Black Horse

The Great Star

In short: In Tigre tradition, a red star leads the sky and Kema is his mother-in-law.

The Great Star · Stars hiding from one another FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 255 The Great Star In Tigre tradition, a red star leads the sky and Kema is his mother-in-law. Origin Eritrea · Tigre oral tradition Atlas record 1908 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF Stars hiding from one another Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 2 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Eritrea · Tigre oral tradition

The smaller stars around the Great Star look like a leader’s retinue. In the second half of the tale, even this imposing leader has a family rule to follow. He stays out of sight as Kema rises, and she withdraws when he appears. The tale explains the timing through a custom of avoidance between a son-in-law and his mother-in-law. Littmann identifies the Great Star as Antares and Kema as the Pleiades.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1908 · Eritrea · Tigre oral tradition
    Enno Littmann · Sternensagen und Astrologisches aus Nordabessinien, § 2, p. 308 · Published collection
  2. 1910 · Eritrea · Tigre oral tradition
    Enno Littmann · Tales, Customs, Names and Dirges of the Tigrē Tribes II, no. 44, pp. 60–61 · Published collection

Country pages

Fairy Tale Glossary

Origin
Black Horse. The Great Star. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-tigre-great-star/