The seven sisters Mea-mei once lived on earth and were distinguished by their extraordinary beauty. They had waist-length hair, and their bodies glistened with icicles.
Their father and mother lived far away in the rocks and never left the mountains like their daughters. When going hunting, the sisters did not join other clans, although many wanted to make friends with them. Especially a few young men, considering them very beautiful, wanted them to stay with them and become their wives. These youths of Berei-Berei used to follow Mea-mei and leave offerings at their camp.
The Berei-Berei were good at finding bee nests. They caught a bee, attached a white fluff or white feather to its back with resin, released it and followed it to the nest. They put the honey they found in vessels made of virri bark and left it in the Mea-mei camp, who ate the honey, but did not pay attention to the courtship of the brothers.
One day old Warrunna, as you know, kidnapped two girls by cunning. He tried to melt the icicles on them, but only extinguished his fire. After spending some time in captivity, both kidnapped girls ascended to heaven, where they found their five sisters. Since then, they remain in the sky with them, but do not sparkle as brightly as the other sisters, dimmed by the fire of Varrunna.
When the Berei-Berei learned that the Mea-mei had left the earth forever, they were inconsolable. They were offered girls from their own tribe as wives, but they did not want anyone except Mea-mei, stopped eating out of grief and died. The spirits were pleased with their loyalty, took pity on them and gave them a place in heaven. They still live there today. (We call them the Belt and Sword of Orion, but to the Daen they are still known as the youths of Berea-Berea.)
The Daens say that the Berei-Berei hunt bees during the day and dance to the singing of Mea-mei at night. Although the Mea-mei live at some distance from Berea-Berea, they hear their songs. The Daens also say that Mea-mei will forever shine as an example for all women on earth.
Once a year, in memory of the fact that they once lived on earth, the Mea-mei shake off the ice and throw it down. When the Daens wake up in the morning and see ice everywhere, they say:
“The Mea-Mei didn’t forget us, they threw some ice down.” We will show that we remember them too.
They take a piece of ice and press it to the children's nose. When children can no longer feel their nose due to the cold, they pierce it and insert a bone or straw.
“Now,” say the Daens, “these children will sing as Mea-mei sings.”
As the two sisters rose to the sky, one relative of Mea-mei looked down at the ground. Seeing the old man from whom they had escaped running, shouting and ordering them to come down, he was so amused at Warrunna's failure and so happy at the escape of his sisters that he began to laugh. So he continues to laugh to this day. He is known to the Daen as the Laughing Star - Venus.
When thunder is heard in winter, the Daens say:
- Mea-mei are swimming again. They are playing Baba-larmei - diving. The one who jumps and hits the water the hardest wins. This is the favorite game of people on earth.
Hearing the noise of Baba-larmeya, the Daens also say:
- It will rain soon, the Mea-mei will splash the water down. It will fall to the ground in three days.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru