
From a South African Text Book:
"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒂 is a Sesotho and Setswana word that refers to 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑖𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 (also called the 𝑆𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠), which are a bright cluster of stars that appear in the evening sky in spring. These stars were used by traditional farming communities in South Africa to help them plan their planting season and once they became visible it was time to start ploughing the fields. They are known as 𝑇𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑎 in Venda, 𝑆ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑎 in Tsonga and 𝑖𝑠𝑖𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑎 in Xhosa and Zulu. The suffix – 𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑎 (-𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑎 in Nguni languages) means to plant, cultivate and - 𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑎 means to grow (referring to plants/crops). The Khoikhoi call them 𝐾ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑖 or 𝐾ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑢𝑠𝑒ℎ meaning "rain stars". In Xhosa the stars are referred to as the "digging stars" or “the hoeing stars”. Some believed that they die in winter and are reborn in the rainy season, an indication that the fields have to be prepared for planting in anticipation for summer rains. In East Africa they are called 𝐾𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑎, which also means "ploughing stars" or " digging stars". Ancient Mayans in Mexico and Central America also used them to mark the start of their rainy season.
According to Greek mythology when 𝑂𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑛 (one of the constellations), who was a hunter, fell in love with the 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑖𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 (seven sisters) and began to pursuing them, Zeus (the sky and thunder god) scooped them and placed them in the sky.
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 Gosiame Goitsemodimo (Anthropology Department) and Nthaopa Ntheri (Palaeontology Department).
𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀
https://www.siyavula.com/read/science/grade-7/historical-development-of-astronomy/20-historical-development-of-astronomy (Accessed 17 and 18/02/2022)
Gardening by the stars. September 1, 2010. https://www.maropeng.co.za/news/entry/gardening_by_the_stars (Accessed 18/02/2022)
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