Many a night I saw the Pleiads, rising thro’ the mellow shade, Glitter like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid. — Alfred Lord Tennyson

Sparkling in the sky above Orion the Hunter, in the shoulder of Taurus the Bull, is a group of stars known in Western lore as the Pleiades. To the naked eye, it looks at first like a mote of dust that fits easily on a thumbnail.

A closer look with a sharp eye and the group resolves into six bright stars and one dimmer one that is visible only to the keenest eyes. These are the Seven Sisters of popular lore. Known as Open Cluster M45 to astronomers, they have been associated with myths and legends by cultures around the globe throughout and before history.

The Pleiades are some of the first stars recorded, appearing as early as 2357 B.C. in Chinese astronomical literature. There, girls worshiped them as ideals by the name of the Seven Sisters of Industry.

The ancient Egyptians recognized M45 as a goddess, Hathor, who took the form of a cow that carried the seeds of life.

In Greek mythology, the origin of the popular name, they are the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, after whom the stars are named.

In Japanese, they are Subaru, as exemplified by the logo on that brand’s cars. In Sanskrit, the group is Krittikas. Some of the Aborigines know it as Makara.

The Aztec knew it as Tianquiztli, meaning “gathering place.” On midnight every 52 years, it appeared directly overhead at midnight to assure its followers that the world would not come to an end.

In myth, the Pleiades are connected to the Devil’s Tower, in Wyoming. This vertically striated volcanic neck was formed, according to the Kiowa Indians, when a Godzilla-size bear chased seven maidens who knelt in fear and called to the gods.

In response, the ground rose up, and the bear tried in vain to follow but left scratch marks on the Tower. To protect the maidens from further peril the gods allowed them to live permanently in the sky.

Many cultures view the Pleiades as the beginning of the yearly cycle. To many, such as the Druids, whose calendar had only two seasons, the Pleiades marked the beginning of the dark season and the new year.

To Hawaiians, the M45 cluster is Na Huihui o Makalii. The two-season calendar begins when Na Huihui o Makalii rises at sunset. Makalii is the ultimate origin of the Hawaiian people, and its appearance in the sky marks the beginning of the wet and dark winter season and the festive Makahiki holiday, the biggest of the year.

Just about every culture with astronomy has given some significance to the autumn appearance of our Pleiades-M45 cluster, however it is named in the local language.

Richard Brill is a professor of science at Honolulu Community College. His column runs on the first and third Friday of the month. Email questions and comments to brill@hawaii.edu.