4. Sietynas (The Pleiades)

The Sietynas is an open cluster of stars in the constellation of Taurus and in the international astronomy is known under the name of the Pleiades. The name of the constellation Sietynas and the very cluster of the stars are well known in Lithuania. In different parts of Lithuania there are registered phonemic variants: Sietynas, Sietimas, Sietinis, Sietinys, Sityns, Sytynas, Sytinys, Sėtinys, Setynas, Sėtinas, Sėtinas, Sėtynas, Satynas 'Lustre'. A more archaic version of the name of the cluster is considered Sietas 'sieve' which is still in circulation and some very rare phonemic variants: Sietis, Sytas, Seitas, Sėtis 'sieve'. Often because of the tiny size it is being referred to by the diminutives: Sietynėlis, Sietinukas, Sietelis, Sietukas 'litl sieve'. Phonemic versions of the diminutive name also abound: Sietinėlis, Sitinėlis, Sėtynėlis, Sitelis, Sytelis, Sytukas. Apart from these names it is possible to recall derivations: Žvaigždžių sietas, Žvaizdžių sietas, Zwayzdzių sitas 'Sieve of Stars', Dangaus sietas 'heavenly sieve'.

Among Lithuanians living in Byelorussia and among Lithuanian ‘‘Tuteisi’‘ population /denationalized Lithuanians/ we find Slavonic versions of the name: Sietka, Sietkelė, Sietačka, Setka, Sitka, Sitko, Sitok, Sitkė, Sitočka, Sitački etc.

Occasionally it happens to come across unconventional, rare names for the Sietynas: Kašikutis 'wicker basket', Bičių spiečius 'Swarm of Bees', Sėjikai 'plovers' or 'Sowers'(?), Dvylikinė žvaigždė ’12 o’clock star', Vainykėlis 'Wreath’ arba Mergaičių vainykėlis ‘Girl’s wreath’.

The appearance of the Sietynas is often described as dense ‘‘krūvutė’‘ 'heap' of stars. Oftentimes the Sietynas is referred two as a ‘‘pundukas’‘ 'a bundle', ‘‘gumburiukas’‘ 'a lump', ‘‘kalniukas’‘, ‘‘kauburėlis’‘ 'a hillock', ‘‘gojukas’‘ 'a grove', ‘‘Kupečiukas’‘ 'a small stack', ‘‘kepaliukas’‘ 'a small loaf', ‘‘šluotelė’‘ 'a broom'. Some people state that the cluster is round, circle, other asserts that resembling a carriage. There exist separate comparisons to the chandeliers in the church or even a cottage.

Sietynas often is seen as a cluster of 7 stars, occasionally 5,6 or more than 7, 8,9 or even 12,15. Still often is met the explanation that in a small space over there shines a big number of little stars. However, human eye can most often discern only 7 stars of the Sietynas that form irregular rectangle, similar to a carriage, and never to a round sieve, unless to its side projection. The image of a round shape may be associated with the semantics of the word ‘‘Sietynas’‘ similar to the circle of the sieve ‘‘sietas, sietuvė’‘. When the astronomy lost its importance and humans stopped raising their eyes towards the stars for practical reasons the memory retained not the visual image but the associative, verbal image. It must be admitted that often the starts of the Sietynas are associated with the holes of the sieve.

It has been noticed that the Sietynas positioned on the sphere of the sky close to ecliptic (the visual path of the Sun, the Earth and the planets) move along the sky through the long nights of November before the Advent along the similar trajectory as the Sun in summer period. Hence the saying: ‘‘Tas Sietynas eina kaipo vasarą Saulė, tum pačiu keliu (The Sietynas goes along the same road as the Sun in summer’‘). During that period at night people would tell the time according to the position of the Sietynas, similarly as during the day according to the position of the sun: ‘‘People tell the time according to the position of the Sietas star, it goes around the Earth at the same time as the Sun; only the Sun goes in the day-time and it moves at night’‘; ‘‘It [the Sietynas] would move like the Sun, along the path of the Sun’‘, the movement of the Sietynas is compared to the movement of the Moon:’‘ Sytynas/.../ walks along the path of the Moon’‘; ‘‘Those [the stars of the Sietynas] it seems to me, may be following the path of the Moon...’‘

