Chris Peterson wrote:bystander wrote:Beyond wrote:
Well how the heck come they're called the 7-sisters, then
Because that's what the
Pleiades are,
the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione.
No, I don't think that's really it. Other cultures, having no connection with Greek mythology, have also seen this as a constellation of seven stars. I think it's more related to the fact that seven is seen as a "special" number, with mystical properties (which is probably the root of the count of sisters in the Greek myth, as well).
- [list]King Lear Act I, scene V
Fool: The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason.
KING LEAR: Because they are not eight?
Fool: Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool.[/color][/size][/list]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_in_folklore_and_literature wrote:
<<A Cheyenne myth "The Girl Who Married a Dog", states that the group of seven stars known as the Pleiades originated from seven puppies which a Cheyenne chief's daughter gave birth to after mysteriously being visited by a dog in human form to whom she vowed "Wherever you go, I go". The Lakota Tribe of North America had a legend that linked the origin of the Pleiades to
Devils Tower. According to the Seris (of northwestern Mexico), these stars are seven women who are giving birth.
In a legend told by the Wurundjeri people of south-eastern Australia, the Pleiades were represented by the seven Karatgurk sisters. These women were the first to possess the secret of fire and each one carried live coals on the end of her digging stick. Although they refused to share these coals with anybody, they were ultimately tricked into giving up their secret by Crow, who subsequently brought fire to mankind. After this, the Karatgurk sisters were swept into the night sky. Their glowing fire sticks became the bright stars of the Pleiades cluster.
Another version depicts the story of seven Napaltjarri sisters being chased by a man named Jilbi Tjakamarra. He tried to practice love magic to one of the sisters but the sister did not want to be with him and with her sisters, they ran away from him. They sat down at
Uluru to search for honey ants but when they saw Jilbi, they went to Kurlunyalimpa and with the spirits of Uluru, transformed into stars. Jilbi transforms himself into what is commonly known as the Morning Star in Orion's belt, thus continuing to chase the seven sisters across the sky.
In Thailand, the Pleiades are known as the "Chicken Family Stars," and there are folk tales about them: The elderly couple who lived amidst a forest in Thailand raised a family of chickens: a mother hen and her six children. One day a monk arrived at the elderly couple's home during his Dhutanga journey. Afraid that they have no decent meals to offer him, the elderly couple contemplated cooking the mother hen. Overheard the conversation, the mother hen rushed back to the coop to say farewell to her children. She asked them to take care of themselves before leaving to repay the kindness of the elderly couple. As the mother hen was being killed, her six children threw themselves into fire to die alongside with their mother. Deity, impressed by and in remembrance of their love, immortalized the seven chickens as the stars.
In Theosophy, it is believed the Seven Stars of the Pleiades focus the spiritual energy of the Seven Rays from the Galactic Logos to the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, then to Sirius, then to the Sun, then to the god of Earth (Sanat Kumara) and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to us.
In Ufology some believers describe
Nordic alien extraterrestrials (called Pleiadeans) as originating from this system.>>
[float=right][img3="[b][color=#0000FF][size=150]Atlas & Pleione [u]and[/u] the '7' sisters[/size][/color][/b]"]http://www.atam.org/pleiades.jpg[/img3][/float][quote="Chris Peterson"][quote="bystander"][quote="Beyond"]
Well how the heck come they're called the 7-sisters, then :?:[/quote]
Because that's what the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_%28Greek_mythology%29][b]Pleiades[/b][/url] are,
the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione.[/quote]
No, I don't think that's really it. Other cultures, having no connection with Greek mythology, have also seen this as a constellation of seven stars. I think it's more related to the fact that seven is seen as a "special" number, with mystical properties (which is probably the root of the count of sisters in the Greek myth, as well).[/quote]
[list][size=115][color=#0000FF][list]King Lear Act I, scene V[/list]
Fool: The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason.
KING LEAR: Because they are not eight?
Fool: Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool.[/color][/size][/list]
[quote=" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_in_folklore_and_literature"]
<<A Cheyenne myth "The Girl Who Married a Dog", states that the group of seven stars known as the Pleiades originated from seven puppies which a Cheyenne chief's daughter gave birth to after mysteriously being visited by a dog in human form to whom she vowed "Wherever you go, I go". The Lakota Tribe of North America had a legend that linked the origin of the Pleiades to [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090729.html]Devils Tower[/url]. According to the Seris (of northwestern Mexico), these stars are seven women who are giving birth.
In a legend told by the Wurundjeri people of south-eastern Australia, the Pleiades were represented by the seven Karatgurk sisters. These women were the first to possess the secret of fire and each one carried live coals on the end of her digging stick. Although they refused to share these coals with anybody, they were ultimately tricked into giving up their secret by Crow, who subsequently brought fire to mankind. After this, the Karatgurk sisters were swept into the night sky. Their glowing fire sticks became the bright stars of the Pleiades cluster.
Another version depicts the story of seven Napaltjarri sisters being chased by a man named Jilbi Tjakamarra. He tried to practice love magic to one of the sisters but the sister did not want to be with him and with her sisters, they ran away from him. They sat down at [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap021030.html]Uluru[/url] to search for honey ants but when they saw Jilbi, they went to Kurlunyalimpa and with the spirits of Uluru, transformed into stars. Jilbi transforms himself into what is commonly known as the Morning Star in Orion's belt, thus continuing to chase the seven sisters across the sky.
In Thailand, the Pleiades are known as the "Chicken Family Stars," and there are folk tales about them: The elderly couple who lived amidst a forest in Thailand raised a family of chickens: a mother hen and her six children. One day a monk arrived at the elderly couple's home during his Dhutanga journey. Afraid that they have no decent meals to offer him, the elderly couple contemplated cooking the mother hen. Overheard the conversation, the mother hen rushed back to the coop to say farewell to her children. She asked them to take care of themselves before leaving to repay the kindness of the elderly couple. As the mother hen was being killed, her six children threw themselves into fire to die alongside with their mother. Deity, impressed by and in remembrance of their love, immortalized the seven chickens as the stars.
In Theosophy, it is believed the Seven Stars of the Pleiades focus the spiritual energy of the Seven Rays from the Galactic Logos to the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, then to Sirius, then to the Sun, then to the god of Earth (Sanat Kumara) and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to us.
In Ufology some believers describe [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking]Nordic alien extraterrestrials[/url] (called Pleiadeans) as originating from this system.>>[/quote]