Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-12

What the Pythagoreans suid-An Olt
Legend-Some Popular Traditions-An
other Glass of Names.
Like the rainbow, that beautiful occasiona
visitor in the heavens, the Milky Way hn,
been the subject of many strange beliefs. II
is, perhaps, the most prominent constant ap
pearance IN the armament, and could moi
fail to give rise to much conjecture as to its
origin, its composition and its raison d'etre
Its name among the earlier nations OF
Europe indicates the popular belief in its
fabulous origin, and has descended to many
modern languages. 1t was called by the
Greeks "Milk,n - Heavenly Milk,n Galaxy
tmillSy) and "Milk Circle" the two last
named appellations being applied TO it by the
Romans. 1t was also called "Milky River
in Latin, and "Milky 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 Westphalian
dialects the bright band was called "Milll
Street." in North Germany, "AIilk Ray and
| "Nlilk PATH while the name "Road as
| White as Milk in Heaven" was given to it in
| Poland, An old Scotch name, the "Mlk-
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
| that souls dwelt therein, and that by this
road they descended to men in dreams
| Manichelns believed that pure souls only
abode in the bright path, and by it ascended
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 might Rainbow
Many modern names recall these ancient be-
liefs 1t is the Heavenly Path" in West
phalia, and Magyars call it the sway of
Heaven" also. Bassouto Africans name it
the path of the Gods, and an Iroquois ap-
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 name 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" 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 a way to earth, but
no one sees them. Lafitau says many Ameri-
can tribes call it the "Way of Souls.n Waltz
tells us that the Oils of Africa name it the
sway of Souls, and say that by it the good
will ascend to heaven. Patagonians say the
stars are the souls of old Indians, and tho
galaxy a road by which they chase ostIiches.
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,n
while in Germany, it goes under the various
names of Frankfort Road, ""Cologne Road"
"Nerenberg Road" and Road to AK la
Chapellen A common Turkish name for the
bright track is the "Pilgrim's Road" Ito
Norf6 t;err1naTiy IL md IND WIS the W inter Road
in ancient Norse while Magyar peasants
name it the "Tsigane's Way" A second
Turkish name is the "Road of the Trembling
Wanderers" )" and Welsh tradition gives it the
appeIlation of the ''Road Of the Prodigal
Son" In Swabian and Magyar folk nomen-
claturc, the broad way is the Army Road"
Sc ouetimes popular tradition connects the
gaIa,y with animals, instead of men or gods.
Thus it becomes the Cow path" and the
Wgame 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 across the heavens with the
flight of birds 1t is called Birds Path" in
Wendic, Lithuanian, Esthonian 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 charac-
terizes the broad shining tract as a river,
flowing through the celestial regions. The
great Humboldt recorded the fact that the
Arabs so designated it, and named the con-
stellation Sagtarius, "the animal that is
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." An old Greek poem of the Fiji
teenth century aludes to it by the same
name Siberian Koriaks called it the Broad
River" and its name among the Gingis, an
Australian tribe, is "Worambul," signifying
a great river flowing by rich Eden full of
fruits, where it is believed the souls Of the
good go after death. Another Australian
tribe calls it "Paracostu," and say it is a
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" and 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