The movement of the Sietynas along the sphere of the sky is most often characterized by the words: ‘‘teka’‘, ‘‘užteka’‘ (it rises), ‘‘pasirodo’‘ ( it appears), ‘‘eina’‘ (it walks), ‘‘kyla’‘( it arises), ‘‘pakrypsta’‘ ( it tilts), ‘‘pasisuka’‘ (it turns), ‘‘leidžiasi’‘ (it sets down), ‘‘krenta’‘ (it falls) etc. Its position in the sky is most often indicated in relation to the parts of the words ‘‘Sietynas pasirodo rytuose’‘ (The Sietynas rises in the East), ‘‘užteka rytuose’‘ (It rises in the East), ‘‘Sietynas pusryčiuose’‘ (The Sietynas is in half through the East), ‘‘pakrypsta į pietus’‘ (it tilts towards the South), ‘‘pasisuka į pietus’‘ (it turns South), ‘‘ateina į pietus’‘ (It comes towards South),’‘Ieina į pietus’‘ (It goes South), ‘‘paslenka į vakarus’‘ (It moves towards West), ‘‘nukrypsta į vakarus’‘, ‘‘nusisuka i vakarus’‘ (It turns towards West), ‘‘leidžiasi vakaruose’‘ (It sets down in the West). About the Sietynas in the zenith it is said that it is located ‘‘South’‘, ‘‘in the middle of the sky’‘ or simply ‘‘high’‘. Sometimes it is explained that it is positioned ‘‘viršum galvos’‘ (right above the head), ‘‘statmenai’‘ (in a perpendicular manner) or, simply ‘‘ten kur 12-tą valandą būna Saulė’‘ (In the place where the Sun stands at 12). Often the position of the Sietynas and the part of the day is determined by the elevation of the constellation above the horizon. However, this is indicated by very rounded phrases: ‘‘Sietynas pakilęs’‘ (The Sietynas is arisen), ‘‘Sietynas žemai’‘ ( The Sietynas is low).

Those who were informed about the movement of the Sietynas through the long autumnal and winter nights could orient themselves in time very well: ‘‘The Sietynas as a clock, it shows time’‘; ‘‘The Sietynas in our Butniūnai (The name of the village) replaces the clock...’‘ In November around the midnight the Sietynas is right above our heads. Hence the saying: ‘‘When the Sietynas is coming up it is before midnight but when it goes down it is past midnight’‘; ‘‘The Sietynėlis is setting down - the day is coming’‘. More precise time could also be indicated: ‘‘If the Sietynas is in the East and covers one fourth of the sky - it is 8 o'clock in the evening, if it is in the middle of the sky - it is midnight, and if it is inclined towards the West and takes half the sky it is 3 o'clock in the morning’‘. For telling time it was important the situation of Sietynas in relation towards the environmental objects: ‘‘Sėtynas un klaties, ir ainam gult’‘ (The Sėtynas is on the granary so we go to sleep); ‘‘Sėtynas ir Grįžula ratai stovi un klaties, tai jau para kelties’‘ (The Sėtynas and Ursa Major stands on the granary - it’s time to get up); ‘‘Sietins pas Pilikį (Pilikė - piliakalnis prie namu, vakaruose)’‘ (The Sietins is by the Pilikė (Pilikė is the castle hill by the house in the West).

In September people started thrashing in the morning when the Sietynas stood in the South-East and in October when it was in its zenith. Then the time would be determined in the following manner: The Sietynas rises - it is evening, the Sietynas in the South-East - 8-9 o'clock in the evening; in the South - 2-3 o'clock in the morning, the Sietynas is setting 7-8 o'clock in the morning. In December around Christmas when the Sietynas is at its highest point (2-3 hours before midnight) is the time for children to go to bed.

It has been noticed that not only the Sietynas follows the same path of the Sun and the Moon, but, similarly as the Moon, is not always visible, sometimes is seen in the morning, sometimes is seen in the evening and sometimes hides away. True, by the end of April, when the Sun is approaching Taurus the Sietynas dissolves in the evening-glow. It is believed that it remains in visible throughout the whole summer in the period of short nights and reappears only in autumn. In the end of September and at the beginning of October it is seen low above the horizon in the East. It is true, but throughout the whole year watching the sky in the evenings and early mornings the appearance of the Sietynas may be noticed much earlier. Every mode of life of the people determined the mode of observation of the celestial bodies. The stars would be noticed mostly in the evening after the sunset and early in the morning upon the awakening for the day work. For this sort of observer the following distinct positions of the Sietynas could be seen:

-Evening dawn (achronal) (09.23)
-Evening culmination (02.10)
-Evening (heliacal) setting (04.23)
-Morning (heliacal) dawn (07.10-15)
-Morning culmination (09.15)
-Morning (achronal) setting (12.13)

Here and later are given the approximate dates of the visible position of the Pleiades above the physical horizon in our century in the geographical latitude of Lithuania.

It must be admitted that on determining the dates it has been taken into consideration the unfavorable periods for the observation of the Sietynas in the morning and evening dusk. Therefore the indicated dates differ from the theoretical dates in astronomy.

