Wichita eagle., 1888-05-31

its Name Among the Earlier Nations.
What the Pythagoreans said-An Old
Legend-Some Popular Traditions-An-
other Glass of Names.
Like the rainbow, that beautiful occasional
visitor in the heavens, the Milky Way has
been the subject of many strange beliefs 1t
Is, perhaps, the most prominent constant APP
pearance in the armament, and could not
fail to give rise to much conjecture as to its
origin, its composition and its raison detre.
Its name among the earlier nations Of
Europe indicates the popular belief in its
fabulous origin, and has descended to many
modern languages. It was called by the
Greeks "Milk, /" Heavenly Milk" Galaxy"
milky and 'Milk Circle" the two last
named appellations being applied to it by the
Romans 1t was also called "Milky River"
in Latin, and 'sMilky Way" The latter
name is its ordinary one in Italian, French,
German, Dutch, Gaelic, Welsh, Flemish,
Magyar, Romance, Arab and Amharic. 1t
is called Galaxy" in English, Italian and
Westphalian, and this was its name in France
in the Eighteenth century, and in the Lower
Latin empire.
In middle age German and Westphaliap
Street." in North Germany, "Milk Ray" and
'Milk Path" while the name "Road Is
White as Milk in Heaven" was given to it in
Poland An old Scotch name, the milk
maids Path" would seem to have its origin
in some other legend.
The path thus formed across the heavens
became, in Greek belief, the celestial road
Travelled by the gods. Pythagoreans said
hat hot hv
road they descended to men in dreams.
Maniche2ns believed that pure souls only
abode in the bright path, and by it assembled
and descended to and from the earth. Thus
the Milky Way, like the rainbow, was
bridge of souls by night, as the latter was by
day. Magyars call it "Night Rainbow"
Many modern names recall these ancient be-
liefs 1t is the Heavenly Path" in West
phalia, and Magyars call it the way Of
Heaven" also Bassouto Africans name it
the "Path of the Gods" and an Iroquois APP
pellation for the brilliant meteor was the
Continuous Road IN the Sky" Italian
legends indicate it as the path followed by
the Madonna in her assumption, and
Magyar meme for it is the 'Road of Jesus"
In Loango, Africa, it is the "Road to God"
and Swabian legend says it is the path
Of God,n by which he leads his armies and
governs the stars.
An old legend asserts that the galaxy is the
ladder by which Jacob saw the angels de-
scend and ascend in his dreams In Swabian
belief they still use it as way to earth, but
no one sees them Lafitau says many Ameri-
can tribes call it the way of Souls" Waltz
tells US that the OILS of Africa name it the
way of Souls" and say thst by it the good
VIII ascend to heaven. Patagonians say the
stars are the souls of old Indians, and tho
galaxy a road by which they chase ostriches.
1t is called the Road to Rome" in Par
mesan, in middle age German, and in Czech
In parts of England it is the London Road"
while in Germany, it goes under the various
names of Frankfort Road, Cologne Road
''Nierenberg Road" and "Road to Aix-la-
Chapelle" A common Turkish name for the
bright track is the Pilgrims Roadn Ito
Mecca) 1t is called the wagon Path" in
Eorth Germany, and was the Winter Road"
in ancient Morse, while Magyar peasants
name it the 'Tsigane's Way" second
Turkish name is the Road of the Trembling
Wanderers and Welsh tradition gives it the
appellation of the "Road of the Prodigal
Son." In Swabian and Magyar folk nornen-
clature, the broad way is the Army Road"
Sometimes popular tradition connects the
galaxy with animals, instead of men or gods.
Thus it becomes the "cow path" and the
'sgame path in north Germany, and the
''fox's trail" in partS of England. Siamese
legends, which connect many things with
their favorite animal, designate it as the
the "Road OF the White Elephant" Sim
ilarly in Polynesia it is the "Blue Shark"
and is thought to be nourished by the clouds.
Naturally these legends would connect the
shining track acro5s the heavens with the
fight of birds 1t is called Birds Path" in
Wendic, Lithuanian, Esthonan and Finnish.
Wendic legends go further still and assert |
that it guides the migratory birds in their |
flight from cline to cline.
Another class of traditional names charao- /
berries the broad shining tract as a river, |
Rowing through the celestial regions. The |
great Humboldt recorded the fact that the |
Arabs so designated it, and named the con-
stellation Sagitarius, ''the animal that ia |
going to water, part of that group of stars
lying across the Galaxy. Peasants in Cyprus
call it the Jordan River or the Shadow
Of Jordon.n An old Greek poem of the Fiji |
teenth century alludes to it by the same
name. Siberian koriaks called it the Broad |
River" and its name among the Gingis, an |
Australian tribe, is wv orambul," signifying |
a great river towing by rich Eden full of |
fruits, where il is believed the souls Of the
good 60 after death. Another Australian
tribe calls it "Paracostu, y. and say it is q
stream on whose banks the soul resorts after
death, to be washed white. Chinese call the
starry band the Celestial River" Annamese
the ''Silver River" ana its name in Scotch
Gaelic was the "White River of the Stars
The natives Of English Guiana call the
Milky Way the 'Sea. Globe Democrat.
NEVADA AND FREE WOOL