The Milky Way: A Path to the Afterlife

In studying religion (of all varieties) one is bound to come across a set of beliefs and customs pertaining to the afterlife. While the question of whether there is an afterlife or not is one that incites a thousand other questions, for this article, we will assume that there is such a place. One of the interesting phenomenons one is bound to come across when studying different beliefs about the afterlife is that there is a sharp difference between what cultures separated by oceans deem important aspects in the afterlife and, most interesting of all, how different cultures proceed to the afterlife or "other-world" when life escapes their bodies.
One of the clear similarities in religious belief throughout the world (seemingly regardless of the religion) is the one claiming that every person has a soul and that when we - as individual people - die, it abdicates our bodies and travels unhindered to this separate world where death and disease threaten us no longer.
As was insinuated before, however, this is where the similarities end. Where other religions and cultures might make reference to climbing a golden staircase, flying to the afterlife with angel's wings, or following a path with a rod or rail to help one find their way, none possess so enchanting a belief as the one considered the oldest. Everywhere from the Columbian Amazon to Honduras, Mexico, India, Russia and the Southwest United States, in times preceding the rise of Christianity (and in some cases continuing until this very day), there lived cultures who held the belief that the stars held the answers to everything you could possibly wonder about creation, death and the afterlife. And the milky way was at the center (quite literally) of every single story.

It has been believed to be a river, spanning the universe. It has been believed to be a seam in the universe, where one god or another sat while creating the Earth. It has been viewed as a dragon's path, a spurt of milk, a path of straw, a scar left by a solar chariot, the echo of smoke lingering from ritual sacrifices, and an ever migrating flock of birds. In most cultures it was believed, at its axis, to mark the exact center of the universe, but in nearly all cultures of old (including Incan, Mayan, most Native American cultures, Indian, Russian and several more) it is believed - to this day - to be a path reaching from Earth to the Otherworld, made visible by the souls who have traveled it. And really, the most striking aspect of this widely held belief is that almost nobody in the modern Western world knows the history behind it or the beliefs that are still held about it.

So take this tremendous piece of historical knowledge with you the next time you find yourself gazing at the sky, and share it with every starry-eyed listener your voice can reach. You will find that sharing myths, legends and star stories from ancient cultures with your family and friends has a wonderful tendency to bring the whole of your group that much closer together. And get ready for it, because inevitably somebody will ask if you know any other star stories. These stories and your telling them will be some of your children's favorite memories and some of your family's favorite moments with you.

Sources:

Michael John Finley, "Creation." Shaw Webspace URL: (http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/creation.html)

Wikipedia Contributors, "Milky Way (mythology)." Wikipedia URL: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way_%28mythology%29)

Stefaniak, "The Stories of the Constellations - Milky Way." Miss Stefaniak's Webpage URL: (http://www.ufrsd.net/staffwww/stefanl/myths/milkyway.htm)