When she turned her face to heaven
A star fell into her mouth.
Thence was born the marvellous child,
Ciaran of Saigir who is proclaimed to thee
And thence (a saying without pride)
Luaigne (Liadaine’s husband) said he (Ciaran) was not his son.[6]
Osiris, as the son of the cow-goddess, was a son of the moon, from which fell a fertilizing ray of light. The Egyptian deities had star forms. As stars, they rose from malachite pools and perched in swallow-shape on the branches of the world-tree of the Great Mother. Hathor and Isis were personified as the star Sirius, from which fell the tear, or drop of dew, that caused the low Nile to have increase and rise in flood. As the morning star, the goddess was the mother of the rising sun. Much star-lore surviving from ancient times remains to be gleaned.
When the star-deity’s son, the Chinese Emperor Yu, was born, he had the mouth of a tiger. “His ears had three orifices; his head bore the resemblance of the star Kow and Kʼeen. On his breast seemed a figure in gem of the Great Bear.” When he grew up he reached the height of 9 cubits, 6 inches.[7]
The Irish hero, Cuchullin, was likewise a marvellous youngster. He had “seven toes to each foot, and to either hand as many fingers; his eyes were bright, with seven pupils apiece”, and so on.
Yu was probably a historical character, to whose memory many floating myths and legends were attached. He figures as the hero of a deluge. One night, during his youth, he dreamt that while bathing in the Ho (the [[283]]Yellow River) he drank up the water. He also beheld a white fox with nine tails—a particularly good omen. This was during the reign of Yau. Shun came to know about him and showed him special favour, causing him to be promoted until he became an influential man in the Empire.