but it was no match for a semi-divine hero figure. Hercules crushed the crab beneath his heel and Hera rewarded its efforts by placing it among the stars, alongside the Hydra.
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Cancer