The Moon
The new moon is called mut and the full moon nêrv. We have already seen the enormous influence of the period of the moon in Toda ceremonial and I have given above the method of counting between the periods of new and full moon so as to know the correct day of the new moon if for any reason it should not be visible.
The Todas see a figure in the moon which they call mürs, the hare.[7] The following story not only shows how the hare comes to be there, but also furnishes the explanation of eclipses of the moon and the origin of the Paikara river.[8]
Two men who were matchuni (see p. [501]) went out one day to fetch honey. After a time they separated, and one [[593]]found honey, while the other found none. The man who found the honey put it into a dairy vessel called pun, which he hid in a tree, and when he met the other did not tell him of his good fortune. After a time the pun containing honey which had been put in the tree suddenly broke, and the vessel became a snake, while the honey became the Paikara river. The snake ran after the man who had hidden the honey, and when the man saw the snake coming after him, he ran away. As he was being pursued, a hare came between the man and the snake. Then the man threw his cloak over the hare and hid himself, and the snake ran after the hare. The hare ran to the sky followed by the snake, and they came near the sun, which said, “Don’t come near me because I am very hot. Go to the moon!” So the hare went to the moon, and the moon said, “Do not be afraid; I will protect you till the end of the world.” The snake still goes sometimes to catch the hare in the moon, and when he goes the moon becomes dark and some people fire guns and send up rockets and the Todas shout. When it is known that there is going to be an eclipse the Todas abstain from food, and when they see the moon being eclipsed they shout out.
I was told that there was another incident of the story connected with shooting stars, but I was unable to obtain an account of it.
Planets
The Todas know Venus, which they call Pili, and they also speak of the “morning star.”