The Stars
Heaven’s lanterns and the Straw Thief’s Way
The stars are the lanterns of the sky, hanging like rope-free torches high within the vast celestial temple built without pillars or beams, shedding light without a single drop of oil. Stars can be benevolent or malevolent. Every person is born under a specific star; the star that shines over a man at his birth governs his destiny. If his star is benevolent, he is blessed with good fortune; if it is malevolent, he is doomed to misery.
The Milky Way galaxy is also known as the Straw Thief's Way. During a harsh winter, Vahagn, the ancestor of the Armenians, stole straw from Barsham, the ancestor of the Assyrians, and the Milky Way is the trail left by that stolen straw.
Long ago, the god of a foreign tribe sent his laborers to steal straw from the threshing floor of our land's god. The angels of our god struck the thieves down with bows and arrows, scattering the straw across the face of the heavens, where it remains to this day.
As spring began, a poor woman ran out of fodder, leaving her livestock starving. She searched everywhere, but no one would give her any. Desperate, she went to her godfather's barn and filled the hem of her dress with chaff. On her way back, a gust of wind struck, scattering the chaff from her hem onto the ground. God witnessed this shameful act and displayed the mark of this theft across the heavens, so that the entire world might see the godmother's deceit.
The godmother was terribly poor and was repeatedly forced to steal straw in her apron from her godfather's barn. One day, when the godfather caught her in the act, she ascended into the sky out of pure shame, spilling the straw behind her. To this day, the trail of scattered straw remains visible in the sky, and it is also known as the Godmother's Journey.
A camel driver owned forty-five camels. When his straw ran out, he went to his neighbors and bought enough for fifteen camels, borrowing the rest for the remaining thirty. The next time his supplies emptied, he felt too embarrassed to borrow again, so he resorted to theft. At that very moment, a violent wind rose and scattered all the straw across the sky, where it remains visible to this day.
The young bride of a certain house was a werewolf. One day, a guest arrived at their home. While washing the guest's feet, the bride noticed how tender they were, and her monstrous appetite was whetted. When everyone fell asleep, she crept in to devour the guest. Sensing the danger, the guest instantly drew a dagger and struck her in the breast. Milk spurted from her breast straight into the sky, leaving a permanent trail across the heavens. This is why the Straw Thief's Way is also known as the Milky Way.
The Milky Way is the very place where the heavens once tore open, unleashing the Deluge upon the earth.
The stars of the constellation Libra are the children of the patriarch Hayk—three boys and three girls—who are also called the Haykids (Khekher).
The constellation Ursa Major is also known as the Seven Godmothers' Stars. Once, there were seven godmothers who shared a single godfather. Each godmother assumed that another would look after the godfather's needs. Left entirely uncared for, the godfather died of hunger. Angered by the godmothers, God transformed them into seven stars.