Canto Xxiv, Refers to Comets As “souls Beatified.”

“Thus Beatrice: and those souls beatified Transformed themselves to spheres on steadfast poles Flaming intensely in the guise of Comets.”

Turning to the Avesta writings, we find that the Parsees of ancient Persia classified comets as parihs, or fairies. Pari is the Iranian word for fairy, and is derived from the word “par,” meaning to tempt, to enchant. The English word “fairy” also comes from a similar root, “fier,” to enchant.

Nevertheless, these cometary fairies are not the dainty beings of English folk-lore, but are described in the Avesta as “ill-born fairies,” their appearance in the sky inspiring terror, since they are supposed to bring disease, calamity, and death in their wake. In the picturesque language of the Persian writer, “the distress of the earth becomes as that of a sheep when a wolf falls upon it.”

The following quaint account of the influence of a comet is given in the Avesta.

“A hairy comet appeared in the year 662, Hijri, and the increase of the splendour of the world was in Leo. The strange thing was that it appeared to be of the proportion of the head of a big man and emitted steam from the front. It passed over the countries of Tibet, Turkestan, China, Kashgar and remained visible for 85 days. In all these countries there arose rebellions. In Khorassan calamities of thunder and lightning and other such phenomena appeared.

“Many years and many months had passed over this event, and then in 803, a tailed comet appeared in the zenith of Constantinople. Astrologers informed Timur that from what the wise and the experienced have said, it appears that an army coming from the direction of the east will be victorious in that country, and a general from that country will assist him. Timur (literally: the illuminator of the face of fortune), who was always expecting an invasion of the country, but whose companions of poor intelligence did not acquiesce, attended to that prediction and convinced the great and small of his court, of the truth and insight of the star-seers. The learned in the mysteries of the heavens are convinced of this, that if the comet appears within the boundaries of a country, its king dies. If it is inclined towards the boundary, the country of the governor passes away from his hands, and plague and disease add to the afflictions of the country.”

Some of the Pahlavi books refer to a comet as “the thievish Mushpar provided with tails.” The comet was classified as an evil spirit in company with planets and meteors which wandered hither and thither; while the sun, moon, and fixed stars were considered good spirits, because they were always to be found at appointed times in their places in the sky.

In the mythology of China and Japan we find that comets were supposed to be celestial representatives of every country on the earth, and occupied the important position of ambassadors journeying from one celestial region to another, and giving forecasts of terrestrial events of importance. For this reason, careful records were kept of the dates of their appearance and the paths along which they traveled, thus enabling astronomers of to-day to trace back the path of Halley’s comet, for instance, to a very remote era. Whatever the motive that prompted the accumulation of records, they have proved of the utmost value.

Comets are called “broom stars” in China, a name derived from the form of their tails, which have the very prosaic name of brooms (sui or soui). A comet without a tail was referred to as merely a star, or a guest star, from its visiting the provinces and taking up its abode in different places, as at an inn.

“Their home was in the vestibule of the celestial palaces; there, under an invisible form, they awaited the order of departure,” says Pingré, “the order sent, they became visible and commenced their journey. If, whilst on their way they put forth a tail, the star was said to have become a comet.”

The above quotation, remarks the same author, explains:

“the foolish and singular idea that the Chinese formed of the heavens. According to them, the heavens represented a great empire, composed of kingdoms and provinces; these provinces were the constellations; there was decided all that would happen for good or ill to the great terrestrial empire, that is, to China. The planets were the administrators or superintendents of the celestial republic, the stars were their ministers, and the comets their couriers or messengers. The planets sent their messengers from time to time to visit the provinces for the purpose of restoring or maintaining order, but all that was done in the heavens above was either the cause or the forerunner of what was to happen below.”

The ideas of the Chinese were not more foolish than the extravagant myths of the ancients, and of the Europeans in the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, although comets are no longer regarded with superstitious awe, mystery still clings to them. For those who are unaware of the fact that astronomers can trace their paths, predict the periodic returns of these wanderers, and even analyze the substance of which they are composed, there are many problems concerning them still awaiting solution.