Why are there Seven Sisters?

TL;DR

This paper explores the origins of the myth of the Seven Sisters, suggesting that ancient stories and cultural similarities across diverse societies are linked to the stars' proper motion and their ancient origins.

Contribution

It proposes that the myth's origins date back over 100,000 years, predating modern human migration out of Africa, and explains cultural similarities through astronomical phenomena.

Findings

Mythological stories are linked to ancient star positions.

Proper motion of stars explains the 'seven' in myths.

Stories may predate modern human migration out of Africa.

Abstract

There are two puzzles surrounding the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. First, why are the mythological stories surrounding them, typically involving seven young girls being chased by a man associated with the constellation Orion, so similar in vastly separated cultures, such as the Australian Aboriginal cultures and Greek mythology? Second, why do most cultures call them "Seven Sisters" even though most people with good eyesight see only six stars? Here we show that both these puzzles may be explained by a combination of the great antiquity of the stories combined with the proper motion of the stars, and that these stories may predate the departure of most modern humans out of Africa around 100,000 BC.