Ethnographic material leads us to believe that for the Lithuanian farmers the setting of the Sietynas in the evening glow was of particular importance. It signified the start of the spring and the farming season. The lower stays the Sietynas after the sunset the closer comes spring. ‘‘If the Žvaigždžių sietas 'Star Sieve' is high the spring is far away’‘(LTA 23 19/13/). ‘‘If the Žvaigždžių sietas 'Star Sieve' sets with the evening glow the warmth soon comes in (the spring)’‘ (LTA 2259/89/). ‘‘The Sietas disappears - the cuckoo starts its song’‘. When the Sietynas shines through the evening dusk the farmers plough the soil and prepare the spring sowing-time, and the sayings: ‘‘The Sietynas in the glow, the oxe in the furrow’‘; ‘‘The Sietynas in the glow, the horse in the field (before St George)’‘; ‘‘Before the Star Sieve throws the stars into the glow, let not the horse into the field’‘. (LTA 1480/22/). Heliacal setting of the Sietynas would be associated with St George's day (04 23). Starting with the date the Sietynas is difficult to be seen hiding in the sunrays. Only around the 10-15 of July it is possible to spot it in the morning dusk. However, Lithuanian ethnographic nor folk material left no direct testimony about the observations of this heliacal rising, though other nations would ascribe a lot of importance for the date when the Sietynas made its first appearance after the period of invisibility. Apart form other things the disappearance and reappearance of the Sietynas used to be associated with the start of the rainy period. This is particularly important for the races that secured the primitive mode of life. Some Australian and African tribes, New Guinea and the Marshall Island inhabitants hold that the appearance of the Pleiades after a temporary absence brings rain. It must be mentioned here that the ancient Romans used the word Pleiades for the poetic reference to the thunder and rain showers.

Some data leads us to believe that Lithuanians could have watched the heliacal rising of the Sietynas and associated the start of the rainy days of the second half of the summer. This hypothesis is confirmed by the coincidence of the heliacal rising of the Sietynas with the folk calendar date of the seven sleeping brothers' day, which is indicative of the precipitation of the second half of the summer. The tradition says that the rain on this day may mean rain throughout the following 7 days or 7 weeks. Thus 7 brothers, 7 days, 7 weeks, 7 starts of the Sietynas. For the sake of comparison it must be admitted that in the African tribe Eve it is believed that the appearance of the Orion will be followed by the 7-day rain, this is the number of the stars in the constellation (Gladyszowa, 168-169).

The connection between seven sleeping brothers and the seven stars in the Sietynas constellation is not accidental in the folk calendar. In the folk and in all our culture there is noticeable an exploitation of the ‘‘magic number’‘ seven. In the etiological legend recorded by M.Davainis Silvestraitis the seven stars of the Sietynas are seven brothers who fell asleep (seven flows who lived like brothers). They fell asleep in the honor of the God in the basement of the church they constructed themselves. The younger brother who lies at the feet of his brothers is given a name - Danasas (DSPO 134-136). Thus it stands to reason to suppose that our ancestors who knew the stars in the sky would watch the celestial bodies around the 10th of July in the North East in the attempt to spot the Sietynas (Septyni broliai/Seven brothers) that from the visibility of the starts would be able to predict the weather conditions. In the period of hay harvest people found it important to predict the rainy or dry period of the second half of the summer. Most often it was rainy. The popular saying testifies to this: ‘‘Before St.John we all ask for rain in vane after St.John one woman can do that’‘(LTV 383). Russians, too, were expecting the rise of the Sietynas by that period. They called the 11th of July Jefimji stozarnicy (here Russian Stozary - the Pleiades). It was believed that the light of the stars on that day predicts fortune in the bear hunting.

Another long awaited and expected position of the Sietynas was its culmination before the sunrise; it indicated the half of the period of autumnal sowing. M.Preatorius in the 17th century wrote that the Pleiades stay in a certain place it means a good sign for the start of the sowing. People say that the God placed the Sietynas in the sky for people to get informed when to start sowing rye (LTA 2247/20/). ‘‘Kad Sietynas atein lig auštant į pietus - laiks rugius sėti’‘ (When the Sietynas comes in the morning from the South – this is the time to start sowing the rye) (LTV 382); ‘‘Sietynas pasisuka į pietus, tada reikia sėti rugius...’‘ (The Sietynas turns South – the time to start sowing the rye…) (LTR 4508/7/). At the end of September when the Sietynas showed before dawn in the South-West people would dig potatoes.

The Sietynas setting in the morning was under close observation, too. It has been noticed that before the beginning of the Advent it sets right before the sunrise. Astronomic achronal setting of the Sietynas happens between 11 30 -12 01 but at this time the setting bellow the horizon line is covered by the morning glow that shades the stars 10 above the horizon. If the territory is not completely open this disappearance of the Sietynas coincides with its setting. In the open territory the setting could be visible around the 13th of December. In the old calendar this coincides with the beginning of the Advent. The first morning setting of the Sietynas allowed to determine the spring climate: If the Sietynas sets before the Advent the spring should come early, if during the Advent - it is a sign of late spring. A certain position of the constellation meant the approaching Sun return: ‘‘The Sietynas says that before Christmas it goes down and the day is getting longer’‘ (LTA 2261/39/).

There is little data left about the first rise of the Sietynas in the evening. In October, with the sunset the Sietynas is seen in the East: ‘‘In the East it is in the evening. It is late, late, late and then it is not seen in summer’‘.

There is no data about the evening culmination of the Sietynas observation. There is one record but no date: ‘‘ The Sietynėlis in the evening is in the middle of the sky and goes down where the Sun gets up. Then it knows that the day is coming’‘ (LTA 2247/44/).