Page:Star Lore Of All Ages, 1911.pdf/560

422 Euripides mentions these "seven paths," and Eratosthenes calls them "the seven-starred Pleiad," although he describes one as "all invisible."

The South Sea Islanders' myth concerning the Pleiades relates that these stars were once a single star which shone with such a clear lustre as to incur the envy of the god Tane, who was in league with the stars Aldebaran and Sirius and followed the Pleiades. Tane in his anger hurled Aldebaran at this bright star and broke it up into six parts, each of which became a star.

The blacks of Victoria, Australia, have a myth in which the Pleiades are considered a host of young wives. Another myth relates that these stars were once pretty maidens on the earth who were followed by some young men called "the Beriberi." To get away from them, the girls climbed into the tree-tops, and thence sprang into the heavens, where they were transformed into shining bodies. One maiden remained behind. She was called "the shy one," and is represented by the least bright star in the group. The Beriberi were eventually placed in the heavens where they appear in the girdle of Orion.

In the Solomon Islands the Pleiades were also called a company of maidens.

The Dyaks and the Malays of Borneo imagine the Pleiades to be six chickens followed by their mother, who remains always invisible. At one time there were seven chickens, but one of them paid a visit to the earth, and there received something to eat. This made the hen very angry and she threatened to destroy the chickens, and the people on the earth. Fortunately the latter were saved by Orion, the mighty hunter. At that period of the year when the Pleiades are invisible the Dyaks say that "the hen broods her chickens." When these stars are to be seen they say "the cuckoo calls."

The North American Indians call the Pleiades "the dancers," while the South American Indian name for the group is "the six stars." The cluster has also been likened